Shielou

News and First Featured Artist

2010-04-01T18:10:00.006-06:00

Hello! Great news, people! I decided to open a second shop on Etsy. I figure Shielou will continue on and feature the lighter, sillier side of me while my new shop, Evertorium, will feature my darker and, dare I say, more mature side? O__o Who knew? I hope to update both shops with new items every week so keep your eyes open!

ALSO! I'm very excited to feature my very first fellow artist on my blog. I've been wanting to do this for a while but never really got the guts to ask anyone until Laina. Previously known as sweetgal981, she has now opened a new shop called Laina's Designs. Check it out and read the interview below! I know you're gonna love her as much as I do! ~__^

What do you make? What got you started in the world of crafting?

Currently I am making rings and necklaces with fun little faces that I sculpt out of clay, then paint and decorate. I’ve always been a crafter, whether it was just for fun or for school, I was always making things as a kid and never grew out of it.

What got you into Etsy and open up your shop?

One day I was searching on eBay for handmade jewelry and I came across HeadlessTessDiy. Her jewelry is so neat and it fascinated me. After weeks of watching her post new items I asked her if she wouldn’t mind me making jewelry in that style. She was the one who told me about Etsy and she supported me when I opened my first shop there. After a while I sort of “grew out of it.” Now I have a new shop open with my new designs and I’m having a blast!

What's the most difficult part about having your own shop? What's the most rewarding?

The most difficult part of the shop is not making the sales that I think I should. When I finally finish a piece I get so excited to share it with the world and I think that it’s going to sell immediately because they will love it as much as I do, but it takes time. It takes time for people to see it; for the right person to see it. I think once your shop reaches a certain balance between the enjoyment of making the pieces and selling them timely to happy customers then it is a successful shop.

The most rewarding thing about running my shop is actually crafting. To do one piece I have to sculpt the clay, bake it, sand it, paint it, glaze it, sculpt other detail pieces if needed (things like hair or background pieces), paint those, glaze those, then adhere it to the pendant, bead it, take photos and list it. Out of the entire process of making my pieces I love painting the most. But my favorite part is watching the face change as I’m painting it – how it turns the plain clay to a beautiful face with eyes and eyelashes – I just love it! With my old shop I didn’t really challenge myself to paint small detail work, but now that I’ve brought out that part of me I feel so much more rewarded than ever, and there’s nowhere to go but up!

What are your inspirations?

I have a lot of different inspirations for my pieces; photos of face painting, movies, books, video games, celebrities and the things in my own crazy mind. I also have different inspirations for how I run my shop. There are a lot of neat people on Etsy who really know what they’re doing and how to be kind to their customers, that inspires me as well. There are other things and people that inspire me in my life too.

What other hobbies/interests do you enjoy?

Outside of crafting and running my shop I actually have a lot of hobbies that I enjoy doing. I love listening to all kinds of music, singing, playing the guitar and the Native American flute, writing, photography, painting (although I don’t do that very often), running, playing video games, (Dragon Age and Tomb Raider!!!), going to concerts and movies, hanging with my best friend, and a lot more.

What are your shop goals? General goals?

My main shop goal is to really enjoy myself. Toward the end of my last one it just became work and I didn’t like it any more. Now I have a new beginning with some experience under my belt and I just want to do myself proud. I’ve set the bar so much higher. I want to share my creations with other people and have them enjoy them as much as I do.

Other goals include earning my Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education. I want to teach High School English. Perhaps one day I will go for my Master’s (yay debt?). I also want to become a published writer.

Do you have any suggestions to give those who want to do what you do?

Be prepared. It’s a learning experience like any other and it takes time. You should know that it takes time to perfect your creative process and that it can be a bumpy road unless you are preparing to sell things that you have made for years. If you are new to the crafting world, or just new to the creative medium that you are doing, then you should really practice before you start selling.

And just like it takes time to make your creations, chances are it will take time to sell them. You need to gain a following of sorts. The right person has to see your creation, but once he/she does, he/she will recognize the time, effort and hard work that you put into it, and they will appreciate it.

There are times when there will be disappointments whether they are in yourself or others. Doing your research is very important. Sometimes it is fun to jump in, but you should really gather your resources before you get in over your head. But most importantly have fun! If you enjoy what you make then everyone else will see that.

What else do we need to know about you? Criminal history? Third arm? Cool talents?

I can’t really think of anything at the moment ~_^

Anymore you wanna say? Last chance....

I’m voting for Andy Garcia on American Idol! Yay Andy!!

Thanks for reading! As always, happy crafting!
Shy

PS: Many thanks to Laina, once more, and check out her shop, people!!

On my playlist:

Home Business Tips #1: Getting Started

2010-03-28T16:10:00.004-06:00

It takes a certain kind of madness to start your own home business, and a certain kind of courage to take it on full time. For myself, it was a matter of knowing that I had nothing to lose. I had just finished animation school, still working on my portfolio and all the while working part time as a cashier at a liquor store. By the way, I commend those who could put up with the harassment when it comes to dealing with jerks while working behind the counter because I'm pretty sure it took off a couple of years of my life. I ran into Etsy while browsing through the web and knew that I could do it. I could make things and sell them. I had nothing stopping me so the choice was easy to make.

White Rabbit Head Case Charm

Available here!

But for others, the decision is not as easy. Especially if you equate a family, husband, kids, pets, chores, full time job, friends, money, mother-in-law and the list goes on...and on. So before you jump into anything DO YOUR RESEARCH! Look before you leap because trust me, you may very well fall short and crash. It can all be very overwhelming, so take your time to figure it all out. There's no need to rush. Look at other shops/businesses, check out your local post offices, look up prices, inquire if you need a license, read blogs and/or books! Know what you're getting into because despite all the benefits of having your own small business, there are plenty of cons to go with it. Here are some of my own pros and cons:

Magic Mushroom Head Girl

Available here!

Pro: I'm my own boss! I make my time. I call the shots!

Con: I'm my own boss! Everything falls on me. If something goes wrong, or I've made a terrible decision - which I have many times - that's on my shoulders, and there's no one to blame but myself.

Pro: I don't have to deal with annoying co workers who talk crap about me behind my back. Yes, I'm talking about you, Aundrea! I know what you said about my hair!

Con: I'm alone most of the day. I'm not exactly a social butterfly but not having anyone to talk to for 9-10 hours 5 out of 7 days a week can be a little maddening. *twitch*

Pro: I'm doing something I enjoy for a living!

Con: I've turned what I enjoy into work...

Year of the Tiger Charm

Available here!

And when you finally have a good understanding of the market and what you're getting yourself into - and you're willing to take it on - for God's sake PLAN!! Where are you going to get your materials? Where can you get the best deal? How are you going to package and ship your items? How much are you going to sell your products for? Can you AFFORD your supplies and fees right now? Do you have an allotted space to create your items? Do you have the TIME to make items, post, ship, shop for materials and answer inquiries? Are your family and friends supportive of your endeavor?

Aries Zodiac Charm

Available here!

I think that last question is the most important. You can learn what you need to do in your business as time goes on - which is pretty much what I had to do - but if the people around you aren't on the same page then that's the hardest part. I started my shop when I was 23. My main responsibility was paying off school loans. I know for most, they can't say the same. Having a home business is time consuming, sometimes even heartbreaking when you don't immediately start making the sales you want. And remember that it takes money to make money. Make sure your decision isn't affecting those around you negatively. When it comes to having your own home business, you need all the support you can get from your loved ones. ^__^

White Rabbit Charm

Available here!

Where to sell?

Ebay, the granddaddy of all shop sites. But keep in mind that most everyone who shop on Ebay are looking for bargains. Great bargains.

Etsy, need I say more? A site dedicated solely to handmade things with an open door to vintage items.

Zazzle is great for all artists. You can pretty much stick your art on anything: mugs, shirts, stickers, even shoes and skateboards!

Cafepress, very much like Zazzle. You can stick your artwork on shirts, water bottles and even pet bowls. But note that they don't have some of the cool stuff that Zazzle offers (ie personalized postage stamps, and did I mention shoes and skateboards?).

Your own website, but only if you know what you're doing because designing and building a website from ground up takes time and more than just basic knowledge of html coding.

Supermarket is great for designers, BUT they don't accept just anybody. You have to be approved first. O__o

Silkfair is considered a baby compared to the giant handmade community of Etsy. I, myself, have an account here (mind you, it's not open yet) but I've found to like the more intimate feeling of this community. Better make use of it now before it really explodes.

These are some of my fave sites. There are so much more out there so take a look. ^__^

So take everything into account, but at the same time don't think about it too much. I think people can sometimes overwhelm themselves with the fear of the unknown and psyche themselves out. If you really want to do it then go for it. Sometimes all you really need is the excitement of the challenge to motivate you to begin. Cause this SH*T is hard, but it's oh so worth it. ~__^

Egg Head Boy

Available here!

Other helpful links

How to Start a Home-Based Craft Business by Kenn Oberrecht, great book and very informative.

Dick Blick Art Material, they have EVERYTHING here. And when I say everything, I do mean everything.

Jewelry Supply, name says it all. They have everything from beads to boxes to jewelry displays.

Adobe Photoshop, beautify and edit your photos with this brilliant program. You'll wonder how you went without it for so long.

As always, happy crafting!
Shy

On my playlist:

Blog Urge

2010-03-20T10:15:00.014-06:00

My shop! Shielou

After several months of blog silence I finally had the urge to update my blog. ^__^ I've had so many ideas come across my mind since opening Shielou, but I never really had the time to bring those ideas to life until now.

Now, I LOVE Alice In Wonderland, but there's just so many Alices on Etsy that I wanted to be different so I came up with Alex In Wonderland instead. If Alice had a little brother or something, it would be him. Cute, blond and blue eyed. I've also been working on the following paintings since last year. Alex and the White Rabbit are still in progress but I wanted to show you a sneak peek. I've also opened up a Zazzle account where you can purchase my digital artwork on t-shirts, mouse pads, mugs, etc. I plan on selling prints at Shielou as well, but it won't be until summer or fall since I'm still saving up to buy a fab printer. ^__^

Coffin rings!! Now, you are definitely not going to find these ANYWHERE! They're definitely a Shielou exclusive because I made the rings myself. ^__^ These are non adjustable so they're custom fitted, and the sizes are completely different from your typical ring sizes. I go by diameter in millimeters (18mm, 19mm, 20mm) rather than standard ring sizes (size 8, size 9, size 10) because I don't have a ring sizer thingy-a-majig. I know! They're like $5 but I just never got around to purchasing one. -__- I know, bad Shy. Anyway, the actual "coffin" is around 1 1/2, so quite large for most but I think they're the perfect size given all the details on the actual charm. I'm taking customs for these now so please convo me through Etsy for more info, etc. ^__^

When I told Laina about my plans to make sculpture themed shoes there's was silence and confusion. O__o And so I wanted to make it just so I could prove to her that it wasn't such a weird concept. :) I've always found stilettos to be very sexy. Unfortunately, I can't walk in them to save my life. The first one is the Mad Hatter shoe. The tea cups were the most difficult things to make, believe it or not, and using them as part of the shoe's stiletto was even harder. But I really enjoyed making this piece, especially the toast and jam as well as the spilled tea that reminds me more of acid with all the metallic swirls. But I guess it's fitting. ~__^

The second shoe sculpture is of course the White Rabbit shoe. I wanted something a little sexier compared to the Mad Hatter shoe. I love the pink ruffles around the heel as well as the watch and gold chain in the front. It's also a little steampunk with the watch parts and gears but I think it adds a touch of whimsy to the overall piece.

I've always been fascinated with the steampunk movement and after a year of buying steampunk supplies I finally have use for all my accumulated materials, thus Vintage Key Steampunk Guns. Say that 10 times fast. :P Honestly, guns freak me out. They're heavy, they smell funny and they're dangerous. Lucky for me, these ones aren't. ^__^

As I said, I'm taking custom orders now so please send me an email or convo! Will be working and concentrating more on more originals in the future. Questions, concerns? Let me know!!

Always,
Shy

My shop! Shielou

PS: My White Rabbit Stiletto Shoe has just been added to evagirl12's Treasury List. Pretty nifty! ^__^

(Currently obsessing on Dr. Horrible Sing Along Blog. Joss Whedon is a genius!)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

2010-01-07T12:54:00.003-07:00

Happy NEW YEAR! I hope everyone had a lovely holiday season. I know I did. I'm still full from all the food I ate. Well...not really. ~__^ I've been rather lax on updating my blog mostly because I really have nothing to talk about. Actually, let me take that back, I do have stuff to talk about but it's nothing anyone would be interested in reading about. -__- As most of you know, I've moved to a new place. The second bedroom is now my office. Chris makes fun of the room's layout but it's my feng shui so eat it. ~__^ I did take most of November and pretty much all of December off just to get my bearings and plan out 2010 as well as avoid the madness that is the holidays. After I watched two grown women fight in line at the post office, I was done. lol

(It's not Martha Stuart pretty but it does its job *lol)

(Yes, that's a futon. In case I need a nap or I get really mad at Chris. :D)

(That's a Tinkerbell bag pack...'cause I think I'm still 12. -__-)

I did watch Avatar a couple of times over the past couple of weeks and it was AWESOME! Words cannot describe the genius of James Cameron and his team. Yes, the storyline was a little Pocahontas and Dances with Wolves and the dialogue was a little tired ("You're not in Kansas anymore..." Really? -__-) but it was epic and so visually stunning that the adventure you take with Jake Sully more than made up for it. And Sam Worthington wasn't bad either. ~__^ While most of the female population is gunning for Rob, I'm making a quiet beeline for Sam. :D It's the hot Australian accent. Yum...

I'll be working on the last of my custom orders for the next couple of weeks because I'm pretty much closing down custom orders altogether. Or at least until I can figure out how to work with custom orders with this new technique since, as you can probably tell, it's a bit arduous and time consuming. *shrugs* I thought that this new technique would make my life easier but instead it's pretty much the same. Just as hard as the clay figures but the diversity of what I can make more than makes up for it. ^__^ I will blog more later, mostly about what I've learned about running an Etsy shop since I figure that would be more interesting than what I ate this morning or a step-by-step account on how I do laundry. ~__^ Getting ready to post the Bite My *pple necklaces in the following days. ^__^ YAY!

Luv,
Shy

(Muse gets 2 thumbs up for doing a cover of one of my favorite oldies. ^__^)

No New Moon For Shy

2009-11-20T09:31:00.002-07:00

Chris vowed last month I would not see New Moon on the 20th and the bastard has succeeded. Personally, I wasn't going to watch it anyway because I know the theaters will be filled to the hilt and as an anti-social, I wouldn't be able to handle the crowd without ending up crying in the parking lot - but that's not the point! For our birthdays, (Mine was on Tuesday and Chris' is on the 22nd) Chris is taking us out of town on vacation to a new casino that popped up somewhere in Colorado? O__O I dunno, he did all the planning. lol I'm pretty okay with it by now but I wasn't a happy camper several weeks ago when he informed me. Haha! ^__^ But I wanted to wish everyone happy watching when you all see New Moon in the following days! Much love and I'll see you all next week!! I'll be back on Monday!! Yippee!

Happy ogling! O_O

Luv,
Shy

PS: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE LOVELY WELL WISHERS! My birthday went great. Quiet night out. Not a big to-do but that's what I like. ^__^ Also, please refrain from fainting at the first sight of Rob and Taylor on screen. C'mon! You don't wanna miss the entire movie! ~__^

Birthday New Moon Giveaway

2009-11-17T09:40:00.003-07:00

It's my birthday today! I turn the big 2-5! O__O It's rather strange though, 'cause I feel that the older I get, the younger I feel. I don't think that's normal, but I guess that can be a good thing, too? ~__^ Anyway, to celebrate, I'm doing a giveaway! All you have to do is join my Yahoo! Group where you can get updates on when I post new items in my shop or if anything new at all happens at Shielou.

The first one was inspired by one of my chats with Laina. As usual, I can't really remember what we were talking about but we were just being dorks and talking about necklace ideas. So that's how Bite My *pple necklace came to be. The second one I made during Halloween called Rip My Stone Cold Heart. And the third is a wolf howling in the moon with an experimental patina finish.

These are the "simple" designs I've been speaking of. It's a nice break from my more intricate pieces. Let me know what you think! Questions, concerns? Please let me know!! YAY!!

Luv,
Shy

O__O Yippee!

2009-11-14T18:14:00.004-07:00

Many things are going on this month and I have to give some love to several friends. Britten, over at The Black Pumpkin, has finally opened up her shop. YAY! I've been waiting nearly a year...wait, Brit, I think I have. ;P Go check out her dolls and paintings! And tell her I sent ya (so she doesn't think I've been slacking on my promise about blogging about her. lol LUV YA, Brit!! ~__^). Check out some of her items!!

Also, Jessa, over at eternallyoung, is having a sale/giveaway! You can find out more on her website and all that good awesome stuff. Lookie!!!

Anyway!! Five more torturous days, people!! O__O I know, who can stand this? ~__^

Luv,
Shy

Still Open

2009-11-02T17:01:00.012-07:00

All remaining charms are in my shop! http://shielou.etsy.com

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T18:15:00.015-06:00

My charms will all be upgraded to newer designs made in detailed resin that will still be hand painted but no longer individually hand sculpted. Confused? Yep, me too. ~__^ Also, Chris and I decided last minute that we'll be moving (Why? 'Cause we like moving in the middle of winter O__O) so I'll be busy packing this month. I don't know how many new figurines/new items I will have available before Nov. 20th so I suggest you get it now if you'd like something for the movie! ^__^ Questions, reservations? E-mail me at shielouperez@yahoo.com!

Love you all!
Shy

September, already?!

2009-08-31T10:55:00.002-06:00

Yes. I am alive! I just wanted to assure everyone that I didn't jump off a bridge somewhere or choke while stuffing my face. ^__^ I've been hard at work on my super awesome new stuff that'll be coming in sometime in October! I know I've spoken to a few of you about it but I can't really go into the details at the moment since everything's still in progress. But I promise that the wait and all the secrecy will be worth it. ~__^

Also, I will no longer be taking any custom orders for September. Like...none. Zero. Nadda. So don't bother asking. :P

(Laina sent me this and it made me happy. lolz)

Also, if you haven't done so, please join my Yahoo! Group to get e-mail notices when I update my shop with new items! As an incentive, I'll be giving one free shipping postcard for my Anniversary Grand Re-Opening Madness (title not yet official :P) to those who have joined! Plus, don't you want to see the awesomeness that is the postcard I have worked so hard on? O__o I know you doooo!

I'm very excited with what I have planned for the beginning of Year 2 of Shielou. I'm sooo stoked I can't even put it into words!! And I hope you all are too!!! Let's do this!!!

Luv always,
Shy

Kodak Moments

2009-08-16T14:41:00.006-06:00

When will people learn? The main topic of conversation this week on top of the Teen Choice Awards? Ashley Greene's nudey pictures. Who knew the pixie starlet had it in her. O__o

I know for beautiful people it's hard to refrain from stripping it all off and going wild with a camera. Especially when you're young and your boobs have yet to reach your navel (Damn you, gravity!). And I especially know first hand what it feels like to be home alone and that Sony Alpha DSLR-200 is just staring at you with its massive black lens, silently urging you to take your top off cause you're so purty. O__o I mean...no I don't!

But taking photos/videos of yourselves in the nude was a horrible idea when Pam and Tom first made it popular in the 90's to when Vanessa Hudgens hadn't learned from her first nude scandal that hairy is scary. Don't take nude photos/videos of yourselves unless you're in the porn industry or you have no qualms of having the entire world ogle your goodies. I mean, really? Do you honestly need more proof or a constant reminder of how sexy you are? We get it. You're the hottest thing since sliced bread. Instead of taking pics of your nipples can't we just go to Disneyland? O__o Just a suggestion.

With that said...please check out MY nude pics @ www.dirrtyshielou.com!!! This week? Watch Shielou cook bacon in the nude. Woohoo!! Sizzly!

Myrna's middle name should really be Trouble. lol But I do say that with much affection. This time around? Sandman and Phantom of the Opera. How can I say no to her? Destiny and Dream were the hardest to make due to their robes. And yes, Despair is covered with rats. Not mice. :P

You can now sign up with my Yahoo! Group!! YAY! I'll be sending out e-mails as to when I update instead of having a definite date every week. I hope by doing this my stress levels will reduce considerably. :P Also, as an incentive to get you to join I will also be giving out free shipping to members for my anniversary in October! Ain't that fun!? Anyone and everyone is free to join! So sign up, let me know your name and address (private message me, of course! Don't post it in the message boards!) and I'll send you a postcard! ^__^ Other than that, just continuing with orders. I know. My life's uber interesting. :P

Lurve,
Shy

PS: Do you really think I have nude photos on the net? I can barely look at myself clothed in the mirror let alone buck nekkid. I'll leave all that to the pros.

PS2: BTW, I have no problem with Ashley Greene or her nude pics. She's a lovely girl and I know first hand that we all make stupid mistakes when we're young and hormonally driven (unfortunately, I'm also still stuck at this phase :P). But the lesson to be learned here is that beauty should first and foremost come from within. No camera can ever capture that.

Lazy Shy

2009-08-08T20:27:00.005-06:00

Took it kinda easy this week. Although I still managed to finish orders AND a good batch of extras! I know. Crazy. ~__^ Been feeling rather lethargic and unmotivated, I hate to admit. I think I'm getting antsy. I need some new challenges (although I have a couple of exciting new custom orders that have popped up! YAY!! ^__^). My first year anniversary on Etsy is just around the corner and I feel like I need to take Shielou further. More items, more variations in prices and some original works. Possibly. lol Hopefully I can snap out of it by Monday 'cause it's full steam ahead. O__o No turning back. Ahh!!!!

(Oh yes...it's Kirk :P)

Also, want to steer some attention to fellow friends' Etsy Shops. I've made some amazing online buddies on Etsy and I love 'em all to death and want to show them some love and support 'cause they rock!! First up is Heather (aka CAPS) @ LUCCITA. My fave item of hers is her St. Jude Bracelets! Go check it out and tell her I sent you! Woot!!

(You know you want one!!)

Other than that...who else is sick of hearing AND reading about the RobSten hookup rumors? All I'm gonna say is that if they are....Yay. Good for them. I hope they're using contraceptives. :P If they're not then that's fine too. Either way, I will sleep peacefully at night. ^__^

(Supposed to be a Custom Order but I had just reread the commission description and it doesn't fit. lol I am SOOO out of it. :P)

I'm off! Answered all e-mails so I'm done for the night. No more internet!!!! lol It's this new thing I'm trying to do. Answer all e-mails at the end of the day and be done. I'll check back with you guys on the 'morrow! ~__^ Stay outta trouble, stay safe and keep that chin up! ~__^

Much lurve,
Shy

YAY? Stuff!!

2009-07-29T18:12:00.011-06:00

Alrighty, where do I start. Hmmm? I guess we'll start with what I had finished first. Family Portraits. ^__^ Jenni asked for Eddie, Bella AND Nessie all in one go. This was actually a challenge I was looking forward to make because I saw it clearly in my head and how I was going to make it. But my plans usually go topsy-turvy and I had to make some changes in order to make sure that the charm fell properly. But I'm quite happy with it so YAY!

Also, cameos!!! Let me start with my Simple Cameos. I'm very aware that my charms are pricey and I want to offer products that are a little more inexpensive. This was one way to go into that direction. They're only about an inch so they're very cute and light weight. I love jewelry that's light and airy, and yes, I kept the other Jacob I had. LOL

I also now have small resin charms. I'm only offering blue at the moment because it's the only color I have but if these work out I'll offer more colors in the future. Usually I'm all gung-ho about buying supplies that I may or may not use :P but I'm trying to make more careful and thoughtful decisions because most, if not all, of the profit I make from Shielou goes directly back into the shop. As I said previously, I'm not a very good business person but I'm trying to learn and refrain from going crazy at buying supplies. Trying is the operative word here. :P

These next cameos were a bit of a surprise because I didn't think I was able to sculpt wolves that small (they're only a little over an inch! O__o). But I'm SOOOO glad that they turned out better than I thought they would. I hope you guys like these because I'll be making more (Yes, we're talking lions too :P)! ~__^ BTW, while studying the New Moon trailer I noticed that Jacob Wolf has a gray tone along his legs with his described russet coloring. Personally I love the contrast, it makes him more interesting and rugged. But yeah...that was me geeking out about Jacob Wolf's color palette. :P Sue me.

New Moon Embraces. I love the new cover for New Moon. I dunno but Taylor has been rocking what I'm dubbing his Predatory Come Hither Look. It looks good on him. Again, I need to remind myself along with a lot of you that the boy is only 17. Albeit 17-year-olds should not have the right to look that....erm...sinewy. Ahem. T__T Why do I feel like such a pedophile. Jeez, someone put me in jail already. :P

I've always considered myself Team Switzerland. Why would someone like myself want to choose between a vampire and a werewolf? It's like choosing between water or oxygen. You need both to survive. And yes, I did just compare Jacob and Edward to water and oxygen. Thus, Team Switzerland earrings.

Other than that...not much more on my end. Oh! I did end up redoing all my rings which was not fun but it was well worth it. The glaze I ended up using for the old rings ended up milky? It wasn't pretty. O__o But I'm much happier with the way these new ones turned out. ^__^ Still trying to finish up orders, etc. I'm hoping I'll finally get caught up by the end of August. O__o Knock on wood. No updates this Saturday. Questions, concerns? You know the drill!! ^__^ YAY!

Lurve,
Shy

Down the Twilight Cons...

2009-07-25T19:17:00.001-06:00

Everyone seems to be attending one con after another and all I can say is I'm one envious mofo. lol ComiCon just passed by which I know several people attended and TwiCon 09 is just around the corner which I know a lucky number of people will be going to as well. I hope that all who's attending either TwiCon or some other Con has a great time and make sure to cop a feel of any one of the cast members for me, preferably Taylor and/or Rob. For me!! Do it for me!!! :P Just don't get busted for it. Cons are supposed to be happy, bonding (no, not bondage O__o) get togethers, not a step away from jail. O__o

Twilight Prom gets an upgrade. I think as one of the "oldest" (O__o who knew a couple of months would be considered old :P?) I felt it was high time that these two got a well deserved makeover. ^__^

Also, I must bow down to the genius that is Tim Burton. Need I say more? When I was a kid I was in a production of Alice In Wonderland. I was the annoying white rabbit. Word.

Rings that were ordered are complete. They're currently in the drying process which is funny because glazing and drying takes more time than actually making the darn things. Which brings me to let everyone know that I'll only do a couple more of these before they go into (early) retirement for an upgrade to a better design. ^__^ YAY!

And it's that time again. The month of July is coming to a close which means it's time to pick another charity organization to support for August! 5% of sales during teh last part of June and this July will go to RENEW! If anyone has any ideas of a new charity please comment below or let me know!!

Other than that...hope everyone had a lovely week! I will still be posting all my other shtuff this coming Wednesday so please stay tuned!! I'm thinking of either doing a huge post here on my blog and everyone can just reserve whatever they want or we can go through the tortuously slow one-by-one posting on Etsy. YAY? You pick your torment! :P

(Speaking of Torment...YAY Vishous!! lol I know, I have a BDB problem :P)

That's it from me! ^__^ Please refrain from blowing up your computers watching and rewatching the two New Moon clips they showed at ComiCon. Naughty, naughty! ~__^ And no, I refuse to enable your obsession by posting them on my blog! :P

Lurve,
Shy

PS: Oh what the hey!!

You all need an INTERVENTION, an INTERVENTION!! Your family's here, your family's here! Dr. Drew, y'all, Dr. Drew! LOL

Feeling Better...

2009-07-22T18:33:00.004-06:00

I've decided I'm just going to do a huge posting sometime next week for all the extras that have accumulated over this month of July. I'm thinking Wednesday but I'll have a more definite date this Saturday and depending on what I've finished. ^__^

(Kacey's order!)

On another note, can I just say that I'm not too keen on this pic of Edward Cullen? Not feeling the dark contour blush on his already sharp cheekbones. I think they coud've gone without but again who am I to dog on the choice? I will say that I heart the eyes. Look at those golden peepers. O__o And can I just say that I'm so glad that the makeup artists cut back on the lipstick? But enough about the makeup. Rob looks great. Period. ^__^

Can't have Rob without Taylor looking quite stoic and predatory. I'm really lovin' the "I'm gonna pounce on you and you're gonna like it" look on his face. ^__^ Yay!! Jeez. He's just bulging everywhere isn't he? O__o *slap* He's only 17. O__o Riiight. *clears throat*

But I saw this today and thought I would share. It's pretty damn hilarious. So get ready for some serious LOLs cause I coudldn't stop laughing. Good times. I'm telling you. ~__^ Questions, concerns? Let me know!! ^__^

Always,
Shielou

PS: Also check out Jessa's Etsy shop! She's having a sale!!!

TiCk, TiCk, BoOm!

2009-07-19T14:05:00.004-06:00

So I kind of had a mental breakdown last night. It was inevitable. ~__^ Especially with the canceled orders this month that made my life a living nightmare. I put so much pressure on myself that it all finally came crashing down at midnight. I'm happy to say it wasn't anything serious. lol I did end up sitting in front of my computer with all the lights turned off thinking about all the stuff I haven't finished and things I still need to do. Kinda creepy. lol But I did wake up this morning with an epiphany. The best part about owning your own "business" (I've actually began accepting this word :P) is that I have the freedom to do exactly what I want, when I want.

(Willy Wonka!!! God of Chcocolates? O__o)

The problem with my current schedule is that I can't catch a break because it forces me to constantly get things done at an allotted time frame and there's no room for error. And with my canceled orders and requests coming in everyday there is no stopping. Which is both a good thing and a bad thing. Despite canceled orders I still have a steady turnout of customers. But I keep forgetting to just sit back and breathe for a second and it's turning me into a first class bitca to the one I'm closest to: Chris. Poor guy. LOL

(Yes please? O__o)

I'm not business savvy. I went to school for media arts and animation not finance or business administration. I run Shielou in a sort of...controlled chaos that gets out of hand once in a while, like this week. O__0 lol I'm trying to figure out the best schedule that fits with me. The Wednesday and Saturday postings worked well for a while (a whole two months!) but everything's gone to the crapper and I'm just kind of working my way out of it at this point.

(Hell yes please?!)

I'm also working on my official banner, avatar and business cards. I think it's high time I finally got those put together. ^__^ YAY! I have also decided to start offering prints of my digital paintings in my shop. It's just a matter of saving up to buy a really great printer that'll cost an arm, a leg, my soul and first born child. :P Also...I will be working with a few other Etsy shops for exclusive collaboration pieces. But more on that laterz. So for now, just enjoy some more Johnny shtuff. As I previously mentioned I will be working on rings this week and more orders. I'm still on time with orders that had been placed months in advance but for those who have made requests recently please be patient. I'm trying to get to everyone. ^__^

But just so you don't think I slacked off this week the following is a preview of only two of my new items!! YAY!! I have more of them but I just don't know when I'll get these guys out in my shop. I just want to do a huge posting. Or maybe I'll do a huge posting here in my blog that I did previously from my 2 posts every week and people can just reserve items on a first come, first served basis again. O__o Does that even make sense? I don't know anymore so let me know what you guys think as to the best to work it out. lol Back to work I go. Questions, etc? Let me know. Thanks!!

(Aww: Family Portrait and New Moon Embrace)

Always,
Shy

PS: And just so no one is left befuddled, I'm okay. Really. lol Life is great. I just need to stop worrying so much. Que sera, sera and all that. And I need to get into the habit of stopping once in a while and smell the roses. ~__^

For He's a Jolly Good Fellow!!!

2009-07-15T16:08:00.002-06:00

I'm still trying to get caught up with orders! So please be patient with me. I know some people need their items before the end of the month for TwiCon '09 so I'm trying my best to get that done. ^__^ I've had to take on a temp job just for this week so my schedule has gotten even more off balance. O__o Thus, Saturday's update will be delayed until Sunday. I know! I'm sorry! But please just bare with me while I get back on track! ^__^ And plus, patience is a virtue, right? O__o I know, I'm grabbing at strings here. lol For those waiting on rings, I finally got my bases and they will be started on next week. Questions, concerns, need yours earlier, pronto, wanna know how to make bunnies fly? Please don't hesitate in contacting me! Thank you! ^__^

(Annie's Custom: Axl Rose Heart)

But on another note, I've decided to put some designs on "happy retirement." ^__^ This doesn't mean they will no longer be made, these items will just be "upgraded" to newer designs. This goes for Edward Pea Coat, which will now look like the following, Alice in her gray frock (still working on this!), Jasper Baseball and Edward Baseball. For now those are the only ones that are "retiring" to newer versions. (For the newer versions of Jasper and Edward Baseballs click on this blog post) ^__^ I think this will be a great way to keep things fresh and new in my shop and continue learning new techniques. ~__^ If you have any questions regarding this just let me know!! ^__^

Other than that, not much more on my end. Just keeping busy and trying to get things finished. Have been web chatting with Laina which is always fun and full of memories. O__o LOL So if anyone's interested I chat on Yahoo! Messenger and my id is shielouperez. ^__^ I don't talk a lot in real life, I tend to keep to myself, but for someone reason I can't seem to shutup when I'm on the internet. It's kinda like alcohol. False courage. lol Very excited about my new items. One of the things with having your own "business" (and yes, still hate that word) is that your mind is constantly running with ideas. If there was only more time in a day! O__o I know. I'm crazy! Until next time!!

Luv,
Shy

(I love the show So You Think You Can Dance! This was a routine from two weeks ago and they used Eyes on Fire from the Twilight Soundtrack! And the blond chick, Kayla, is from Aurora, CO!! YAY!! lol)

A Pirate's Life For Me...

2009-07-11T18:22:00.005-06:00

So my Johnny Depp tribute became a Jack Sparrow tribute. O__o I've seen several Jack Sparrow charms online and so with my desire to always try to avoid what's been done I wanted to take it a step further. So, we have Jack Sparrow you can wear in 2 different ways; 1) across as though getting toasted by your lovely cleavage or 2) up and down. This piece was inspired by when Jack was captured by the cannibals and was being roasted over the fire. LOL

The other one is of Jack hugging his "Dirt." We all know how much he loves it. lol I ADORE these pieces. Took a bit of time (an entire day and a half -__-) to make but I'm quite happy with them. ^__^ I had a 3rd one where he was sitting on a wooden chest and holding a bottle of rum but low and behold...I had to go and break it like the clumsy idiot I am. -__-

Also, can we say "Awww" for Emmett? I don't make enough Emmetts for my taste so I wanted to make a special piece of him because the boy's a big teddy bear. ^__^ Adorable! Unfortunately, I also decided to keep him. :P

MINE!!! :P

Also, wanted to get people's opinion about possibly expanding the type of products I offer in my shop. I love digital painting and have been working on some new stuff in the past couple of months. I'm not entirely sure what to do with them yet but figured I'd get everyone's opinion. I had this vision of the three Cullen boys as the three wise monkeys so I went ahead and painted Jasper as "See No Evil", Edward as "Hear No Evil", and of course Emmett as both "Speak No Evil" and "Do No Evil.". lol Still working on this particulat piece but let me know what you think!

Wanted to get more done but my Jack Sparrows took more time to create than planned and on top of that, I had a last minute cancelled order yesterday that completely threw my schedule off kilter. I highly doubt anyone is interested in a custom order of a blond chick and two friends? No? -__- Which brings me to say that if for any reason you'd like to cancel an order, please let me know before hand or as soon as possible, especially if it's a custom made item. I promise I wont' be offended. I'd rather know from the start than make something you've asked for and then you decide you don't want it any longer. I'll be working through the weekend to get caught up with my orders.

So, if you were expecting something this Saturday and didn't get it I apologize profusely! I had too much on my plate but I'll make up for it next week! Questions? Concerns? Wanna know when you'll FINALLY get your order? ~__^ Just contact me. ^__^

Luv,
Shy

Numb Bum

2009-07-08T23:06:00.006-06:00

Happy Birthday, Bella! Yes, I finally folded. I can't hold myself back any longer from doing New Moon shtuff. Painting Edward in his Birthday getup was a bit of a sore. I hate painting him all black so I have two different variations of black on him. Unfortunately, you can't tell in the photos. BUT if you look closely, you can definitely see the outlines of his blazer and pants. YAY! lol The cake was another heartache but I'm quite happy with how they turned out no matter how painful it was to put them together, paint them and make tiny flowers for them. Ugh. -__-

More Isle Esme shtuff. This one in particular has Bella holding the seashell up to her ear. Why? Why not? And who hasn't done that? :P

Anyhow, super tired. Will blog more this Saturday so stay tuned for a Johnny Depp Tribute posting and some more New Moon shtuff. ^__^ YAY! Questions, concerns, orders? Please contact me! http://shielou.etsy.com!

Always,
Shielou

I'm on Spoiled Society!!

2009-07-02T21:15:00.004-06:00

Just a quick blog post to announce that one of my Edward Pea Coats just got featured on Spoiled Society's website! Front Page!!! Soooo cool!! ^__^ I know. I'm a dork. lol

Lurve,
Shy

Only partly bitten...

2009-07-01T19:34:00.005-06:00

And no. They weren't vampires. More like a horde of mosquitoes. :(

So we didn't go camping. Thank you, Baby Jesus. But we did go hiking. Which wasn't as bad BUT it was still quite rough. :P Especially since Chris has recently gotten obsessed about finding edible plants and mushrooms. He bought these two books about naturally grown Rocky Mountain edibles that are safe to eat. I ate the insides of a yellow dandelion and some purple plant that tasted like mint. They were really gross and I spat both out before he could say "It's good!"

Also watched Transformers 2. YAY! FINALLY! Definitely a wild ride but I'm giving it a B-. I just felt like the movie had WAY too many explosions and not enough robots. I mean, Ratchet and Ironhide barely had any airtime! What is up with that? And Arcee? The only female robot in the team and she had ONE line! Lame. And there just wasn't enough BumbleBee for my taste. O__o I wanted to watch the film because of the robots, not for all the flashy military propaganda. I could've handled one less fancy jet fighter for more AutoBots airtime. -__- Just sayin'!

Also wanted to show some love to JR Ward. I just finished reading all 7 books to her Black Dagger Brotherhood series this past month and loved them! I'm not really into Erotic Paranormal Romance. I'm kind of prejudice when it comes to vampire novels because I have VERY high expectations and anything I think is cheesy I automatically stray from. Especially books that have the word "Lover" in the title because all I keep thinking is that it's all going to be about the nookie with no real substance or depth in the pages. But I was really bored and figured I'd give Dark Lover (the first in the series) a try. But after I put that book down I had to get the other and by the time I reached the 3rd installment I was truly hooked.

So if you don't mind a little erotica O__o and are quite open minded (I think you have to be in order to get through the books) then I highly recommend the series. Great stuff. And for those who are already familiar with it, my favorite Brother would have to be Vishous followed closely by Rhage. What can I say? I love V 'cause he's got serious issues and Rhage just 'cause he's hilarious. Although, after reading Lover Avenged, Rehv has come up on my list too. ~__^ It's those damn amethyst eyes. ~__^

(My perfect Vishous *sigh*)

(Amm....yes please? O__o)

Much more to talk about but I'll save those for later. ~ __^ but I do want to let everyone know that there will be no postings this coming Saturday for 4th of July! YAY! So, have a lovely weekend and I hope everyone has a great time and stay safe! ~__^ Love you all!!!

Luv,
Shy

VACATION! YIPEE!!

2009-06-24T18:49:00.006-06:00

I finally get to have some time off!!! Although I did start earlier than planned, thus the lack of extras. lol It was mine and Chris' 5th Anniversary on June 21st so we're doing something this weekend. I'm not sure what it is. He says it's a surprise. I just hope we're not camping 'cause Shielou doesn't do camping. O__o And if we do, I'll have to grin and bare it 'cause that's what I get for dating with an outdoors-man. T__T I'm bringing five variations of mosquito repelant just in case. :P Ugh. I wish I was more outdoors-y, I really do, but I just wasn't meant for the wild. I know. Pathetic.

(Chris has threatened retaliation if I EVER put a pic of him in my blog. Thus, I will put pics of myself instead. Baby Shielou committing fashion treason by wearing socks with sandals. I am ashamed. )

But I'm also glad to have this time off in order to really look at the shop in a different perspective. My goal has always been to keep Shielou fresh and updated. I never look back to see what I could have done differently, it's always what I can do next or what I can do to make it better. Changes are inevitable and always frightening. But I've always believed that despite the doubts and the constant fear, changes allow you to grow. And to me that's the most important part in all this, to continue developing and learning. ^__^

(Baby Shielou after being arrested for indecent exposure. Naughty, naughty.)

So I hope with this short vacay comes more new ideas, including the following! I think I've come to terms that a full blown sculpture is still a ways away. ~__^ But it's all about the baby steps! Christy, I hope you like it. It's not exactly my basic charm and it's certainly not what I had planned ~__^ but I'd like to think it's somewhere in the middle. ^__^

(Cake and Eddie? O__o Perfect combination!)

Answering e-mails and sending out remaining items on the morrow. I will be sending invoices tonight as well. Please make your payments by tomorrow morning if you want your items sent this week. If not, it will have to wait until Monday. ^__^ Still asking if anyone is interested in a Charm Ring so please e-mail me so I can get supplies for them. ^__^ Otherwise it can be another wait. SOOO, no updates on Saturday so I'll see you all on MONDAY next week! Yipeee!!!

Love,
Shielou

Summah, Summah Time!

2009-06-20T21:27:00.004-06:00

I have a new set of jewelry pieces I'm calling "The Isle of Esme Collection." First up? Isle Esme Earrings. YAY! I do apologize if some people are offended by the fact that Eddie's partly covered up by a beach ball. :( ~__^ You know you love it!

And to continue with the half, nekkid Edward theme, finally got into making some New Moon pieces. Ever since I saw that pic of Robert Pattinson in Italy O__o I really had a burning desire to capture the moment. :P Woot!

Also wanted to give a shoutout to anyone who is interested in obtaining a charm ring? Message me because I will have to order supplies for it. I currently only have 3 left, two are already called for. ^__^ Thanks everyone!

Happy Father's Day Weekend to all the awesome DADS out there!

(I'll probably get disowned for putting my dad's pic in my blog but I LOVE YOU, DAD! Don't be too angry! lol He's awesome! :P)

Always,
Shielou

PS: I'm so glad many of you have taken an interest in For the Bald and Beautiful. I'm still sending out invitations for authors for the blog! YAY!

Happy Thoughts!!!

2009-06-17T20:51:00.002-06:00

Remember when Bella was fantasizing about Edward biting her? Well, the following was inspired by that, blood and all. Also darkened his hair a bit, still red but more of an antique copper than the usual bright bronze my Eddie's hair usually gets. And don't worry! I have a posting dedicated to this moment where I'll also have Bella and another statement piece. ~__^

Ring-a-ring-ring! Alex asked for a Nekkid Jacob Ring and I said, "Heck yez!!!!!" Uber tiny...like, ridiculously so, but so cute!!!

Also wanted to talk about some great news. I decided to put 5% of my sales into different charities every month or two that I will talk about here in my blog. As I told a customer sometime ago, I'm not loaded but I'd like to think I am creatively, and I want to contribute in any small way I can. And what a better way to help different organizations and issues that I believe in than to create art. ^__^

The rest of this month as well as next month will be a charity called RENEW, an independent organization dedicated to putting a stop to sexual exploitation of children and women in the Philippines. I was born and raised there before I moved here to the US when I was 8. As a child I was never allowed out of my parents' sight in fear that I would be kidnapped, raped, killed, or worse, sold into prostitution. As early as I could remember I always had some level of understanding when it came to the dangers around me, but in all honesty, all I let myself think about was that I wasn't allowed to play with the other children outside. I won't deny that it was a bit of a lonely childhood but I'm grateful to my family for being so protective of me as a child because what if? What if, God forbid, I had been one of the unlucky ones? Forced at a young age to sexually service foreign pedophiles who took advantage of 3rd world countries where corruption is rampant.

(From World Street Children)

What really triggered me into getting involved in this kind of cause were various news clips and documentaries I had seen both on TV and online. It's heart wrenching to know that out there, little children are being victimized in such disgusting ways, and especially in my own country. It's not right for any child to fear being abused and used as a sexual commodity.

Also want to take this time to announce that I'm also growing out my hair for Pantene's Beautiful Lengths. It's an organization that creates free wigs for women with cancer. Why? Well, last week I cut off a good chunk of my hair for bangs and thought to myself, "Wow, I've got balls. While most girls my age would freak out about cutting their own hair, here I am cutting mine with no qualms." I've been cutting my hair myself since I was in middle school. Never successfully O__o but my hair grows so fast that it doesn't really matter in the end. So I figure for someone who doesn't really give a toss for their own hair, how about giving it away to someone who might appreciate it? ^__^

I'm also asking anyone out there who would like to join me in this endeavor? ^__^ I think it would be really fun. ^__^ I've just started a community blog I've called For the Bald and Beautiful that people can join, take pictures of themselves as their hair grows, show off different hairstyles they can do with their awesome hair, and of course pictures when they finally cut it off! Also, just anyone who would like to get involved in anyway for any reason at all!! Please e-mail me at shielouperez@yahoo.com, convo me on Etsy or leave a comment below if you're interested! ^__^ YAY!!

But I'm keeping positive and doing my thang! ~__^ I figure that the more I keep myself occupied with positive things the more I can ignore all the negatives. ^__^ Thank you to everyone for the good vibes. You're all an inspiration to me in one way or another. ~__^

Love,
Shielou

A few videos with information about child exploitation. WARNING: The following videos are not for sensitive individuals or for young children. And, it could very well make you cry. But I hope, instead, that in the end you are inspired to help in some way. ^__^

I believe in Karma...

2009-06-13T21:31:00.004-06:00

I hate admitting it because it's admitting that I have an annoying characteristic that irritates even myself, but copycats ruffle my feathers. I've run into a few consistently over the past couple of months. At first it saddened me, then I feared the competition, then it angered me and then all I kept thinking about was Yoda when he told young Anakin Skywalker in that awesome way of his, “...Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” So now it has gotten to the point where I'm just like "Whatever, dude. I'm with Yoda." I refuse to waste anymore energy on something I can't control. One of the downfalls of having your own "business" (still hate that word by the way :P) is that there will always be those nipping at your heels. But these days I've learned to feel sorry for these individuals. What a sad and unimaginative life copycats must lead that their only source of creativity is stealing from the hard work of others. O__o Wow...Harsh? Maybe. Dramatic? Yeah, definitely! lol

(Daniels! Ice Cream or Chocolate? Hmmm....)

I share this with everyone not to garner pity or allies or to get an "Aww, Shy...you're better than that" but to assure my loyal customers, previous customers, future customers, lurkers and even copycats alike who are reading this that I take great pride in what I do. Yes, you can probably find charms like mine on the net for half the price, but know that every charm I create is made with great detail and great care. I can assure you that this isn't my way of making a quick buck. Shielou is VERY important to me, important enough that I made the decision to make this a career rather than choose the profession I had studied and hoped for. But I'm okay with that, I'm okay of being a "starving artist"...well...more like "decently fed" :P because I REALLY love what I do and the sacrifices are worth it. ^__^

So to copycats everywhere--and I say this with much sincerity--Good luck in all your endeavors...because you'll need it! ^__^ Ooohh, snap! lol *sigh* That was probably really childish on my part but I never claimed to be very mature either. :P With that said, all I can do now is ignore them and keep my focus on what's ahead. I'll continue on and keep moving forward, keep coming up with new ideas, designs and techniques, because at the end of the day the only person who can really hold me back is myself. I won't let copycats get to me any longer, because I know I'm the better person in every which way that counts. ^__^ So bring it!!

(Ed Head and I chillin' like a pair 'o villains...Or weird, big eyed freaks. ~__^)

But on a much happier note I finally have a couple of new items including a pair of Bella and Edward earrings. I don't really make earrings because personally I avoid wearing them at all cost. I just don't like the feel of them. I know, I'm weird but they're sooo cute!!

Also, if Edward is bound for hell then I'd love to tag along too. ~__^ Just kidding! I feel like this piece was a long time coming. No one has ever asked for it but I was watching Twilight (again) and thought..."Hey! This moment deserves an inspired jewelry piece!" They're sturdily glued together so they hang nicely embracing. Awww! I didn't add his sunglasses for a number of reasons, the main one being who would want to cover up those golden eyes? But upon request I can add the sunglasses. If I must. :P

Please come back this Wednesday where I hope to have new items! I learned that the best way to deal with copycats is to stay ahead. As I said previously, bring it! I don't mind working even harder! I will not be defeated. Forgive me if I sound like some freaky warrior going into battle but I'm feeling really good and positive. My gloom in the past couple of weeks has dimmed. It's true what Buddha said, "Those who are free of resentful thoughts surely find peace." ^__^

Love,
Shielou

"...I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul." ~Invictus

)K^*??

2009-06-10T18:36:00.004-06:00

I've been so super busy that my brain hasn't really had time to think or function properly for a while now. I'm just trying to get my orders done and make up for lost time from last week. I can't thank Christy enough for her patience with me since she's given me total leeway on getting her ornament done. Have I told you lately that I love you, Christy? lol I'm caught up with my scheduled orders once again thanks to her but I will still be finishing up Eddie the doll. ^__^ YAY!

(Things that inspire me, quotes that keep me going, some thank you notes I've received. ^__^ And yes...I'm cheesy. :P)

So Jess contacted me a while ago and asked for a particular Jasper and Alice jewelry piece that scared a bit at first. She wanted them "dancing" in the cafeteria. O__o I know. It freaked me out...as usual but after much thought it finally came to me. My one fear was that something like this was just going to be way too fragile to make into a necklace but the answer was a rather simple one...a simple back plating much like a cameo. ^__^ And yes, Jasper has his tray of gross cafeteria food that I'm thinking he's quite happy he doesn't have to eat. Eew. O__o

(Let's dance!)

Also, Edward and Jasper Baseball goes up a notch for version 2.0. Edward is now carrying a little baseball and Jasper a little baseball bat he can pummel jerks with. ^__^ YAY! my hero!!

(Don't mess with me!!)

Please come back this Saturday. I hope to have some new items out for sale. ^__^ YAY!!

(Edward left me a note on my car...^__^)

Love,
Shy

No Pain, No Gain

2009-06-06T21:11:00.004-06:00

I'm literally about to fall asleep. lol Super nutsy week but hopefully I can recuperate after some sleep and get back on the horse by Monday with my schedule in tact. ~__^ I'm so glad some of you have taken interest in my sculpture dolls. I'm still trying to refine it but hopefully I'll have something I'm completely happy with soon. ^__^

(Owwie!!)

I also wanted to talk about a new show coming out that I'm uber excited about. Vampire Diaries has been green lit and will be premiering as a series this fall on the CW. For those who don't know Vampire Diaries is based on LJ Smith's bestselling novels of the same title. People have been mistaking it as a TV copycat version of Twilight but know that Vampire Diaries came out in the early 90's and Twilight came out in 2003. There has been a bit of hostility between rabid fans of both series, I really would like to throw my Team Switzerland flag on this subject. Personally, I'm super excited about the show. After years of no Buffy I'm happy to see another vampire series on TV. ^__^ And I really would like to encourage those who aren't familiar with it or have gotten the wrong impression of Vampire Diaries to give it a chance!!

And yes, I will admit it now, I kinda grew a crush on Paul Wesly who plays Stefan. O__o Traitorous? Probably. lol I think it has a lot to do with the fact that he kind of reminds me of David Boreanaz who played Angel in Buffy. They both have those deep setted dark eyes. I know. I'm pathetic. lol

I also grew a crush on Chris Pine who plays Kirk on Star Trek. Yumm. Yes please!!

Okay, enough with hot guys. See you all on Wednesday with Twilight Baseball charms. ^__^ Night, everyone!! Thanks so much!!

Luv always,
Shielou

Super Late Blog Post!!

2009-06-05T12:32:00.004-06:00

So last year I decided that I wanted to slowly move up from charm making to sculptures. I can't say that the following is really a sculpture. I'm not even finished with it yet but I'm getting there. :S For my first try...er...third try O__o I'm quite content with it. ^__^ I didn't want to go the complete realistic route. I think that would've been really pushing it. He has gorgeous Marigold acrylic eyes. Tiny!! His hair...OMG!!! O__o Above all else that was the hardest to make and style, believe it or not. I know some may say it's a little too red but it's the same color as Eddie's hair in my basic charms. ^__^ But as I said, he's still not complete. I hope to make another one that's a step up from this one but I wanted to show you all what have kept me in the past couple of days. ^__^

(Crazy sex hair!!)

I just really want to thank Christy for her absolute patience with me. This woman has been waiting since earlier this year for her Edward Christmas Ornament. But I'm glad she gave me total leeway on the project because if it had been anyone else I'm pretty sure they would've thrown up their hands and been like, "Forget it! You crazy mofo!" ~__^ I love you, Christy! I really do!! lol So if everyone can send her happy, mental images of puppies, rainbows and nekkid Robert Patttinson that would be great.She deserves that and so much more!!

(Creepy!!!)

At this rate, I hope to start doing full sculptures sometime next year. I just need to continue practicing. ^__^ One step at a time!!

(Creepier!!)

I also want to thank Annie for sending me a Bella tunic. I swear to God I wear it almost everyday except when I'm working 'cause I don't wanna ruin it ever!! Thank you so much, Annie! I LOVE it!!

(Awkward photoshoot!)

Will blog more tomorrow!! Jasper and Alice on the way! Thanks everyone!

Love,
Shielou

(Edward Cullen's theme song for New Moon?)

O__O

2009-05-31T21:41:00.002-06:00

OME! I have no words....

Luv,
Shielou

PS: Sorry for the lack of anything in this blog post but I'm just kind of like...O__O whoa...and...speechless. Will blog more this Wednesday for some exciting news and possibly a new Twilight item! But for now I'd like to watch the trailer over and over and over and over again.....

PS2: Thanks to everyone for your support! ^__^ I do appreciate it and I will continue chugging along!! Luv you all!!! ^__^

Bleh...Venting...Yumm

2009-05-27T20:34:00.006-06:00

The future of Shielou is always uncertain to me. I worry and stress over it everyday. I always fear that this is only a fluke. I try my best to just live in the moment and just do what I want to do and not worry about anything or anyone else. But with having your own "business" (I still hate that word :P) it's difficult not to worry about tomorrow, especially when you want it to be for the long haul. But with the constant arrival of issues O__o that leaves me doubting myself and my abilities it's sometimes hard to keep it together and keep motivated.

But a fellow online friend recently shared some news with me that made me realize that these issues should be the least of my worries. That no matter what, if this all ended tomorrow, I can say that I'm proud that I did my own thing for a while, proud of what I've done and even happier to have talked and befriended the people I've had the pleasure of "meeting" online. I'm alive and healthy, I have Chris, my family and I have a butt load of clay and paints to keep me amused. ^__^ I'll continue doing what I'm doing but know that there will be changes in the future. What kind of changes? At this point I'm not exactly sure. I have a lot of interests and want to do everything, but obviously can't...O__o or can I? ~__^ Hopefully it won't be a complete step away from what I'm doing now. I just like making my own path and I refuse to follow anyone else's. But I promise I won't disappear without having proven that I tried my best. ^__^ Okay...I'm done venting. :P

But on a much lovelier news. After such a crappy week, the arrival of several amazing pictures made everything just go *poof* ~__^ Can I just say that I really love the internet and....YUMM!!!!!!!!!!! Hummuna, hummuna...And yes, you can be sure that I've just been inspired to make a new Twilight item. O__o Oh yes...stay tuned...*drool*

Love,
Shy

(Currently listening to A Fine Frenzy's Almost Lover ^__^)

Rob Kisses

2009-05-23T21:29:00.003-06:00

Several months ago my shop was featured in Twilightations and Lyssa asked me what's my favorite thing about Twilight. I answered that it was because it was about vampires and I love vampires! Buffy, Underworld, Vampire Diaries, The World is a Vampire by Smashing Pumpkins, Lost Boys, Van Helsing, Nosferatu (classic!!) you name it I probably love it (although I draw the line at super cheesy productions that just makes me gag). Well, recently that answer has changed. My new favorite thing about Twilight? I have met some amazingly lovely people because of it. People whom I've become great friends with, people who constantly make me smile and laugh. ^__^ The success of Twilight has gone far beyond just the books, Stephenie Meyer, the films and yes, dare I say even RPattz? O__o Blasphemy, you say?! Hmph! In my opinion, the root of Twilight's success has become the individuals who make up the Twilight community. Yes, there are the crazies ~__^ (don't deny it :P), but as I've said before, Twilight fans have heart beyond their insanity and rabid madness. ^__^ lol You know I say that with much love and affection! I love you all!

Worked on Christine's order of Dean from Supernatural. Yumm. Jensen Ackles is like a Ken doll from across the train tracks. And I do mean that in a good way. lol I've always had a crush on him ever since Days of Our Lives. Grr.

Which brings me to Bride Bella once more. I was looking at her Wednesday night but was still quite unhappy with her when I figured out what she was missing...A VEIL! Doh! Of course!! For those who ordered Twilight Wedding jewelry from over the past few days (I have now schedule for August 15th) please let me know if you'd like a veil on yours as well. This particular Bride Bella has soft touches of pink which will be the standard "theme" color so if you'd like a different color let me know that too. ^__^ Thankies!!!

Also, I just wanted to quickly touch on why I haven't been posting custom orders or requests in my shop. Simple. I've been avoiding Etsy fees. lol I'm just trying to save money. That's all. ^__^

Have you also heard that a kiss from Robert Pattinson cost $20,000.00 a cheek? O__o For that amount of money it better be THAT cheek he's kissing! OO Pucker up, Rob! lol I kinda feel bad for the guy though. I mean...look at him. He looks like he wants to jump off a building. Who wouldn't with a cougar looking at you like you're fillet minion. Hands off, Sharon Stone!! ~__^

Also wanted to let everyone know that my schedule has hit September. O__o I know. Kinda nutsy but yeah...Someone had also asked me if I can post my schedule up somewhere. I didn't really want to do this since stuff happens and my schedule can change. But I decided to just post what I will have from now to the end of June with a WARNING O__o that this schedule is NOT written in stone. :P So please don't be angry with me if I don't have something particular on the scheduled date. Deal? Yes? Okay. lol

May 27th: La Push (Bella and Jacob); Lion, Lamb and Wolf; Edward Apples
May 30th: Biology Necklaces; RPattz Daniel Bad Mother's Handbook Tribute
June 3rd: Custom Order
June 6th: Alice and Jasper Tribute
June 10th: Twilight Baseball Tribute- Jasper, Alice and Edward
June 13th: The Meadow Necklace Tribute
June 17th: Jacob Prom; EXCITING NEW TWILIGHT ITEM!
June 20th: Custom Order
June 24th: Custom Haul; Edward Apples; Edward Pea Coats
June 27th: VACATION!! OME!! YAY!!

Other than that...kinda fell behind this week which completely bummed me out. :( And I was on a roll too. lol I shouldn't have told Myrna 'cause I think I jinxed myself by telling her. ~__^ Luvs ya, M!! Next Wednesday will be....oh wait....never mind...look above. ~__^ And maybe something new. Hopefully. ~__^

Love you all!!
Shielou

Let's Get Married!!!

2009-05-20T18:17:00.005-06:00

Wow. I'm exhausted. Jinii's order took longer than I anticipated but that was only because I was trying to make my life more difficult. I originally planned to just paint Bella's wedding dress but I found that idea much too boring for my taste. O__o So I tried to figure out a way to make her pop. I mean, she's the bride! And was apparently dressed by Alice herself which meant that the girl had to look darn good. ~__^ I tried to incorporate several fabrics into her charm. Three Bellas later (not to mention a migrain and several hysterical episodes), I finally settled for a cream lace. And I must say that I like the outcome. YAY! Success! ^__^

(Aaaww!!)

Other than that...not much on my side. Kinda stressing out about a new project coming up in a couple of weeks that's FREAKING me out like you will not believe. Yes, I'm talking about YOU Christy. lol ~__^ I'll get over it. I usually do. ^__^ This Saturday is Christine and Michelle's orders. Oh, and MORE Edward Apples and of course the Edible Bellas. You'd think I'd be sick of making Edward Apples but I'm not. Especially when I finish one and he's looking up at me with those big golden eyes. *sigh* ^__^ See you all on Saturday!!

Love,
Shielou

PS: No extras since I didn't think anyone would be really interested. I may be wrong though so let me know if you'd like your own Twilight wedding jewelry. ^__^

PS2: Someone asked why I didn't have a hypothetical relationship with Taylor from my previous post. Erm...because it would be hypothetically illegal. I'd go to hypothetical jail before I could say "Grrr, Taylor, grr."

PS3: I'm starving. I'm so hungry I could eat paint. But I won't 'cause that's kinda gross. Thought I'd share though. ^__^ lol

PS4: They're not glazed yet because I wanted to make sure Jinii was happy with the slight changes I made. ^__^

Twilight Compatibilities

2009-05-16T18:45:00.007-06:00

Not that I give too much "hoopla" on Astrological compatibilities (Chris and I are considered very incompatible but we've been together for almost 5 years O__o Frighteningly true lol) but yes, I admit, I have checked out what would happen if by some miracle I ended up with Robert Pattinson. O__o I know. Sad. But it was fun anyway. ^__^ Rob is a Taurus and I'm a Scorpio. So the jury is in and...it's 50/50. Bleh. Supposedly we'd be very compatible in the sack *insert eyebrow wiggles* BUT we have very strong, opposite personalities and we're both super stubborn (which is completely true on my part) and this may very well be our downfall in our hypothetical relationship. I don't like bending to his will (although I'm pretty sure it would be easy to) and he refuses to do the same. Bastard. But I'm supposedly (allegedly!) the biggest troublemaker in our imaginary relationship. All I can say is..."Pfft." So...what will happen to this relationship? After some serious, never ending bed tussles I'll end up leaving him because beer, pizza, watching him play his guitar and hanging out with his annoying drunk friends will become too predictable for me. O__o Final Verdict? I'm an idiot.

(A "batch" of Edward Pea Coats for those who get confused with my terminologies :S)

But that doesn't even come close to my hypothetical relationship with Edward. He's a Gemini. We're very curious about one another, which can be a good thing. But they did say that curiosity killed the cat. O__o Supposedly he wants our imaginary relationship to be "fun" (wait...Edward wants a fun relationship? O__o) while I want it to be intense (sounds totally backwards? O__o). So, what will happen to this relationship? Edward and I break up after his version of "fun" (ie: endlessly playing the piano for the 100th Sonata he has written for me and his annoying habit of giving me mini heart attacks while driving like one of those douche bags from The Fast and Furious) and his continuous insistence that we shouldn't do it in the tree tops due to the obvious hazards. In which I will then reply, "But it would be 'fun'!". Final Verdict? On top of being an idiot I'm also useless.

(Half nekkid Jacob now with a tattoo ^__^)

On a much happier note, I managed to finish Annie's haul. She also wanted a Meadow necklace so I changed it up a bit. This one is smaller than the previous one upon her request because she's petite. ^__^ This will also be the final design for any future requests on The Meadow Necklace. There will be obvious variations with each one especially with the foliage and Swarovski crystal placements. ^__^ YAY!

(Ooo...Aahh)

Next week? More Edward Apples and some Edible Art Bellas. ^__^ Please contact me to make sure I have you down for any of these two. I'm pretty sure I have everyone down but you never know 'cause I can be a total spaz. ^__^; Hope you all have a fabulous weekend! See you on Wednesday for Jinni's order!

Love,
Shielou

PS: Check if you're compatible with Rob, Edward and/or Taylor (who is an Aquarius and since Jacob's birth date is still up in the air).

(Currently listening to The Bird and The Bee. Also check out their cover for Don't Stop the Music!)

Widowerz...

2009-05-13T19:34:00.006-06:00

So pooped. No energy to really blog tonight. But I do want to turn everyone's attention to Twilight Widower's Anonymous if you haven't popped in yet. It's an awesome blog about guys who have lost their loved ones to Twilight. ^__^

I do admit that Chris has become a bit if a "widower" himself. O__o But thankfully it hasn't reached certain, unreachable heights. For example...I have yet to "accidentally" call him Edward, I've never asked him to make me mushroom ravioli (only because I don't trust eating anything he cooks that requires more than boiling water), I haven't rubbed glitter all over his face while sleeping (although I have thought about it O__o), and I've stopped asking him to be my lion to my lamb and go "grr." O__o

(I've kind of mentally left Chris for this... Loves it! lol)

So...have you left a loved one a Twilight Widower? Hmmm???

Love Always,
Shielou

PS: Annie's haul is next followed by some Edward Apples. ^__^

PSS: It's official...Edward's hair shall remain. ^__^As I said, I can make Hair B upon request. ^__^

Hot Hair Mess

2009-05-09T20:12:00.006-06:00

I didn't realize a slight experimentation with Eddie's locks would garner so many responses and differing opinions. But then again when Rob cut off his infamous sex hair the entire world went nuts for a little while. ~__^ It looks like I'll be sticking with the old "do" but I will try to improve on the new hairstyle when I get the chance and, of course, make it upon request. But the original hairstyle will remain as Eddie's standard look. ^__^

I also wanted to...erm warn everyone O__o...that I will be posting some new things in the next couple of weeks that are a bit different from what I've been doing. One of my goals in having my own "business" (Ugh, I REALLY hate that word. I'm just not "business" material ~__^) is not relying on Twilight. As much as I want to. ~__^ Especially since looking atRob, Taylor, Alex, Kellan, Jackson and Peter photos for "reasearch" is a great excuse to drool in front of my computer for an hour or two.

O__o *silence*

Okay, fine, all morning but that's not the point! :P I want to challenge myself into making something that's completely my own. As most of you know I do love trying out new things and I'm not afraid to fail. Failure and I are good buddies. We know each other well. We're like THIS. ~__^ I have some ideas and hopefully it'll work out but we'll just see. ^__^

I have spent the past couple of days with Bridget's Haul. Glad I made it. The extras I made on her order will be posted tomorrow around noonish if anyone's interested. ^__^

Bridget had also requested Harry and Pals along with cutie Hedwig and a Snitch. ^__^ Had some troubles with the Snitch but after a couple of tries I was finally able to figure out how to make one that I was happy with. YAY!

(Tubby Hedwig lol)

She also asked for Paul. Ahem. Mr. Alex "Sex God Hubba-Hubba" Meraz. *wipes drool* Yeah. I don't think I need to say anymore on that front. ^__^

(It's quite unfortunate Alex Meraz is married...not that I'd ever have a chance but just sayin' ~__^)

Next week will be Edward Apples and Edward Pea Coats. Note that I will be making several batches of these in May and June so if you don't get yours on Wednesday or Saturday, please be patient because I will be making more. I just got a lot of requests for these ones. If you're unsure that I have you down for either one please contact me so we can double check together. ^__^ See you all next week! And HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all the moms and moms-to-be! ^__^

Luv,
Shielou

(One of the cutest songs ever! ~__^)

Etsy Tips from an Amateur

2009-05-06T19:43:00.008-06:00

Harry Potter and Pals. I've been wanting to make these guys for a while now and I'm so glad someone finally requested them. YAY!! My favorite would have to be Ron. Soooo cute!

(Hogwarts Trouble Makers)

On another note...Edward gets a slight makeover. Do you like it? I think it's a better rendition of Rob's hair than the previous hairstyle. But who knows? Let me know what you think! Should it stay or should it go? ^__^

(Eew...Bella smells. lol)

I've gotten several e-mails over the past couple months as to how others can find success on Etsy. Personally, I think I'm really the worst person to ask this for a number of different reasons. The first one being that even after a couple of months on Etsy I'm still not quite sure as to what I'm doing. Secondly there are far more successful Etsy sellers than myself. I'm very lucky that I have the support of my family and boyfriend. Without them I don't think I could do what I'm doing and not drown in bankruptcy. I can barely help Chris with our bills as it is. lol Fortunately, HE makes bank and it's getting a bit better now with some more organizing on my part. ^__^At least that's what I keep telling myself. O__o

(Went to an anonymous Twilight addict...)

But as for my Etsy shop I really had no plans, no direct vision, just some clay and paints. I looked at a few sites, jumped into it and hoped for the best. If I can give any advice this would be it: Plan ahead, do your research and be UNIQUE.

(Off to the post office!)

Planning is key. As I said I just dove right in. I wish I was able to organize a bit more but I didn't expect to be doing this either. Look at other Etsy sites, craft sites, go to the book store and look at craft/art books. Find out what kind of things catch your eye and get you excited. Buy some materials and see if you can make the stuff. Don't go overboard and buy $200.00 worth of supplies. Practice for a bit and get a feel for it and see if you enjoy it. ^__^ Look at blog sites and read the articles on Etsy's Storque. Take advantage of the forums and chats and ask questions! ^__^

(Carlos, ready to save the day and make the girls swoon with his sexiness...)

Be unique. I don't know how much more I can say this without sounding like an old broken record. lol This part is integral in my opinion. There are a lot of sellers and crafters on Etsy. Stand out. And if anything don't copy others. Obviously be inspired but don't flat out copy someone else's work. Not only do I believe this is ethically wrong but you're better off coming up with your own ideas anyway. Yes, it's a little harder and more time consuming, not to mention headache inducing, but it's worth it in the end. We all have the capacity to be creative. People want stuff that's unique and different. ^__^

(My second home...er...office)

I also got this question recently "How do I quit my job and sell on Etsy full time like you?" First off, please don't quit your job. I was laid off from my previous work before I finally said to myself, "Okay, this is it. Now's the time. No more dallying. Just do it. What do you have to lose?" If you find yourself in the same situation, go for it! But if you have a stable job with benefits and health care please don't go up to your boss, slap him in the face and tell him you quit. Test out the waters first. Set up an account, post a couple of things and go from there. Start a blog, join an Etsy team, network. Experiment with new ideas, see what's selling and just keep going. Push boundaries and don't be afraid to experiment. Expect failure and embrace failure. ^__^ Remember, it takes time and effort and it's different for everybody. ^__^ So be patient!

Last but not least, LOVE what you do, LOVE what you make. People can see that in the product. If it's sloppy and not done right then people will take note of it. Keep in mind that if you're not proud and happy with what you've made then how can you expect others to feel the same? As I said, I'm not an expert or anything. I'm still learning, still trying to figure out my schedule, where I can buy the best supplies without having to give up my penchant for Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream. ^__^

(Yummm)

That's pretty much it from me though! As I said, I'm not the best person to get advice from. But I will say that we all have to start somewhere. ^__^ Questions, concerns? You know the drill. See you guys on Saturday! Bridget's Haul is next, some Harry Potter shtuff...and maybe some werewolf action. ~__^ I know, I'm a tease!!!

Love,
Shielou

(Currently listening to The Beatles ^__^)

Myrna is Trouble

2009-05-02T21:21:00.008-06:00

I feel both dread and elation when I get an order from Myrna. Dread because she always manages to scare me for some of the things she asks for and elation because the end result of her challenges always surprise me. ~__^ Somehow it all works out and I'd like to think that despite her "diva" demands (I'm kidding!) I'm better off at the end of the day because I've learned how to do something new.

Myrna's freakin' adorable little alien with piercings, a bunny, a carrot and...is that a towel? lol I don't even care that he confuses me, he's soooo cute. I told her I was going to keep him. I may very well do so. Muwahaha!

(Lip piercings look pretty cute on aliens)

I was a little scared to make these guys. Sephiroth and Genesis from Final Fantasy. I think it was the the shoulder armors that got to me. But in the end they were quite easy but I tend to make little issues like that into big problems. O__o But I was happy that they turned out better than I thought they would. lol And this time I learned to get wing charms so I don't have to make them. Right, M? ~__^

(I feel like they should be holding hands or something...)

I want to thank Myrna for giving me the opportunity to step away from Twilight for a couple of days. ~__^ See you guys on Wednesday where I hope to get some new items up since I kinda fell behind this week. lol Thanks everyone!

Luv Always,
Shielou

(Currently listening to crazy Korean music. Personally, it's not the type of music I like listening to. I just don't know what it is about Korean music that intrigues me so. It's kinda like crack. You knows it's bad for you but you just can't stop. Weird. Maybe it's the campy choreography? Oh well...honey, honey, honey!)

Office Space

2009-04-29T20:11:00.004-06:00

I know I didn't get much done for Wednesday but I was organizing my crap because I have a brand new work space!!! Our study has been transformed into...Shielou-topia. ^__^My very own office. I'm no longer stuck in the dining room. And Chris can no longer dog on me about my crap surreptitiously traveling into the living room! YAY!! Quite happy with it. Needs a little lovin' and personal touches but it's mine! ALL MINE!!! Muwahahaa!!

(Yay! My own space!!!)

I want to thank everyone's support on my desire to attend TwiCon '09. But it's looking grim at the moment. I just have a short time to get everything done and I don't think it'll be even worth it. BUT I hope to do it next year. No, let me rephrase that. It's GOING to happen next year. As I said, I don't care what I have to do to make it happen but it's going to happen. I've rarely met any goals I set for myself in all my 24 years but I have to meet this one. I just have to. Failure is not an option in this matter. I have to go. I must. This is my calling....O__o...Okay, a little over dramatic but I'm desperate to make it as a vendor at TwiCon '10. Unless there isn't going to be a TwiCon '10 in which I'll just cry in the corner. But I'm trying to have a positive outlook!! ^__^

(Oh yeah! Color coordinated, baby!)

Also, just saw a couple of baby pics of Rob on ET. OME! My favorite would have to be the following. LOL I wonder what Rob would look with a leash now? Preferably leather with spike studs and...erm...never mind. ^__^;;

(Hehe...cutie on a leash. ~__^)

Leaving you all with uber cute Rob thoughts,
Shielou

PS: I've had a bit of a tough week, some of you know the reason why, and I just want to thank everyone for their continuous support and love. Especially your comments, feedback and e-mails. You guys always make me smile and laugh and make the negativity disappear. You have no idea how much it means to me. ^__^ Love you all!

Forks or Dallas?

2009-04-26T10:08:00.003-06:00

I'm feeling MUCH more stellar today. ^__^ After I finished all my orders yesterday I was just NOT feeling it. I stayed up Friday night until 3am to finish orders (and to finish a book too lol) then woke up at 7:30 to glaze and finish jewelry pieces. Lack of sleep makes me nauseous. Chris usually drags me to bed kicking and screaming from my work station at a rather decent hour but unfortunately he is off gallivanting in the Godforsaken mountains camping. And yeah, no, I wouldn't go with him even if he paid me. Ew. Camping? :P So as usual, left to my own devices for less than 24 hours, I got myself sick. YAY! Fun times. And very typical of me. ~__^

(I go through about an average of 3 detail brushes a week and double that on Aleve. ^__^)

But anyway! My goal to take a trip to Forks, WA this summer has taken a back seat. My new goal? I WANNA BE A VENDOR @ TWICON 09!!!!!!!! *starts flailing and having a seizure* O__o I'm okay....

It's a little bit on short notice since I just found out about it yesterday (I know, you'd think I was living under a rock!). So I'm not entirely sure if it's going to happen this year. If I stop taking custom orders now (I know, *gasp* but hear me out for a moment) and save any extras I make I may be able to get enough stuff done to make a decent show. BUT a booth at the con is $750.00. O__o And despite what you may think I don't make bank. Unfortunately. Art school isn't cheap, my friends....erm....I mean art schoolZ. Plural. ^__^; But if they're having one next year then I'm DEFINITELY going. I don't care if I have to walk there with all my crap. But we'll see...and hope. Anyone going? ^__^

(I managed to finish just one extra pair of Twilight Proms this week. YAY!)

I'll also be ordering supplies in the next couple of days since I'm currently low on Swarovski pearls (they're my new obsession O__o) and Swarovski crystals in varying colors but mostly in blues. So if anyone has ANY specifics as to what materials, colors, etc you prefer PLEASE don't hesitate in letting me know. I'm more than happy to try and get whatever you like. ^__^

On another note, I won't have any updates this coming Saturday because it's specifically reserved for Myrna's giganto haul. O__o It's huge. Massive. O__o But drop by anyway because I'll be talking about it on here. Well...if she allows me. ^__^ I should ask first. lol

(Jacob Pillow Book: Team Arwroooo!!)

This has been a longtime coming. I just want to give some love to some of my fellow friends' Etsy shops because I love them all dearly. Laina, my little ninja and dearest Etsy friend, at sweetgal981 sells awesome jewelry. My favorite would have to be her Corset Line. Very fresh, very funky. You must check it out! My boyfriend's mom, Terri, at Rondinelli also sells jewelry. She's new on Etsy and calls it EtsyBetsy. LOL She's so cute. And also Heather, whom I have nicknamed CAPS because of her use of capital letters on all her messages to me, at LUCITTA. ^__^ Love you all!

Other than that...Flightless Bird, anyone? ^__^

Leaving you with sweet Prom thoughts,
Shielou

Feeling Zen

2009-04-22T22:21:00.003-06:00

Erm...what did I do for the earth on Earth Day? I didn't drive ANYWHERE. YAY! I didn't really need to go anywhere but it still counts! ^__^ I also attempted Yoga and ate a granola bar. Why? I figure it's something tree huggers usually do. I also didn't shave my legs. Kinda weird...and prickly. O__o

(I also didn't kill this squirrel on Earth day ^__^)

Edward and Nessie. Need I say more? If they do end up making Breaking Dawn, the one thing I'm looking forward to would be watching the Behind the Scenes features with Rob and a little girl. I mean...cuteness aside...how awkward would that be? I could just picture him cringing and thinking to himself...."Man, I REALLY should've showered today" when the kid starts crying in his arms. ^__^ But who knows? Maybe he'll grow up and like children by that point? O__o

Maybe he'll get one of the female cast members of Twilight Saga impregnated by then and he HAS to like kids! LOL Good times. Wait....ammm...how about casting me as Leah Clearwater! As a Filipino, I can pass off as Native American, I swear! While working at the liquor store I had a guy with his teeth missing ask me if I was an Injun (And yes, he pronounced it exactly like that O__o). I told him yes and began the rain dance while giving him his change. O__o No? Darnit!!

I also wanted to let everyone know that my schedule has been extended and any more inquiries about items I'm not already making on April, May and June can expect to be on the July waiting list. O__o I know, kinda nuts but people seem to be willing to wait to get their orders done which I am VERY grateful for. If only I could give everyone cookies and a hug. So if you want something please make inquiries now! Don't wait 'cause my schedule can very well extend to August! Questions, concerns? Let me know! ^__^

(Rob: "I need another cigarette." Taylor: "I'm practicing my senior photo pic.")

Love you all!
Shielou

PS: Someone asked me how I got so much done this week. I kinda cheated. I had the sculptures of Edward and Nessie already finished from last month. ^__^ Pat on the back!

PS2: I just reread this...jeez I'm weird. O__o And kinda rambly. And that liquor store story is very true. Well...except the dancing part. But I was dancing in my head. I should stop typing.

PS3: Choosing a favorite Tori Amos song is like asking what my favorite food is. But I will say that Precious Things and Cornflake Girl are some of my favs. ^__^

April Snow!? WTF!!

2009-04-18T19:21:00.005-06:00

I thought it's supposed to be spring? But it has snowed here in Colorado for the past two days. O__o You know what this means? Apocalypse is imminent. I just hope it can hold off long enough for ALL the Twilight movies to come out. I mean...I have my priorities you know.... RPattz goodness before death! ~__^ Just kidding! The world isn't really going to end anytime soon. O__o Or is it?

I kinda felt my previous Arts were missing something and I finally figured out what! His guitar and harmonica were missing! ^__^ So cute! Plus, there's nothing sexier than a man with a guitar. Well...maybe a man with a box of chocolates for you. ~__^ Or a man with a guitar AND a box of chocolates. If a guy like that comes knocking at your door...it means he's a keeper. ^__^

And then there was Dali, looking all cute and young without that serious pornstache. ^__^ Ugh! I'm dying to watch Little Ashes! Any form of RPattz is good. ~__^ I had more Dalis but as usual...I had to go and ruin two of them. O__o I've been off my game lately. I need to get it together 'cause next week isn't going to get any easier. Yikes!!

And of course more Alice...

Also, wanted to bring up Alex Meraz. Most of you know that this hottie will be playing Paul in New Moon. I always thought he was sexy and approved of the casting choice. ~__^ I mean...look at him. O__O The guy is so hot he can melt all the snow in the vicinity of my apartment. But I now have a much greater respect for him after finding out he's an artist himself. Check out his MySpace portfolio. Right? Hot, talented and oh so charming. Rob...you now have some serious competition. Better start showering...and I mean DAILY. We'll send you a box of Axe in both showergell and deodorant forms. ~__^ You're welcome!! ^__^

See you all next Wednesday!! Where I hope to sneak in a NEW item! Muwahaha! And no, Laina, you may not know what it is!! :P (Luvs ya!) lol

Leaving you all with hot, sexy Alex Meraz thoughts,
Shielou

PS: Currently listening to Tori Amos...Loves her! ^__^

Alice Day!

2009-04-15T19:09:00.006-06:00

I got two requests for Alice in her cafeteria outfit which I was grateful for because I haven't made this version of Alice in quite a while. ^__^

Have you also noticed that my pics are getting better? *happy dance* Goober (my camera) and I are getting along quite well, thank you. Now I don't have to smash him into little pieces. O__o You may also be wondering where I got the name Goober from. Well, one of my fav Disney movies is Meet the Robinsons and one of the cutest characters in the film is named Goober.

My next posting date is this Saturday. And just a hint...well...actually it's not really a hint. O__o I'll be posting every Wednesday and Saturday for the months of April and May. O__o I know what you're thinking. It's going to be a bit of a challenge but it's gonna happen (it better, otherwise I'm going to have a lot of peeved peeps on my back :S) and we're gonna make it. I hope you all are ready because the following weeks are going to be brutal. BRUTAL. I have my boxes of Meltykiss...I hope you all have yours too!! ~__^

Luv,
Shy

(Happy music to soothe and calm a petrified soul like mine...O__o)

Not really a big deal but still!!!

2009-04-09T18:23:00.006-06:00

I was talking to Britten, Administrator at TwilightMOMS, and she told me how she was wearing one of my Edward Apple pieces during her interview with E! Entertainment. OME! At least I can say I was there in spirit...kind of! LOL

Good times....~__^

Luv,
Shielou

To the Dogs...

2009-04-06T21:05:00.003-06:00

The hardest part about having an Etsy shop is keeping myself organized. Generally, I'm a messy person, I'll be the first to admit that. I have this ridunculous (And yes, I have been watching Bolt :P) ability of losing stuff then going to the store and buying it and coming back and finding it right there under my nose. My work space is usually a never ending game of "Where's Waldo?" Except it's usually "Where's the glaze?", "Where's the ribbon?", "Where's the black clay?", "Where's my MeltyKiss!?!?". O__o

(Watch in the 2:20 mark. It's absolutely ridunculous!)

No one messes with me if I hadn't had my dose of candy. It's even come down to me hiding my stash from Chris... O__o What? Take everything else away from me but just don't take my food away. Simple as that. :P lol

(This is what I watch while working. Travel Channel...and scary gophers...)

On a much lighter note, I'm not sure if anyone has heard of THIS amazing story. I mean seriously? A domesticated dog surviving on a deserted island? O__o Leave me home alone for a weekend and you can be sure I would've burned the place down or drowned myself in the shower or something.

(My keys. It weighs a good pound. ^__^)

But anyway, I'm currently still waiting on some e-mails so I can finally finish my schedule. I'll also be doing sketches of my custom orders in the next couple of days so to my Alchemy Requesters...hold tight!! ~__^

Love you all,
Shy

PS: Still reeling from what I believe was a rather successful Ebay auction!! Wooohooo!!

PS2: I love oldies. Currently listening nonstop to Etta James. She's a goddess! ^__^

OME!!! We made $290.00 for ALS!!

2009-04-05T19:57:00.006-06:00

I was praying to God that we'd just get ONE bid on The Meadow Necklace! I never imagined it would go up to $290.00 flippin' awesome dollars! Wow you guys! Thanks so much to those who helped spread the word and to those who looked, bid, the works. You guys are the absolute best! I really have no words.....which is funny because I usually have much to say. ~__^

All $290.00 will go to Alex's Lemonade Stand, TwilightMOMS's official charity. I'm in absolute awe of all you. I hope that this won't be the last time I do something like this. But even now I already have some ideas for future charity projects. ~__^ Thank you so much! Many thanks to Britten, TwilightMOMS Administrator Extraordinaire, who helped me get this up and running! Thank you to Lyssa, Amber and TwiCrack for spreading the word on their blogs. And to all of you! This is proof that Twilighters are bomb, insane but bomb. ~__^

Love you all,
Shielou

PS: Have I mentioned lately that I love you guys? ~__^

24 Hours Left to Bid!!!

2009-04-04T20:19:00.002-06:00

Just a quick reminder letting you all know that there are 24 hours left to bid on The Meadow Necklace on Ebay!! All proceeds will go to TwilightMOMS's official charity Alex's Lemonade Stand. If you are unable to bid, please think of making a small donation to the cause or just SPREAD THE WORD!! ^__^

Much love,
Shielou

Presenting....The Meadow....

2009-03-31T20:11:00.008-06:00

I feel like I've been very fortunate to be able to do what I do and share it with everyone online. ^__^ Creating art whether it's in the form of jewelry, paintings or even just trying to capture the beauty of a gorgeous afternoon is what makes me content. But being able to share it with all of you is what makes me happy. ^__^

This is my way of not only giving back to the Twilight Community who has in turn given me the ability to do what I love most in the world, creating art, but this also my way of thanking all of you. ^__^ You have all contributed to making this necklace. From those who have supported my Etsy shop since it opened just a couple of months ago to my watchers, my blog commentators, occasional stalkers and even ninjas...you all had a hand in making this possible. Thank you so much for all your never ending support, for the e-mails that keep me smiling and laughing and the occasional hot pictures of Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner that pops up during the Saturday before my Sunday hauls to remind me to relax for a minute and just admire. ~__^ Thank you to those who I chat with online about everything and absolutely nothing and to those who have sent me gifts I never expected and always made my day a little brighter. This is for all of you!

The Meadow Necklace is now up on Ebay. Proceeds will go to TwilightMOMS's official charity Alex's Lemonade Stand. If you are unable to bid, please think of making a small donation to the cause or just spread the word. ^__^ Let's prove once and for all that although Twilighters are quite insane (don't deny it!!), our hearts are always in the right place. ^__^

Thank you so much to everyone!! I REALLY love you guys. *tear* *sob* ~__^

With many sparkling and lovely thoughts,
Shielou

PS: Questions, comments, concerns? Don't hesitate to contact me!

PS2: For whoever wins the bid, if you prefer a different necklace to go with the pendant I can certainly accommodate you with your preference. I just have A LOT of green colored beads so Bidder's choice!

PS3: I'm still taking custom orders (3 more spots!!) and requests. Please contact me through Etsy for more information or if you would like to make a custom order/request. It will remain open until the end of the week. Please be patient with me while I work out a schedule and e-mail everyone for the cost and estimate as to when it will be ready. ^__^ Thanks everyone!!

Twilight Inspirations...

2009-03-29T19:27:00.005-06:00

The best thing about the Twilight DVD? Inspirations Galore!! Most of what I have for this haul are a little bit more intricate than my basic charms but I really wanted to push myself and think outside the box. ^__^ Plus, why not go for it? Push the boundaries. I have the Cullens home!!! ~__^ They were fun to make despite a sore right arm, neck, back and head. -__-; I actually have more charms but they're still not finished. Kinda bummed about that but I've been working non stop since Monday of last week and I'm literally exhasuted. My body is sore and my right arm has been killing me. ;__; Also note that due to some VERY annoyingly late shipments I've been VERY behind in my schedule so please excuse the lack of jewelry and some glazing. You guys still love me, right? :S

More cameos. I love the fact that they're all bed scenes. lol I should call them Dirrty Cameos instead. ~__^ This has a standard matte finish.

Cameos: Bella and Edward in Bed in Twilight (I had to do something like this...lol)

Cameos: Bella and Edward in Bed in Isle of Esme (What? O__o It had to happen...)

I wanted a way to make certain scenes with certain details into jewelry. So I came up with this idea which are basically little (little? O__o more like flippin tiny headaches from hell O__o) dioramas encased in polymer clay hearts and frozen in resin I'm calling Pillow Books. Why Pillow Book? Pillow Books are actually from Japan and you can learn more here. My Pillow Books are nothing like real Japanese Pillow Books but they're kind of like Pillow Books in that they're thick and they tell a story. ^__^

The first two are of Jacob because I feel like the kid needs some Shielou lovin'. Also added some steampunk elements to them because I love the style and the gears reminded me of Jacob's love of machines. The other one is Bella and Edward's Wedding because I wanted to sculpt flowers and play with some clay I had yet to use. I had two of these but as usual I had to go and ruin the other one in the last minute. :( These have a standard matte finish. I find that it's a nicer contrast to the glossy resin. Hope you guys like! ^__^

Pillow Books: Jacob and his Rabbit (Thanks to Barb who gave me the idea. The Cullens and their cars will soon follow ^__^); Jacob Hot Werewolf (Ahrrwooo!! O__o); Bella and Edward Marriage March (Thanks again to Barb and Laina for pushing :P)

The Meadow Scene Pendant. Check back in a couple of days when I put it up on Ebay to bid on this piece. Proceeds will go to TwilightMOMS' official charity Alex's Lemonade Stand. More on this later but I wanted to show it to you all!! ^__^ YAY!!

Leaving you all with lovely, Twilighty meadow thoughts,
Shielou

PS: This is a shout out to anyone who speaks Portuguese and Polish. I need your help!! Please contact me! And I'll give you a cookie...and as most of you know...I don't share my cookies with just anyone. :P

PS2: Just a couple of notes before I open the floodgates for custom orders and requests tomorrow: 1) If you have more than one item (let's say 3) that is not Twilight related and are planning to make an Alchemy request then that's 1 full order. 2) I will have an announcement as to when I'll be closing Twilight related requests in my shop as well as here in my blog. 3) Please be patient with me while I take everyone's orders and requests down and make a schedule. I will then contact you letting you know when to expect your items. ^__^ Questions, concerns? You know the drill!!

Happy Wednesday!!

2009-03-18T18:21:00.004-06:00

(That huge orange, brown thing was a free gift. Unfortunately, I have no idea what it's for and the instructions are in Chinese? O__o)

OME!! The package I have been waiting for for an entire week is finally here. I could just do a happy dance and send it back for all the trouble it has caused me. -__- But I won't because I REALLY need to get to work. I was supposed to get this thing on Friday so I could finally get work done during the weekend but here it is on a freakin' Wednesday!! I know I told some of you that I'll be posting on the 22nd but that's not looking too good at the moment. lol I'll only have a few things up this coming Sunday for a couple of my remaining custom orders and requests then next Sunday will be the day. My cameos will be up and also my auction piece for TwilightMOMS. YAY! It shall be a happy day!!

(Stalled production = decently clean workspace...)

I also want to touch on what will happen when my Alchemy page opens up again. *insert horror sounds and maybe some blood curdling screams* Here we go....please only make an Alchemy requests if your order is outside Twilight. I'm only taking 12 non-Twilight custom orders. Serious inquiries only, please. O__o If you're not satisfied with my pricing or date I'll have it finished (though I do try to be accommodating) then please let me know. I'd rather you tell me so immediately than wait for your answer. And so because of this I will require swift communication in order to get everything scheduled. If I don't have a reply within 3 days from you then your spot will be given to someone else. I'm really sorry I have to add this rule but I waited on four people from custom orders I received last December who barely responded to my e-mails and dragged on their orders until I no longer heard from them. I do apologize but I can't work that way. Not when I know that there are other people out there who know what they want and are not missish about making decisions. O__o Urm, sorry for sounding like a Military brat (though I'm not :P ) but time is of the essence at Shielou. ^__^

(...Take too long....no charms for you...sad Christmas :P)

If your order IS Twilight related then please just contact me. This will be easier for me to do since I like doing "batches" of Twilight items so I have at least 2 or more of everything. Also, make sure you do let me know when you'll need your item(s) by just so I can make a schedule. As I said previously I always try to be accommodating when it comes to due dates so please note as to when you would like your item finished and received. ^__^

(You know how I love naming stuff? Well, I named my car and his name is Carrrlos ^__^ He's a super sexy 95 Grand Prix Pontiac. Oh yeah, baby... (hehe, Myrna, meet my car~__^))

If your custom order has multiple items (both Twilight and/or non-Twilight items) then please make an Alchemy request. I will then make a schedule with all custom orders and requests and I'll let you know when to expect your item(s) by. I hope this makes sense but if you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask. ^__^ YAY! Hope you guys are ready!!

(Liberty: A high maintenance 7-year-old Papillon)

(Koko Bear: A low maintenance, laid back but smelly Shih tzu)

Also, if your item is being sent out as a gift please let me know so I don't add a receipt to the package. Also, please convo me to confirm the address you want the item(s) sent. As always, if you would like to add notes, cards, etc in the package/box let me know and I'll try my hardest to meet your requests. ^__^ Please don't ask for real the Rob Pattinson in a box or a trio of singing parrots. :P I'm not a miracle worker. ~__^

(Hand painted tote bag from last year that's gotten a bit dusty.)

The best way to contact me is through Etsy, and convos usually get a response within three days. If your message is urgent please let me know in the subject so I can respond faster. I get a lot of e-mails on a daily basis and sometimes e-mails can get lost from more recent e-mail stacks so if I have not responded to you in three days please send me another convo reminding me that I have yet to e-mail you in return. I don't try to ignore anyone, I promise! I just suck at keeping my mail organized.

On a sexier note, Michelle mentioned Rob from my last blog post and all I can say is....Yes, I have seen the GQ pictures....

(Ammm...yes please? *drool*)

Leaving you all with hot, broody, sexy RPattz GQ pictures,
Shy

PS: Alchemy orders and requests will open on March 30th. ^__^ I know a lot of your are ready with your "lists." ~__^ All I can say is...bring it on! ^__^; Love you all!!!!

What's another word for "Delay"?

2009-03-12T19:48:00.008-06:00

Hey guys! Hope everyone is doing well! I just wanted to let you all know that my next haul will be delayed due to some back orders and shipment issues with my supplies. So no updates this Sunday. :( Sad. I hope this isn't an inconvenience to anyone but this will give me some time to get all my new items out before I start taking on new custom orders. Yikes!! Even the thought of opening up my Alchemy page makes me nervous. ~__^ Plus, I took a couple more days off this week than I normally do to recuperate. lol And yes, I loved it!! :P

(Still playing around my new camera so more random pictures. This time it's of clay, clay, clay, clay, oh! And more clay! YAY!!)

But as I said previously I will be posting updates on my blog as to some of the items I will have. I'm really excited about the new jewelry I'll be having up for my next haul. I've got some seriously crazy ideas in my head but it should be fun! But we'll see 'cause you never really know if your crazy insane ideas will take. ~__^

(Barb's blue Bella mittens makes another appearance. Cause they're awesome and bright!)

Also, my auction piece for TwilightMOMS will be finished this month, hopefully it will be up when I post my next haul but as I said my supplies have yet to arrive so production has stalled. Lame. -__-

(Our last remaining living plant. O__o Jeez, someone should really water you...)

But onto some really funny news. I'm so glad that I've gotten a couple of you addicted to the amazingness that is MeltyKiss. I've gotten a couple of questions about it so I'd like to take this time to get you all drooling for this melt-in-your-mouth piece of chocolate goodness. First, where can you get Melty Kiss? Ebay is a great place to get MeltyKiss. I mean, come on! You can get anything on Ebay! I usually get my stash from Ebay as well as JBox because they always have new items and their selection is always changing which is a concept I love!! Can't you tell?? ~__^ You can also try to check out your nearest Asian markets/stores.

(Chris' obsession: video games and Battlestar Galactica. And yes, he's a nerd but so am I so I guess it's quite fitting. ^__^)

What other flavors are there of MeltyKiss? They have a nice selection but the ones I know of are Green Tea, Dark Rum (with alcohol), Almond, Strawberry, Gold Bean Winter Premium (limited!), Creamy Chocolate and Milk Chocolate. I've tried all of these and loved them. My personal favorites are Green Tea and Strawberry. LOVE.

(Old brown boots and one of Barb's green wristies!!)

But that's it from me! I'll keep you guys posted!! If you have any questions, concerns...you know the drill!! Happy DAY!!

Leaving you all with happy chocolate thoughts,
Shielou

A Surprise In Every Box

2009-03-04T22:57:00.003-07:00

I think I finally have the hang of it with my camera, Goober. He made my life easy yesterday and today. ^__^ So he's no longer on my list of things I must destroy when I take over the world. O__o

(I luvs you, Laina. lol)

But I just wanted to announce that all reserved items have been shipped. Whew!! ^__^ YAY!! Along with that comes....a story. Yes. I'm going to tell you a rather boring story so prepare yourselves. *Ahem* Myrna and I have a great affinity for all that is chocolate. Yumm.... ^__^And during one of our chats she and I got to talking about Japanese chocolates. Anyhow, I promised her that once I got my recent shipment of Japanese goodies I would send her some chocolates. And I am sooooo happy to announce that my shipment from Japan has finally arrived!! Happy day!!!

(Posting and Shipping Aftermath.....Frightening....O__o)

Japanese junk food is bomb. And because I was going to send her some yummies and I love to share, those who ordered shtuff from me should be getting a piece of Japan with their shipment 'cause I like to spread the love....in the safest way I know how. lol But if somehow they all melt on their way to you then....yeah. Oops? You'll get melty Japanese chocolate. Melts in your package but not in your mouth. O__o Wow, if you take that out of context then it sounds really dirrty. Okay, mind now out of the gutter. -__-

(So pretty much everybody should have gotten a piece or two of Lotte and/or Meltykiss ^__^ Pocky's MINE!!!! :P)

So I was talking to my shop ninja, Laina, and we have both agreed that the fairest way to obtain my pieces would be to post everything in one go here in my blog and then have everybody reserve items. Just so not everyone is waiting for something until God forbidden hours of the morning (wait, don't we all the do that now anyway? ~__^) and everyone can see what I have at the same time so no one is left "Aww, but I like the other one better!! Darnit, SHY!!!! Darn you!!! You're going do Hades for this!!!"

(Totally Random....Socks of the month...Jolly Roger in green and black stripes!! Get a pair here!!)

But if anyone has any suggestions as to a better way to decrease some of the insanity that arrives every other Sunday then please feel free to share. ~__^ But that's all for now. ^__^ I hope to keep you guys updated this week as to what I'll have next Sunday. The more you push the more it's likely to happen. I work well under pressure. O__o *twitch*

Leaving you all with yummy Japanese goodness thoughts,
Shy

Lame-o with some Woot Woots!!

2009-03-02T16:13:00.004-07:00

My main hard drive in my computer went caput last night Fin. Donzo. End. We had a power outage this weekend and the power surge fried my Randy. And yes, I named my computer. :P

(Why? Why?!)

But I'm grateful that my backup hardrive (which had my most important files) was saved. Relief! My portfolio, my pics, my references are all safe. Unfortunately, all my beloved Bookmarked pages on Firefox are gone!!!! NO!! My supply shops! My tutorials!! My free manga!!!I know. I'm a total geek. O__o I'm currently working on Chris' computer which is giving me a headache 'cause his computer screen is huge and I'm little so I feel like I'm looking at a movie screen.

(Random picture of strawberries. What? I'm testing out Goober (the name of my new camera for those who don't know who Goober is))

(Random picture after I helped myself to a few bites. ^__^ And yes, they were yummy)

So a couple of things I wanted to touch on in my haul for this weekend. La Push, baby, it's La Push. O__o Doesn't seem to have the same effect as when Eric said it in the movie. Oh wellz. ~__^ I had wanted to get this piece done since last year so once again I was glad to finally be able to sit down and do it!! This is also Chris' favorite for some reason. Forget Edward Apple, Bella and Nessie, he likes the charms with the hoods. I don't really understand why but there you go? Guys are weird. O__o

(Went a little Jade crazy with this bracelet. I LOVE Jade. Gotta be my favorite stone ^__^ It's hard to part with them. lol)

Also, as most of you know, I love RPattz, Spunk Ransom. Whatever you wanna call him. :P So I felt like creating other characters Mr. Sex God had played. ^__^ I'd post my reference pics but I obviously can't get to them at the moment until I get my main hard drive replaced. :( SAD.

(My favorite would have to be Dali. ^__^ This is the young version of Dali before the infamously extreme porn 'stache ~__^)

I also have to give some love to Barb who sent me the most amazing things ever!!! A pair of blue Bella mittens and green wristlets!! Can't stop wearing them 'cause they are AWESOME!!! Which leads me to The Cullen Boys Bracelet. She had suggested a couple of posts ago that I should make a jewelry with all the uber hot male Cullens, thus here it is with blue and green Swarovskis to match the amazingness of my hand warmers. ^__^

(Me pretending to work while wearing a Bella Mitten and a Wristlet! The wristlet is far more greener than in the pic. Gorgeous!!)

(Gotta catch 'em all! Cullen boys!! O__o)

And on another awesome note...Lyssa (must check out Twilightations if you haven't already as well as Stuff Lyssa Makes) passed on an award to me! Who knew? ~__^ And to think that only a couple of months ago my blog seemed completely lost in obscurity. But I kept chugging on because I figure it's a good place to vent my utter dorkiness and geekery even if no one cares. ^__^ Happy day! *lol*

Once you win this award you are to list 5 of your addictions & then pass it on to five fabulous friends. Here are my 5 addictions:
#1: Etsy (Loves it!!)
#2: Swarovski Crystals (I have a problem)
#3: Japanese Junk Food (Must try out MeltyKiss!! MeltyKiss=LOVE)
#4: Robert Pattinson (Hellooo, how you doin'?)
#5: Crafting (YAY!!)

I pass this onto:
#1: Laina
#2: Jaymei
#3: Amber
#4: Britten
#5: Michelle (I think this is a good opportunity to finally post something in your blog ~__^ lol)

Happiness!! Also, anything that's left at the end of today will be finished and just put up in my shop for sale. All reserved items should be finished today and posted tomorrow. Everything will then be shipped out by Wednesday!!! Then back to sculpting, painting, etc.

(The extent of my Swarovski crystals addiction. O__o I know, I have a problem)

I've also been receiving inquiries about my auction piece for TwilightMOMS charity. I have started on it and it should be finished sometime this month. Still waiting on some supplies I had ordered online. ^__^ And no, you may not know what it is or what it will look like. :P lol

Leaving you all with good and happy feelings despite a broken computer,
Shielou

1, 2, 3...Go!!

2009-03-01T15:58:00.011-07:00

Green: Available @ Shielou
Red: No longer available
Yellow: On hold

NOTE to Skittles and newbies alike: If you've just come across my blog please visit my Etsy shop Shielou, set up your own Etsy account (it's free!) and send me an e-mail (aka Conversation) and I'll answer all inquiries. ^__^

Once again having issues with my camera. I dunno. I think I'm just technically deficient. Or an idiot. Maybe both. O__o Yeah. Probably both.

Dee convo me for your Lion, Lamb, Wolf choker if you're still interested. Luvs you! Same with you Otaku! ^__^ Laina, I have your Bella AND your Sneak Attack Custom Order. :P Needless to say I forgot what you wanted with them. lol Sonja, I have your Edward. Charlotte, I have your Alice. Hope I'm not too late for Kylie's birthday!! Yikes! O__o

A: RPattz Bracelet: You Choose the Color for Beads!! (from left to right: Art from How To Be, Edward from Twilight, Cedric from Harry Potter and Dali from Little Ashes); B: Cullen Boys: Dressed in their outfits in the Cullen House when Bella comes over (from left to right: Emmett, Jasper, Edward and Carlisle); C: Lion, Lamb and Wolf Charm Bracelet in Purple (Edward as a lion, Bella as a lamb and Jacob as a wolf; D: La Push: Bella and Jacob in Genuine Jade and Swarovski hearts (middle 14mm Emerald heart, 2 10mm Bermuda AB heart, 2 10mm Emerald AB hearts)

E: Jasper during the field trip (with bag and umbrella) in Purple; F: Jasper during the field trip (with bag and umbrella) in simple leather, G: Edward with an Apple and E charm in simple leather; H: Edward in his Pea Coat in simple leather, I: Alice in her dress @ the Cullen House with A charm in simple leather

As always, I try to make 2 of everything in case one gets faulty. So I have the following without jewelry pieces. If you're interested in obtaining a piece(s) convo me and let me know how you would like it put in jewelry form. The simplest I can make them is as a necklace in a leather cord with a lobster clasp (starting @ an avg. of $30.00 each, but please convo me for better pricing estimates). ^__^

J: Art from How To Be (convo me if you'd like to see my reference pic); K: Cedric from Harry Potter (convo me if you'd like to see my reference pic); L: Salvador Dali (convo me if you'd like to see my reference pic); M: Original Mini Edward; N: Original Mini Edward; O: Carlisle @ the Cullen House; P: Emmett @ the Cullen House; Q: Jasper @ the Cullen House; R: Edward Baseball; S: Edward in his Pea Coat; T: Alice for robotsrock; U: sweetgal981 Haul

I will blog more tomorrow for updates and to clue you in as to my next new items, the charity auction and all that jazz! Please convo me if you would like to get something reserved, if you have any questions, if you'd like any other information about the items above, etc!!! I love you all! Knock yourselves out and I will talk to you all lataz! O__o

*passes out*

Always,
Shy

Shielou's Many Phases

2009-02-16T20:44:00.013-07:00

Hello my lovelies! ^__^ Still finishing up items over on my side! I actually went to my parents house for some free labor but my sister wasn't cooperating and my mom was going to town with me new camera. Thanks fam! YAY! I'll hopefully have everything finished sometime tomorrow. ^__^ But I wanted to quickly talk about the new items I had posted last night.

Okay, so.....I don't even know where to start. I guess we'll start with my personal favorite, the "Biology" necklaces. ^__^ I've been wanting to make this piece since last year so I was glad to finally be able to sit down and get it done! The moment when Bella and Edward finally talk is obviously one of the most defining moments in Twilight. And thus I didn't want to design them as basic charms. So I added little touches including Bella's orange bag pack and of course "The Golden Onion." Oooo...I think the heavens opened and the angels sang for a moment there. ~__^

As for Edward, I was reading Britten's awesome blog (Check it out here!) when the movie first came out and she noted how much she would have loved to read Edward's journal that was sitting on his desk, and I was like, "Oh heck yez, me too! I wanna know all the juicy tidbits of this vampire. Not to mention his family!" Cause we all know he would've written plenty about the rest of the Cullens. Like maybe catching Emmett trying on Rose's clothes on a boring day 'cause you know Emmett would do something like that. ~__^ So I went ahead and added the infamous notebook, protectively tucked under his arm. Darn him. ^__^ (Erm...if you do buy one of these necklaces I don't recommend trying to rip it from him. There's nothing actually written inside. O__o Sorry! Just use your imaginations! ^__^ Plus, I'm not replacing it just because you can't control your urges to know Edward's deepest, darkest secrets...and possibly a blackmail picture of Emmett in lacy Victoria's Secret undies. Dirrty teddy bear :P)

(Ammm...I think that's the last of your worries, Teddy...O__o)

But what I love most about this piece are the "Phase beads". For all the hardcore Twilighters out there, we all know that during Biology Bella and Edward were looking at onion root slides under the microscope. And if you didn't know that then you should be ashamed of yourself! Now get out! Just kidding! I love you all. lol ^__^ I Yahoo'd (And no, I don't Google. I'm a rebel like that. :P) the phases and found pictures of them and was like, "Hey, these look kinda cool. Maybe I can make them into beads." So that's how that came about! ^__^

Moving on! Okay so...I had a couple of requests for Bella and Reneesme jewelry. ^__^ Again, I didn't want to take the easy route of a basic charm for them so instead I sculpted out Bella holding her daughter in her arms. While reading Breaking Dawn, the clearest moment in my head was when Bella and Nessie finally met each other face to face. I'm not sure why it was so vivid in my mind but it was so clear that I knew if I was going to make a charm of them that it would have to encapsulate what I had pictured in my head. No excuses, no shortcuts. ^__^ Quite trying to make but it was all worth it because I personally love it. And I think some people can get away with saying "Oh, it's a charm of me with my daughter." O__o Well, if you're a brunette and your child's a lovely redhead. ^__^

(I was also a bit surprised about the immense response to this particular item. Maybe 'cause I've been staring at it for 2 weeks....O__o)

I also wanted to quickly remind everyone to be careful with my more intricate items including Edward Pillow Charms and the Bella and Nessie charm above. I do the best I can to ensure that my charms are sturdy but realize they are still made of clay and clay can break. So I don't recommend sleeping, bathing, swimming (especially for Edward pillow charms since his pillow is made of fabric) or any hardcore, rigorous activities (this includes rolling around on the ground, WWE wrestling (O__o) and other hanky pankies you crazy lot do on your free time ~__^) .

I'll also be working on a very ellaborate piece this week that I'll be posting on Ebay to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Procedes will go to TwilightMOM's official charity called Alex's Lemonade Stand (Check it out here!!). It's a great charity and I'm very excited (especially with what I have in mind!)!! ^__^ I can't say much more but please stay tuned!!

You guys still with me? O__o I told you I have much to post! So on to the next! This next one I was barely able to part with. I was thinking of keeping him for myself 'cause he's just so darn cute and the thought of having a mini Edward just chillaxin' on my chest was causing serious heart palpitations. He's part of my new line of what I'm calling "Cameos." Others will include The Meadow scene and Bella and Edward laying in bed together ^__^. *giggle*.......

O__o I can't believe I just giggled. Jeez. You'd never think I was already 24. *rolls eyes*

Leaving you all with Edward in bed thoughts,
Shielou

PS: Questions, concerns, you know what to do! ~__^ I also want to thank my awesome new IM pals. You know who you are and I love you all! I'm not on often (My Busy sign is always up most of the time) but when I can take a break I tend to chat with whoever's on. ^__^ My account id is shielouperez if you'd like to join in on the short bouts of madness! O__o

PSS: Last night was insanity. O__o My mom noted to me that I post really late and that it's kinda mean. I have a very weird circadian clock. I wake up at around 9, drink a Red Bull and get to work at around 10 and I pretty much don't stop until 1-2 in the morning. I should've realized that normal people don't stay up as late as I do. I'm sorry! I don't do it on purpose. :( I'll try and start posting earlier. ^__^

Stray Items

2009-02-15T23:50:00.009-07:00

NO MORE ITEMS FOR SALE!! ^__^

UPDATE on Reservations!!!!

Red: Reserved/No Longer Available
Green: Still Available
Yellow: Amm...being contemplated?

*twitch* I have a lot to talk about. Mucho grando (Okay, so Spanish isn't my forte. I only took French in high school. :P Je voudrais un baguette et jambon? hehe I just asked for bread and ham. ^__^ Yep...I only know how to ask for food in French. Go figure. O__o At least I'll never go hungry in France. YAY! Oui, oui.). O__o What was I talking about again? Oh yes, my haul! ^__^ Crazy week. Insane. I think I lost a couple of years from my life due to the stress. Oh well. Live in the moment, right? ~__^

For those who have been wanting to get their hands on an Edward Pillow Necklace! Below is a group picture of what I have (Without pillows but they will and with feathers!! I had someone complain that they couldn't see his erm...bottoms O__o). Convo me on Etsy as to which one you would like and I'll have it finished, posted and reserved for you!

(A: Light Sapphire with clouds; B: Jamaican Sky with clouds; C: Dark Green with gold stripes; D: Burgundy Wine with gold hearts; E: Midnight Violet with silver stars)

Here's the rest that didn't get their pictures taken or was attached to their jewelry pieces! :( If you see something you like convo me and I'll have it reserved for you! YAY!

(A: Emmett Necklace in Purple and Burgundy; B: Emmett Necklace in Simple Leather ; C: Edward in his Pea Coat Necklace in Blue; D: Bella and Edward Prom Necklace in Blue; E: Bella and Edward Prom Bracelet in Red; F: Edward Apple; G: Edward Apple Necklace in Purple; H: Edward Apple Necklace in Green; I: Dr. Carlisle Necklace in Blue; J:Bella and Edward Baseball Necklace in Blue; K: Jasper and Alice Necklace in White and Black; L: Bella and Reneesme Necklace; M: Alice Baseball Necklace; N: Alice Baseball Bracelet in Blue and Black

Also got a new camera yesterday for Valentine's day from Chris. YAY! I LUV!Unfortunately I don't know how to work it. O__o But it's pretty nifty. So, Mom, you can have your camera back. :P

(Sexy! I shall name him Goober....just 'cause I like naming shtuff.)

Also note that this will be my last batch of Edward Apples and Edward Pillow Aftermaths for the month of February. I won't be making them again until March probably. Sorry, I need to work on some Lion, Lamb, Wolf Chokers (Gotta apologize to some of my girls who have been waiting) and some other stuff that I don't really remember right now. O__o But I know they're important and NEED to get done!

Anyhow! Will blog more tomorrow. ^__^ For now, I'm just gonna go and pass out. After I take a nice, LONG shower. And have a baguette with some jambon. YUMM....

Leaving you with happy jambon thoughts,
Shielou

Pillow Talk

2009-02-05T00:24:00.006-07:00

The infamous Edward vs. The Pillow necklace has finally arrived @ Shielou! There's not much to say. He's pretty self explanatory. I realize Stephenie's vampires don't have fangs BUT come on! I had to add it! It just wouldn't be the same. ~__^Also, the pillow is made of white felt. I originally had it as clay but it was far too heavy and his arms kept falling and it was this whole big mess.

(Silly virgin vampire ~__^)

Which leads me to the Edward vs. The Pillow 2.0 necklace (which is my personal favorite ~__^) that I call "The Aftermath: The Massacre in Little Isle Esme." Sounds kinda brutal but I find it rather fitting. I mean...what would go through your head if you walked in on Edward with a torn pillow in his mouth and feathers everywhere?

O__o That's actually a really good question. Knowing me I'd probably jump on the bed and chant "Me next!!! Me next!! Me neeeeext!!" like a raving Twilight lunatic.

O__o And yes, I have issues. But we should all know this by now!

(Feathers! Wheee! FYI, I currently have feathers everywhere on my desk at the moment. It looks like a bird had died on my table. O__o But I'd like to think that Edward had torn into a pillow and went to town in my work station. *__* Yes. I do like that imagery.)

I've also started adding a signature to all my charms. So if you see an SP on the back of the charms it means it's completely hand sculpted and hand painted by me. Plus, who would turn down stamping their initials on Edward's bum anyway? ~__^

But other than that...I wish I had more pieces finished. But my charms do take time and I hate rushing because mistakes are very costly and I want to give you the best product I can possibly make. ^__^

(Shielou's awesome computer screen background. I think I snatched this from an RPattz website. O__o Oh and Red Bull. Robert and Red Bull. What my life consists of. O__o Like my messy desk?)

Which led me to the decision to post hauls every other week instead every week. It will give me 2-3 days for sculpting (which is, in my opinion, the most time consuming), 2 days for painting (which is my favorite part! YAY! Paint!!), 2 days for touch-ups and additions (for me sewing tiny pillows for Edward can be a nightmare O__o Bloody fingers aren't pretty especially when you don't have a sexy vampire around to clean it up :P), 1 day for glazing (and yes, believe it or not glazing is a critical step in my work. It' the last step for my charms and it's a make or break moment because if the glazing gets screwed up then it won't be sold), 2 days for making jewelry and sketching custom orders (a lot of my jewelry pieces are one of a kind, I try to avoid going back and doing the same thing again which can be even more time consuming but I personally think it's great ^__^), 1 day for posting and responding to e-mails (it takes forever taking pictures, cropping and describing my items. I wish I can just say "If you really want the details then Convo me ~__^), 1 day for shipping and supply shopping (YAY! Shopping!) and 2 days for a much needed breather and responding to more e-mails. Which all equals to 14 days which is perfect! ^__^

(Barb's requests! Just so you guys know that I did try this week! :P)

Hopefully this scheduling will be more productive for me. But who knows at this point. O__o Ever since opening up my shop I have struggled to manage my time. I really believe that time management is an important factor in having an Etsy shop. It's also one of my many downfalls since I lack proper organization skills. O__o And as I mentioned previously, I tend to make things on a whim rather than a really thought out plan. I LOVE making lists, I mean LOVE. I can make lists from here to eternity but it's very rare that I actually stick to them. Which is unfortunate because my lists are freakin' awesome! ~__^ (ie: New Year's Resolution List)

I need a manager. However, I'm much too stubborn and too independent when it comes to my work to follow one. Trust me, Chris has tried on several occasions to manage me and all he got in return were stern "I could kill you" glares and "You're such a douche" eye rolls. O__o I know! I should be ashamed. ^__^

(Shielou's daily diet. Wonder why I'm so freakin' hyper all the time? O__o *twitch*)

I've also been having issues with my hands lately, which escalated a bit this week. I'm not entirely sure what's going on with them. I'm not in pain, which I'd like to think is a good sign, but sometimes the joints in my fingers stiffen and it's hard to bend them. I'm hoping it's not early signs of arthritis since that does run in my family. I'm a bit freaked. I'm only 24 after all but I'm trying to be optimistic about it. I'd like to think it's only the cold weather and/or maybe my hands are just trying to tell me I shouldn't work so much. ~__^

(Edward digital painting STILL in progress! UgH!! But he's lookin' hawt! Grr... O__o)

But I would like to thank all of you for your absolutely wonderful ideas for jewelry from my previous blog post. I have most new items sculpted out and only need painting so please bare with me while I experiment and continue to finish! I know you're all as excited as I am to see new items but I just can't rush it. Also, I'm still NOT taking any custom orders at the moment but I'll have an announcement as to when that will happen! ^__^So please be patient while I continue to finish the requests I have now and getting new items up and all that jazz. ^__^ I'm only one person and on top of that I'm completely addled brain so you must forgive me! O__o Pretty please? ~__^

Leaving you all with flying feathers and nekkid Edward thoughts,
Shielou

PS: Head on over to Twilightations and become part of my giveaway with Lyssa! My giveaway is the winner's favorite Twilight character on a necklace with beadings of their favorite color! If you've already bought an item from me and you participate in the giveaway and win I will make a special jewelry piece for you! *__* I'm not entirely sure what it'll be yet but I'm pretty sure we'll come up with something. ~__^

PSS: So it's about 8:00 in the morning and I'm completely sold out. lol I actually thought if I posted my stuff late then they wouldn't be sold until the following morning at the earliest. :P Erm....my next haul won't be until next week. I'm aiming for February 15th. I'll keep you all updated with my progress! ^__^

PSSS: (I know I'm pushing it :P) My Yahoo Messenger name is shielouperez. ^__^ IM me we'll chat! Well....if I'm on. ~__^

Where has Shielou been?

2009-01-31T21:04:00.004-07:00

Holy badunkers, Batman, I'm alive! (And yes, I just made up another word. I should start my own Dictionary and call it Shielounisms) Anyhow! Yeah....I'm a bit out of it. I haven't stopped working since Tuesday and there's really no end in sight. O__o And to be completely honest, I actually don't mind. I know, have issues. O__o

Soooooooooooo.............I love Paula. I wish all my major custom orders went as smoothly as hers did. A total breeze despite the number of orders. Totally patient. Never nitpicky. I love her. And that is all I'll say. She's awesome. Plus, she's agreed to adopt me! ^__^ Love you, Paula! Expect me in the next couple of weeks. I'm free of fleas and completely housebroken. Woot!

I'll admit, I almost had a heart attack when Paula said she wanted a bracelet with all the Cullens in their baseball uniforms. I freaked out a little, almost peed in my pants, the whole ordeal. But I calmed down and looked at it more as a challenge. I thought to myself "Bring it." For some people the concept of hats, caps, beanies, fedoras, etc is quite simple. Plop it goes on your head and off you go. But when it comes to my little charms...the concept isn't as simple. But I figured out a way and I'm quite happy with the outcome. ^__^

(From Left to Right: Emmett with his cap all a skewed (silly teddy bear ~__^), Mommy Esme, Daddy Carlisle and his scarf, Bella (who was wearing something other than blue), Edward (who was the easiest to make ^__^), Alice (loves her!), Jasper (so austere ~__^), and Rose.)

I must actually thank Laina (sweetgal981) for the hats. She had ordered a charm a while ago that required a hat and I knew then I had to make it happen. To me saying "No" means admitting defeat and I refuse to be defeated. O__o Whoa...Narnia moment. (Anyone else watching this on ABC channel right now? lol)

Carlisle also gets his own necklace. Finally! YAY! He's wearing the outfit he wore at the police station when Waylon died. He also has his doctor's bag and a specially ordered stethescope charm. Too cute. Carlisle's pretty cute too. ~__^

I also had two options for Paula for her Jasper and Alice charms. She chose this because it reminded her of one of Alice's many bracelets. ^__^

(Dyed turquoise Jasper beads *giggle* and glass beads)

Also, I wanted to share with you guys this hilarious Twilight spoof Paula's daughter had made (She's the one receiving this bounty of jewelry. Lucky. Jeez, Mom. Would you buy some of my stuff and give 'em to me?!). It brought on the LOLz. Must see. Must watch.

Leaving you all with happy cardboard-Edward thoughts,
Shielou

PS: Thanks so much to everyone for all your ideas. My list has grown considerably since then. If you have anymore let me know! Don't be shy! This is the world wide web. There's no need for shyness. ^__^ See you all on February 4th for my next haul! You guys excited or what?! YAY! It shall be a happy day. And I shall sing and do a dance. And then I shall pass out. Just kidding! Too much work for sleep. Pfft. Who needs sleep anyway! ~__^

My Next Big Haul!

2009-01-22T12:49:00.010-07:00

Hello my lovelies! ^__^ So...big news. I'll be working on some major custom orders in the next few days that's due soon including another 8-charm bracelet. O__o *groan* Even typing it makes me antsy. ~__^ So my next huge haul for my shop won't be until next month. I know! "What the heck, Shielou, you freakin' slacker! Jeez!!!! You're fired!!" O__o

1) Paula's Cullen Family Baseball Bracelet
2) Paula's Jasper and Alice Bracelet
3) Paula's Carlisle Cullen Necklace
4) Cin's Annette Keychain
5) Konstantine's Jasper Baseball Necklace
6) Christine's Bella and Edward Necklace
7) Dee's Lion, Lamb, Wolf Choker
8) Otaku's Lion, Lamb, Wolf Choker

If you feel your order needs to be on this list then convo me. But if it can wait a bit longer then not only will I be eternally grateful but I'll also give you a cookie. And trust me, I don't share my cookies with just anybody. ~__^

I'm aiming for February 4th for my next huge haul in time for my giveaway @ Twilightations on the 5th! Also, I hope to have some brand new items up by then including my much anticipated Edward vs. The Pillow necklaces. Which is making me even more nervous because if it sucks then everybody will be like "Ugh, I waited for THAT?!" Then I'd cry in a corner. :S And I also think it's due time that Emmett finally make an appearance @ Shielou. The poor boy would be ashamed...maybe even a bit upset at his lack of presence in my shop. I love you, Emmett. Who's my favorite teddy bear?

(Aww...don't be like that! We wuv you...want a cookie? ^__^)

But that's pretty much it from me. Off to work I go. ^__^ On another note, if you guys have a favorite moment from the movie or in any of the books and would like to see it in jewelry form then comment below! ^__^ I would really love to hear your opinions. ^__^

Much luv,
Shielou

Erm....what day is it? And why is there paint all over my face?

2009-01-18T23:11:00.003-07:00

*Wakes up suddenly and looks around in a confused daze before peeling away a sheet of paint palette off my face*

Soooo, I actually worked this week. O__o I know, call the press. I think it started well when my first batch of clay figurines came out healthy! YAY! I'm quite the proud Momma. It should disturb me that I've just referred to my clay sculptures as new born babies but it doesn't. Thus, I got a decent amount of work done. You proud or what? ^__^

I could've gotten more done but unfortunately Chris has been fiddling with my camera and now it's all kinds of wonky from what you can probably tell from my posts. :( Sad. And I thought I had issues with technology. But there's always next Sunday so YAY! ^__^ Actually, I really need to get working on some custom orders. Frightening custom orders. O__o

Also, I've updated my Shop Policies section due to a few issues that occurred in the past couple of months. ^__^ So....here we go...

I ship worldwide via USPS First Class. Unfortunately, I have no way of tracking these items or have any knowledge as to when it will arrive to your mail box. It varies depending on your country. I've had items outside the US arrive in 1 week and some that arrive in 6 weeks. You can always contact me to choose the option of USPS Priority Mail International which is a guaranteed 6-10 days but this costs around $20.00 depending on the size. So if you want to shell out the dough let me know! ^__^

(Vanity Fair outtake....Robert and Taylor having a "moment." Say it with me now...."Awww!" It's always sweet to see good looking guys bonding over a good game of nipple twisting. ~__^ )

I also cannot be responsible for items that are lost or damaged during shipping considering that it's not in my hands. I try my best to ensure that my charms do not break easily (Trust me, Chris has happily tested quite a few of them. We currently have a chipped counter top from him trying to break my stuff). And, more than anything, I make sure that my charms can endure the shipping process. My items are always shipped in bubble wrap envelopes and my more expensive jewelry pieces are always placed in boxes. I suggest you contact me to add insurance before purchasing an item if you do not want to take the chance because even though I would really love to I just cannot replace them for free. :( Of course, if circumstances call for it and I like you :P, I can happily do an exchange in which I send you a new charm/jewelry piece and you send me whatever had been broken. ^__^ Sound fair? Other than that, all sales are final. ^__^ And I especially won't do exchanges just because you think one clay charm is cuter than the one you got. In which I'll just reply..."Seriously?" O__o

(Peanut Gallery....)

ALSO, for my custom orders, I always try to do a sketch. Now, understand that I DON'T actually have to do this for anyone. I do this because I want to make sure that you and I are on the same page. My sketches will always vary and I always do a sketch of the charms first and foremost and maybe a couple of different options for the design of the jewelry piece. Sketches take time and it's free. I'm more than happy to jot down little notes as to certain changes you would like. Myrna's initial sketch, for example, had horizontal blue stripes on Keroppi's shirt. She mentioned she would like it vertical instead so I just made a 'lil note. ^__^ But if I have to redraw something just because Suzy doesn't have a blue ribbon in her hair or her dress isn't the actual pink color you wanted or you changed your mind and want Suzy wearing a school girl uniform then it becomes a bit unreasonable not to mention troublesome because that's more of my time going into a sketch that's for free. If you, for some reason, do not like my initial sketch and want something redrawn then I will happily do so for a $10.00-$15.00 charge that must be paid in full first. :( Sorry, I REALLY hate to do this but some people just take advantage of this free offer. SO, if you do a custom order, make sure you state whatever you want right off the bat. ^__^

I feel these changes are pretty fair considering they're quite basic policies in most Etsy shops. And yes, I've looked, including yours, Laina! Muwahaha! O__o Now, I always try and be fair so if anyone has any questions, concerns or issues don't hesitate to contact me. I'm always open and try to answer questions as best as I can. If I don't get back to you right away it's not because I'm ignoring you it's usually because I'm thinking of the best answer to your question. If a ridiculous amount of time has passed and you still haven't received a response e-mail it's probably 'cause I've innocently forgotten so try e-mailing me again. ^__^ As I've said previously, I'm pretty bad with e-mails and it's only because I lack basic communication skills. I blame my mom. ^__^ HI MOM!

Along with actually working I came out with a new item as well. ^__^ YAY! I was going to wait to come out with this but I figure why wait? I always thought that Bella's edible art was quite cute. I tend to do the same thing when I'm bored. As a rebel *giggle* rules such as "Don't play with your food" was never ingrained in me. That and "Don't talk with your mouth full" and the classic "Don't throw your food at strangers." O__o....What? I TOLD you I have bad communication skillz.

Other than that, I've been doing a lot of snacking and checking out Robert Pattinson websites for the latest news and pictures. I must constantly be informed! O__o I really hope I'm not the only one who does that because that would just be really sad. By the way, did you all see the Taylor Lautner interview with All Access? O__o I feel like a dirrty old woman. A six pack I could've handled but that eight pack caused serious heart palpitations. Ugh, someone slap me.

(Hello! O__o)

Leaving you all with happy, half nekkid werewolf thoughts,
Shielou ^__^

A Series of Unfortunate Events...And is that a Video Blog?

2009-01-11T23:42:00.010-07:00

Whoa! Okay, so my list of stuff I wanted to get finished literally fell through my fingers. I unfortunately didn't get to everything because I had a curious case of crafting bad luck for the past couple of days. Earlier this week my first batch of clay sculptures all got damaged in the oven. As usual, I was thinking about food. O__o I know, go figure. Specifically baking some chocolate chip cookies and while I was thinking about gooey chocolate goodness I set the oven at 350 instead of 250. Five minutes after putting in my charms I smelled smoke and knew I was screwed.

*Sigh* So that was an entire day and a half wasted. *tear* Thirty. Thirty charm sculptures that went *poof*. I was so upset I made myself a batch of cookies (darn those chocolatey goodness for making me totally absentminded! And yes, I'm actually blaming innocent cookies for my wandering thoughts :P) and gorged myself. Which then made me feel better. ^__^..... well....sort of. The stomach ache afterwards wasn't fun. O__o

THEN, while glazing the charms I was able to redo and paint, I spilled the bottle all over the carpet O__o. So after cleaning it up I looked around and realized it had been my last bottle of glaze. So I had to rush to the nearest craft store and...they didn't have any of the glaze I needed. SOOO I went to the next one and again they didn't have the glaze I wanted so I grabbed the Satin Glaze version instead. It's not as glossy as the usual glaze I use BUT I actually like it better. I dunno. It seems to work on some charms but let me know what you guys think.^__^

But I did finish some of what I had on my list. Finished my major custom orders that are now up in my shop. Except one. Sorry, J! BUT I do have a bunch of Edward Apples Necklaces (3 more to be exact. Take that. ~__^ I had more but they got all wonky O__o), a simple Jacob necklace in his prom outfit and an Alice necklace. They have yet to be photographed but hopefully I'll have those up soon. Hooray! I didn't stick to my list but I'm gonna make up for it this week! ^__^ I swear. Hopefully. O__o If not, you can all stone me. :S

I'd like to thank Lauren for finally giving me a chance to sit down and do a Jasper and Alice bracelet. I've always liked Jasper's white jacket from the movie in the cafeteria scene. I don't know why but Jackson Rathbone just looks uber sexy in it. Especially with that collar up like that. ^__^ Grrr, baby! So I actually had this particular clay sculpture of Jasper with the collar up. ^__^

I tend to think Myrna kinda has it out for me. Keroppi was her next challenge thrown my way. But I was glad to do it. Personally, I'm more of a Pochacco and Badtz Maru girl. O__o I like puppies and grumpy penguins.

I'm waiting for her to ask me to do a full, foot tall, realistic sculpture of a nekkid Robert Pattinson in a centerfold pose, laying on a couch with his trademark sleepy eyes and a guitar covering his jahoobas (a la Titanic, anyone?). O__o.......Actually, I'm MORE than happy to give that a try, Myrna. Convo me ASAP! ~__^

Actually, I thought about this and figured it wasn't such a bad idea. I need to put my art education to good use! ~__^ I've seen some amazing polymer clay sculptures on line and I really want to take a stab at it but of course put my own twist in it. I'm not entirely sure when I'll be able to find the time or even if I'll be even half decent at it but you'll never know if you don't try. ^__^

Black Cherry Pop Diva 2 by *wingdthing on deviant ART
(Amazing, right!?)

What brought this on, you may ask? WELL...I've recently learned that someone else online is planning on selling their Twilight figurine clay charms on Etsy. It was only a matter of time. It was inevitable and so in some way I had accepted it. It's the way of the world. ^__^ But all I'll say is that real artists and innovators are the ones who think outside the box and come up with exciting and unique ideas. So you know what? Bring it. 'Cause I've got ideas to spare. :P

Now, don't misunderstand, I fully support anyone out there who wants to make clay charms. But be different. Be inspired but be original. Here's a great article that touches on this issue: 12 Secrets to Starting a Home Base Craft Business.

Which then leads me to this...a video blog? When did this happen? Amm....this week. Thanks to Sonja (piratedog on Etsy) for giving me the idea for my first vblog topic. ^__^ It covers the materials I use for my charms. There are a couple moments in the beginning where the video goes wonky for some reason but that goes away. ^__^ Enjoy!!

I hope at least 1/3 of you didn't feel like you wasted 10 minutes of your life. Although I don't claim to be an expert on charm-making but I hope it was somewhat informative. ^__^ I'm not going to be doing a lot of blogs. They just take too much time. Lucky you!! ~__^ But I hope that this one was at least helpful and/or amusing. ^__^ And seriously, I'm REALLY not a pill popper. O__o *twitch*

ALSO -I know I'm going on and on O__o- but please visit Lyssa's blog Twilightations! She's doing an entire month of giveaways and I'm also a part of! I'll be up in February but check out all the other sponsors and support handmade craft items!! Fabulous stuff!! And becoming part of the giveaway is so simple!

But that's all for now! Questions, concerns, er.....reminders O__o, blasts, wanna yell at me for a custom order I haven't gotten to.....you know what to do! Comment below, convo me, etc! ^__^ But for now, I'm going to pass out on my bed. ^__^

Butt loads of love,
Shielou

PS: The song in the beginning and end of my vblog is called "I Hear you Everywhere" from the Chobits soundtrack. ^__^ And yes, I'm kind of an anime freak. O__o *twitch* ALSO, I'd like to thank whoever let me know of this article from my last blog post. ^__^

Off to a Good Start in '09.....^__^

2009-01-04T10:51:00.003-07:00

YAY! Thank you to all who participated in my December Giveaway! It was uber exciting and I was so glad to be able to do it. ^__^ Congratulations to mysticjess for winning the Twilight Giveaway and Myrna for winning the Shielou Giveaway! ^__^ For everyone else, thank you soooo much, and never fear because this certainly won't be my last giveaway, I promise! There will be plenty more chances! ^__^

Also, I wanted to give you guys a peek at my newly extended work station. YAY! All I really wanted for Christmas (other than awesome cool socks!) was more work space. My one lonely table was just getting hammered from abuse. Poor thing has paint and glaze splattered all over it. O__o Fortunately, I had a couple more tables added and so I now have a table solely for sculpting, a table solely for painting and another for both making jewelry and shipping. It's not The Office but it does its job. ^__^.......Er.... O__o but if it were The Office I'd be Jim (see which The Office character you are!). I've been watching the show nonstop for the past week. My boyfriend's a fan. ^__^

Now, we originally had a Dali painting above my work table (Dali's my boyfriend's favorite artist. Kinda ironic ~__^ Can't wait until Little Ashes!) but I had a habit of just gazing at it while I was supposed to be working. His paintings are absolutely fascinating. You can't help but just stare at it whether to put some kind order to it or just bask in its lack of orderliness. Anyhow, although I have greatest respect for Dali I abhor wasting time so what did I do? I put up posters of Bumble Bee and Jack Skellington instead. Haha! I know, Dali is turning in his grave. I should be ashamed but....it's Bumble Bee and JACK!!

(The Apotheosis of Homer by Salvador Dali)

(Bumble Bee and Jack! Yay!....And is that...Taylor Lautner down there?)

So I figured that if I state what I'll be working on in my blog there's a better chance that I'll get them done. Like what I did on my Dec. 16 blog. I think it's because I know people are reading it and are expecting stuff on a certain day. And if there's anything I hate it's disappointing you guys so it'll give me motive. ~__^

January 11th Posts

1) Laina custom order

2) Myrna custom order

3) TDreamer custom order
4) Alice & Jasper Bracelet (possible custom order)

5) Alice & Jasper Necklace in Blue
6) Edward Apple Necklace in Green

7) Edward Apple Necklace in Purple (custom order)
8) Edward Apple Necklace in Red
9) Edward Apple Bracelet in Fancy Blue and Gold

10) Edward Apple Necklace in Blue
11) OME Edward Necklace in Original

12) OME Edward Necklace in Original

13) OME Edward Necklace in Red

14) Lion, Lamb and Wolf Choker in Red

15) Lion, Lamb and Wolf Choker in Purple

16) Mini Bet on Alice Necklace in Red

17) Mini Bet on Alice Necklace in Red (possible custom order)

18) Bella and Edward Necklace in Jade

19) Bella and Edward Bracelet in Red

20) Bella and Edward Bracelet in Turquoise

21) Twilight Bella and Edward Prom Necklace in Blue (custom order)

22) Twilight Bella and Edward Prom Champagne Kisses Necklace (custom order)

23) Twilight Bella and Edward Prom Bracelet in Gold

I realize the list is kind of...aiming high. O__o Maybe a little too high? But I figure I really should take at least ONE of my New Year's Resolutions seriously since I've pretty much failed on most of them. Damn those cats and their cute way of flushing toilets! And damn Rob for being cute period. *__* His hair.....that smirk.....all that....chest hair? O__o I know, I have issues. >__<

I also wanted to quickly mention that you know you've reached a certain level of "fame" *giggle, giggle* ~__^ when you begin to inspire others. ^__^ Check out some sites here and here!

My mom says I should be annoyed but I refuse to be. You only become annoyed when you lack the confidence to be creative, when you lack the confidence in yourself and your work. I wasn't the first one to make clay characters. I was inspired by others as well. ^__^ And people who I inspire to make their own clay charms then inspire me to push forward and to think outside the box. And the challenge of coming up with new ideas is what keeps artists, like myself, excited. ^__^ We can't quit, we can't give up, we can't get bitter about it but "We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." ~Walt Disney

So........to moving forward!!! ^__^

Lotsa luv,
Shielou

Ready, Set . . . 2009!

2009-01-01T16:15:00.008-07:00

Happy New Year!! I hope you all had lovely holidays!! My Christmas went well. I spent some time with my family, ate like the world was going to end the next day and read books until my eyes began to bleed. What else? I spilled some wine on a brand new shirt. O__o That was fun. This is why I don't drink, even after working at a liquor store for a couple of months. Shielou+Alcoholic Beverages=BAD. It's like giving a monkey a gun and letting it lose in a zoo. You just don't do it.....O__o....And I kinda think I just insulted myself....

(Jasper and Bella being awkward....)

Quite a tame holiday for some but I loved it! ^__^ The only downside? I got sick. I know!! Bummer. I'm still suffering through the remnants of a common cold so that's why I haven't been able to do much this past week. I feel much better though so I'm getting back on the horse reinvigorated. I hope to finish my preliminary sketches for custom orders this week in order to start on making them next week. ^__^

(Hahahaha!)

Also....thank you to everyone who participated in my December Giveaway! YAY! I won't be announcing the winners until this coming Sunday. And yes....I'm making you all wait. Muwahaha!

Always,
Shielou

PS: I know, random pictures. :s

Shielou's December Giveaway!

2008-12-22T20:31:00.005-07:00

What a better way to celebrate the holidays than to do another giveaway. Why? Why not? It's the holidays. Is there a better excuse? Also, after this giveaway I won't be doing another one in a while so why not do a huge one? ^__^

Every one who has bought a Twilight themed item from me is eligible to win this! It's a pair of Bella and Edward earrings. They're the tiniest things I've ever made let alone painted. They're just a little over half an inch tall with two red Swarovski crystals.

Every one who has bought anything else from me (meaning non-Twilight themed item) is eligible to win this! It's a necklace made of various glass beads, rose quarts beads, freshwater pearls and a resin pendant of a pink Lily.

Please contact me, comment below if you're interested in participating in this giveaway! Everyone has until the end of this month to let me know if you would like to participate and to also be eligible. One raffle ticket with every purchase. So let's say you bought two Twilight themed item from me and one other item, you have two ballots in the Twilight giveaway and one in the Other giveaway. Make sense? O__o If you have any questions, concerns, suggestions, the works please don't hesitate to contact me! ^__^ Thanks to everybody and GOOD LUCK!

Lotsa Luv,
Shielou

PS: I'll be answering e-mails tonight and taking a break in the next couple of days to spend some time with my family. I'll be back to work on Friday! Thank you! Happy Holidays! Stay safe! Stay jolly! Stay outta trouble! ^__^

Overwhelmed O__o

2008-12-21T20:06:00.000-07:00

I'm a little freaked out. O__o I had been bombarded by an overwhelming amount of custom orders this week. Don't get me wrong, I think it's great. Woohoo! Champagne for everybody. ^__^ I can thank the Alice and Jasper fans for the current chaos in my Alchemy Requests Folder (check it out here and here). It's just that custom requests usually came in trickles....not necessarily in...er...amm...hordes....? I think the best way to describe it is that I kinda feel like the only cashier at Walmart during Black Friday. O__o Which is a frightening scenario, you must agree. So I've decided to take it bit by bit, first come, first served type of deal. So for those who have made Alchemy Requests...please be patient with me! I'm trying to get to everyone! ^__^ Thank you!!

I'm also not making a whole lot of items for this week or next week. I'm trying to put all my concentration on custom orders. So for those who send me simple e-mail requests saying "Make a Jasper Necklace," "Edward in his pea coat bracelet" or "When are you coming out with an Emmett necklace?" I won't be able to get into making these until...I don't know when. Sorry! ^__^ I'll try but if you need them any time soon, I suggest making an Alchemy request. Which, by the way, I'll be closing after today so I can catch up with all of them. ^__^ Thank you!

Also, I'll be taking a couple of days off this week to spend some time with my family for Christmas. I think most of them have forgotten what I look like so I hope you guys understand. Holidays are insane and I was not expecting this kind of madness for this month at Shielou. I know some of you might be thinking that was quite foolish on my part but then again I tend to have very low expectations of not only myself but of everything I do. O__o I didn't share that to get pity but because it's something I'm trying to get over. Maybe I'll make it into my New Year's Resolution. Stop aiming so low.

(Just kidding about the last part....O__o)

At the end of January, I'll be taking another week or two off to focus on getting some brand new items out in time for February. This includes a necklace inspired by when Bella and Edward finally interact verbally during Biology, and of course, Edward vs. The Pillow necklaces. My mail box was filled with questions regarding this necklace. "When are you coming out with this?" "What's it going to look like?" "Hurry up already, jeez!" And my personal favorite, "OME! Is he gonna be naked?!"

So to just answer all these popular questions in one go...1) I hope to have an example finished by the end of January, early February. 2) You'll just have to wait and see what it'll look like. 3) I'm trying to hurry! I promise! And of course 4) Er...I try to keep my jewelry at a PG-13 level. And if someone does choose for him to be naked I'll have the following covering his...er...amm...jahoobas. (And yes, I made that word up. You know it's awesome.)

Please come back tomorrow for my December giveaway information! And as usual...comments, suggestions, concerns...e-mail me, convo me, comment below. You guys know the drill. ^__^

Love you all,
Shielou

The Very FIRST Mini Edward Cullen

2008-12-17T11:23:00.000-07:00

I really want to thank all of you for your support. I'm very excited about continuing on with Shielou in 2009. It was a difficult decision but one that was easy to make. I don't think I could've made the leap without the support of my family who know first hand that the choices I make in life tend to be eccentric and unpredictable, and yet they stick by me despite their doubts and worries. I luv you guys! ^__^

I've learned A LOT in the past couple of months since I opened Shielou at Etsy. From figuring out how to work my shop to the madness that is called the United States Postal Service and the fact that everyone that works at Hobby Lobby and Jo Ann pretty much know me by now. O__o And the most I've learned about is my craft itself. Some of you may or may not have noticed the evolution of Mr. Mini Edward Cullen (aka Mr. Hot Vampire that Owns My Soul) from the very beginning to now.

But what you may not know is that there's an even more ORIGINAL Mini Edward Cullen. Oh yes. The very first Mini Edward Cullen I had ever made. EPIC FAIL. HUGE EPIC FAIL. And I laugh every time I look at him.

He's gone through some hardships. I never glazed him so his paint has chipped and gotten dirty overtime but he's pretty freakin' hilarious, don't you agree? I'm turning him into my shop's mascot so everyone can point and laugh and all the other little mini Edwards I've made can be thankful they didn't end up looking like that.

Awww, poor thing but I think that's why I'm so fond of him and never threw him away. He reminds me of a quote by Johnny Cash, he said that "You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone." So he's not the brightest and prettiest crayon in the box but he's certainly one of a kind and that's what makes him uber special. And no...you can't have him. ~__^

Lotsa Luv,
Shielou

PS: I finally have an idea for my December giveaway! Hehe....more on that later. ^__^

Holidays, Policies and a Peek into 2009

2008-12-16T14:16:00.000-07:00

Wooohoo! Happy Holidays, everybody! Insane week. I wouldn't have it in any other way though! ~__^ I want to quickly list all the stuff I'll be working on for this week so you all have a heads up. ^__^

1) 1 Custom order for TFan
2) 1 Jasper Hale Necklace
3) 1 Alice Cullen Necklace
4) 1 Twilight Prom Bracelet in Soft Pink and Lavender
5) 1 Lion, Lamb and Wolf Necklace

Hopefully I'll have more items, especially with Edward ~__^, but my schedule is kind of erratic and I tend to make items depending on my mood. I know... I'm a spaz. O__o

Also, I want to quickly talk about some of my shop rules. I know some people don't understand the reasoning behind my policy of not selling my figurine charms individually. I'd like to see myself as an artist first and foremost and a business owner second. This is my art and although my charms may look simple enough to some people they're hard to make and I put a lot of work and effort into each and everyone of them. So I'm very protective of my art and yes... I admit... I'm a bit of a control freak too. O__o

I also realize that the main reason people ask is because my items aren't exactly cheap but I can assure you that they're not made cheaply. One charm can take up to 3 hours each to make from sculpting, baking, painting and then glazing. Hopefully I'll get better in time but until then these are my prices and I feel like they're quite fair considering that they're all handmade by one person and it's all quite unique. But if you have any more questions regarding this please let me know! ^__^

And now regarding the future of Shielou! When I started out my shop I was only going to do it for a couple of months until I found a job. But having an Etsy shop has really changed my life as well as my outlook on success. I've always believed that success was wrapped in a 9-5, rush hour and cubicle package but Etsy has changed all that for me. Yes, it's hard, the hours grueling and demands rather stressful but I'm happy and content. And at the end of the day isn't that what we're all looking for? Etsy was something I never saw myself doing but life surprises you in strange ways. ^__^

So because of this I've decided to continue on to 2009. Who knows? Maybe this is all just a fluke and the shop will die down but I feel like this is my one chance at really taking a stab at it. I'm going to make it count! (Whoa...Titanic moment!) So I hope you guys are with me! YAY!!I have a lot of plans for 2009 including original digital paintings I'm turning into jewelry. Here's a peek of what I have so far. Edward is still a work-in-progress. But after this one I plan on having a Bella and Edward painting followed closely by other characters and maybe some original original stuff of my own. Don't fear. I will continue on with my clay figurines including some very new and exciting stuff (Including Edward vs The Pillow necklaces. O__o Intrigued? Hehe!). So stick around you guys! 2009 is gonna rock!

Love you all,
Shielou

Black, Red and Chaos

2008-12-14T11:56:00.000-07:00

I was in a black and red mood this week. As you can probably tell from my haul for today's posts.

I'm still not sure what my giveaway will be for this month. I really need to get to that. I want to do something interesting and something people will actually want. Any suggestions? Let me know 'cause I'm stressing out about it!

I also have a major custom order that needs to be finished ASAP. O__o MAJOR. Like...charm-bracelet-with-all-the-Cullens-plus-Bella major. I know! NUTS! Good thing I've started on it so I'm feeling confident. O__o I will finish it and send it out in time before it's due. That's my mantra. Lord help me....

I'm also a sponsor for Lyssa's New Year giveaway (check out her blog where I had been featured a while ago: Twilightations). ^__^ Check out all the sponsors. Amazing stuff. I'm not exactly sure what I'll be sending in. Jeez. So much work to do. O__o

Always,
Shielou

Shielou+Snow=Frozen Popsicle

2008-12-08T18:00:00.000-07:00

Life's not fun when it's flippin' cold outside.

The only thing I love about Winter is that I get to wear my comfy hoodies and super cool socks.

(These are my pink dancing robots socks!)

Don't be jealous! You know you want a pair! ~__^ Check out these two awesome sites that sell funky socks like these: Sock Dreams and Sock Army. They also sell other stuff like arm warmers, gloves and leg warmers. I've ordered from both sites... and yes, I have a sock problem. I love socks. Who doesn't?

Oh, and Mom, if you're reading this (I KNOW you're reading this!!) I'd like a pair of these (picture below) for Christmas! It's in the Sock Dreams site here. ^__^

Anyhow! Finished custom orders this week. Myrna asked for a mermaid. I was a bit stunned at first 'cause it never crossed my mind to make one. Fairies I thought about, never mermaids so I was a bit like WHOA!! O__o! But I recovered and was like Heckz Yez!! Thanks to Myrna for the challenge! And it was a challenge. O__o

Jaymei asked for Edward in his cute pea coat. I've always been in fear of painting his pea coat because I felt like the collar of the coat was its most prominent attribute and I couldn't figure out how to make it pop. After some experimenting I finally came up with a suitable solution and I'm quite happy with it so YAY! The collar along with the shoulder embellishments on the coat are all in 3D. Thanks to Jaymei for the challenge!

Okay so I finally found some decent reference pictures of Jacob from the film. It's been a long time coming I feel like. ^__^ Aww...Jacob! I wuv him! Arwooooo!! (That's me howling:)

And last but not least, I finally made some Edward Cullens holding yummy apples! Yay!! And yes, Eddie, I would like a bite.....*drool* O__o *slap* Okay, I'm back on earth. Seems to be quite a favorite this week so I'll be making more. Woot! That's pretty much it. It's been kinda nuts but good kinda nuts. Like pistachio nuts. Mmm...Pistachios....*drool* I'm gonna go eat before I start feasting on my computer table. O__o

(Edward lookin' all cute and shiz :)

(Oh, yes, I would like a bitez!)

Lotsa Luv,
Shielou

Custom Orders!

2008-11-30T18:54:00.001-07:00

I LOVE custom orders. I relish the challenge people throw at me and more than anything I like challenging myself, especially when the items are outside my comfort zone. Although, I will admit that the pressure can be a bit daunting. There's a difference between what I have in my head and the actual result. When I'm in the middle of doing a custom order, especially one that I've never done before, there's always that moment when I go "OME! I don't think this is gonna work..." and I start panicking a little bit. But if anything it always makes me work harder and I try to figure out HOW I can make it work.

I always start out my Custom Orders with a sketch of the customer's general idea and what I have in mind. I think it's important that I'm on the same page with people who have custom requests. I have also started to give people options, especially when their requirements are a bit more general and not too specific. There's the sketch of what I received from their general description of the item they want and also another sketch that kind of takes it further. Here's one for Laina, (check out her shop page by the way: sweetgal981.etsy.com) she wanted something like my Twilight The Stupid Lamb and Masochistic Lion but I didn't really want to go back to that so I came up with the following instead. ^__^

She chose Option D. Uber fun to make. Although Bella took the longest. I had to roll small individual white balls to get the effect I wanted. Ugh. O__o But it was worth it though! ^__^

I liked this so much that I'll be doing more of this style so look out for that. ^__^ I had been wanting to do a Luna Lovegood charm for a long time now and when Iris requested a bracelet for her friend that included Cedric Diggory AND Luna I was stoked. I finally had a very good excuse to make Luna.

I want to make more of Luna. ^__^ She just adorable. One of my favorite characters in the Harry Potter series.

Anyhow! December is here and I REALLY need to get to work! Went on a bit of a shopping spree these past couple of days (Anyone else find Black Friday just frightening?). I have so many supplies now I think it could last me for a couple of months. Expect some more Twilight shtuff in the next couple of days including items NOT Twilight related! Which reminds me, I know I said I was going to do a November giveaway for my customers who did not buy Twilight items from me and I apologize profusely. I've been sooooo busy. But I promise I'll have a giveaway for you guys in December! Thanks for understanding! ^__^

Always,
Shielou

Holy Twilight Week, Edward!

2008-11-24T16:39:00.000-07:00

Okay. So I have loads to talk about. LOADS. I went and saw Twilight on Friday morning because I was afraid there were going to be insane fangirls screaming at the screen whenever RPattz popped up in his pale and sparkly glory. Thankfully it wasn't too bad and the theater wasn't packed because if I had been surrounded by obnoxious fangirls I would've gotten up from my chair and slapped them silly.

Whoa. O__o Violent much? Probably. Lol

To be quite honest I had my reservations about the movie. I was hearing sooo much about Rob and Kristen's on-screen chemistry but I was dubious. Whenever I saw them in interviews together they were always so awkward around each other that it made ME feel a bit uncomfortable. But I was pleasantly surprised. Obviously there was some awkwardness on screen but it worked.

So I was pretty much okay with everything....EXCEPT the special effects. OME! And I mean that as in Oh My Effects! And not in a good way. They were tacky and obvious. Ugh. Gag me with a harness. But at the end of the day I forgave that mess. Twilight was made with a limited budget so I get it. Hopefully New Moon will be better. Yay! New Moon. I only wonder how they're going to make Jacob look like he's 6'5 because I don't think Taylor Lautner can grow that fast in a couple of months. Poor kid. Oh well. They could just put him in high heels. Lol Bright red ones.

The best thing about the movie? I was inspired. Lol I have so many ideas that I don't know what to do with myself. Which reminds me....did anyone get the name on the back of Bella's shirt during her first day at school? I remember a crown design and above that it said Crown something and below the crown was something else? Ugh. It's been annoying me. I need to know!

Okay, so as I said I've been working on my custom orders. Here's Myrna's order of Death and Dream from the Sandman comic books.

Death was easy to do but Dream on the other hand....

I did the raven about three times before I gave up. Lol Good thing my boyfriend, Chris, was there and he made the raven instead. He's also an artist but he specializes in sculpting nude women rather than birds. Lol And no, he didn't get a cut. ~__^ But I loved making Dream. In the comic books he has this mass of crazy hair and I hate to brag but I specialize in messy hair (thanks Rob!) so I kinda went nuts with his locks. I thought it was going to be tough making his cape but that was actually the easy part. Funny how it works out that way. ^__^ But I'd like to thank Myrna for the awesome challenge. Yay!

So I have more custom orders to finish this week. O__o PLUS, Thanksgiving. I'm gonna gain at least 5 pounds this weekend. That's my goal. It'll be great.

More to come your way!

Always,
Shielou

November Winner!

2008-11-18T11:31:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to announce on my blog that Amberlynnbob had won the giveaway! YAY! That was fun. Although I wish that everyone who had bought a Twilight themed item from me had responded to my e-mail letting them know of the giveaway. There were a few people who missed out. :( Sad.

Anyway! Hopefully I'll be able to do this sometime in the future again so my customers have another opportunity to win something from me. ^__^ Joy.

Yesterday was my birthday as well. I did some shopping for supplies (YAY! Shopping!) and ate chocolate covered pretzels and Ben & Jerry's Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream all day. YUMM.... My entire family was texting and calling me throughout the day. Funny thing is I had gotten a new cell phone and hadn't listed anyone on my phonebook yet (I really need to get to that) so I didn't know who was texting me. So to any family member who's reading this and had wished me happy birthday via text messages, I received them and am grateful! WOOT!!

(And yes, that's a Super Mini Edward Cullen Mobile Charm ^__^)

But back to reality! O__o I'm gonna be finishing some custom orders this week 'cause I think I've put them on hold long enough. I'm also planning on making some jewelry NOT Twilight inspired. I know. SHOCK. But I think what I have in mind will certainly perk up SOME interest.

On another note, my mom went shopping WITHOUT me. I know. How dare she. But she did. She bought me pearls galore for my birthday! Amazing stuff that you will all soon see in jewelry form sometime in the future.

My head's a buzzed with so many ideas so look forward to that. ^__^ But I'm off to work. Actually, I need to clean and then get to work 'cause as usual my work station is a pigsty. I'll spare you all pictures this time (mostly 'cause I'm just plain lazy) but use your imaginations. ~__^

Always,
Shielou

Shielou's November Giveaway!

2008-11-14T14:06:00.001-07:00

There's plenty to celebrate this month of November: first off it's my birthday on 11/17! Yay! I turn 24 for those who are curious, second it's my second month @ Etsy (Whee!), third is Thanksgiving (I'm looking forward to a WHOLE lot of eating and turkey sandwiches for the weeks ahead ^__^....oh, and of course being thankful! *cough*), and fourth...TWILIGHT! *Insert happy dance* Just 7 more days, people!

So I decided why not do a giveaway 'cause....well...why not?! Plus, you guys have made my time at Etsy absolutely lovely! ^__^ So....basically anyone who's bought a Twilight themed item from me has a chance to win this.....

I know, how adorable is he? *sigh* So as I said, anyone who's bought a Twilight themed item from me since the day I opened Shielou on September 29 through this upcoming Sunday, November 16 (Midnight Mountain Time), will have a chance to win this item. The winner of the raffle will be announced Monday (11/17 on my birthday ^__^) morning and he'll be sent through Priority Mail so you get him just in time for that Twilight party and or movie premiere. (Note: He'll be hanging from a chain as a necklace).

The great thing about this is that I won't be making and/or selling this particular item until sometime in December so the winner will get bragging rights for a while. ^__^

Don't worry, I didn't forget my other customers who have bought non-Twilight items from me. Your giveaway will be at the end of this month!

If you have any questions, concerns etc just send me a note, e-mail or convo me on Etsy!

Always,
Shielou

OMG! My Brain is Warped...

2008-11-08T15:59:00.000-07:00

I'm a little out of it. Huge week. HUGE. MASSIVE. I have items galore I've just posted on Etsy and custom orders up to my ears. I don't exactly know how I got myself to this point but the weird thing is...I actually love it. I know. O_o The madness, the chaos, the PRESSURE....I actually love it and find it worth while. Who knew?

Okay, so first thing's first...Alice Cullen. Need I say more? Adorable, quirky and a shopaholic...which I can understandably relate to. I love her!

So I tried my hand out at making something romantic and Gothic. This was a pain to make but I love the end results. I hope to make more of this style in the future!

One of my favorite colors is pink. I don't think I make enough pink so I made this. It's not full blown pink (that would be a bit scary) but its got pink in there.

I'm getting into green more and more. Thus a whole bunch of green jewelry including a necklace I absolutely adore. I love asymmetrical styles. It's fun and quirky.

Twelve more days people! TWELVE!! More to come your way!

Always,
Shielou

November! Month of Twilight and...My Birthday?!

2008-11-03T13:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, so who else is super stoked that there's only 17 days left until Twilight? *sigh* Along with the release of Twilight, it's my birthday this month! I'm turning 24. I know. You'd think at this age I'd be over my propensity of crushing on guys I will never have let alone meet face to face. But hey... a girl can dream...and I will keep dreaming 'cause that's all I'll ever have. *sob*

Anyhow, last week was total chaos. I made so many things (many being more than just 3 items. I know...sad). It kinda went by in a blur. And it's gonna be more of a blur this month. I can already tell. You know those people who can feel an impending storm through their bones? That's what I'm getting right now. I can feel it in my bones. Soooo....as usual, I can't keep organized when I'm crafting. See for yourself....

Exactly. And the pièce de résistance....

I know! I'm ashamed!!! God only knows how I managed to get anything done last week. Good news though!! I went shopping! Shopping makes everything better. Presenting....my November haul! (And yes, my table is actually clean) So get ready for some new items coming to you this month. Are you excited? You better be 'cause I'm freakin' stoked!!!

Always,
Shielou

Twilight Prom

2008-10-29T14:44:00.001-06:00

I never went to prom. I never went to a school dance period. I was so against it. But if I had an Edward I would've guzzied up in a heartbeat. But alas, I had no Edward . . . not even a Jacob. Some girls just have all the luck.

This piece was inspired by, obviously, the prom scene. The most gorgeous shot was when Bella and Edward were dancing in the gazebo. The minute I saw that I went 'Aaww.' I love this bracelet! I felt like keeping it but I restrained myself. The toggle was given to me by my aunt and is the only purple one I have (I also have one in green that you'll see on another piece soon:).

As always, more to come in the following days!

XOXO
Shielou

Vampire Baseball HELL!!

2008-10-25T15:11:00.000-06:00

I swear, I'm cursed when it comes to sports. You'd think that after all the bruised cheeks I received from dodge ball games in elementary school, scraped knees in rollerblading down the streets and just my general bad luck with any activity that includes balls (okay *rolls eyes* laugh it up, Peanut Gallery :P) I would have learned my lesson. Me + Sports = BAD!!! I've been trying to make this particular charm five times and this is the only one that came out right.

I tried doing the much thinner stripes of Edward's baseball shirt but couldn't. I've looked and couldn't find a brush small enough to make such super detailed work on something sooo tiny already. Don't get me wrong, I tried but it was useless. I had to trash so many Edward Cullen charms trying to do it I should be prosecuted. And trust me, I had nightmares of the little guys climbing out of the trash looking at me with sad eyes and asking me "Why? Why?" *shivers* I think I may be traumatized.

I'm only letting myself make 12 of these since I can't guarantee my sanity if I try to make 20 let alone 30. I'm actually twitching and dreading making 11 more of these guys. O_o Yikes! But hey, good news! I uploaded new stuff two days in a row! Go me!

Always,
Shielou

Whew!! New Items!!

2008-10-24T17:29:00.000-06:00

When I started out my Etsy shop I didn't think my items would sell, especially my Twilight items. Thus, my inventory was quite low. But lo-and-behold I was proven wrong, much to my surprise, and I've been working almost non stop in the past two weeks in order to bring you all new items!

Soooooo . . . I watched the final trailer of Twilight (I am so excited!) the day it came out and there were so many things about it that inspired me. And one of them was the treetops scene with Bella and Edward. The foliage and the overall scenery was absolutely gorgeous and I wanted to make it into a bracelet. Thus 'Running with Vampires' Charm Bracelet was created. I realize it's 'Runs with Vampires' but I like the sound of 'Running with Vampires' better.

Anyhow, it was a bit of a pain to create this piece. It pretty much took forever to finish. I can be a bit indecisive when it comes to my designs. I wasn't exactly sure if I liked the green wiring I had added but I like the finished product. I wanted it to be rustic and organic and I'd like to think I accomplished that T_T

More to come in the next few days!

Always,
Shielou

Half Nekkid Jacob?!

2008-10-09T15:03:00.001-06:00

Oh yes, we went there! I should feel like a dirrty old woman but I don't. This week I tried to play around with the eyes a little more, making it as detailed as I could. I only made a few half-nekkid Jacobs (3 more to be exact) unless there's a big demand for it. I'm more interested in painting the Jacob Black version we see in the film but if only I can get my hands on some good photo references!

As I promised earlier this week, I have more to come in the next few days!!

Always,
Shielou