Creations from Cornwall County

Since today is St Piran's Day, celebrating the life of St Piran, the Patron saint of tin-miners and also of Cornwall County in Great Britain, I thought it would be appropriate (and fun!) to feature some shops from this area of the UK. So, without any further ado, here are some of the great items I found on Etsy while "shopping local" in Cornwall, UK!

I'm always amazed by different techniques and subject matter in photography, so stopping in at greenislandstudios was a pleasure for me. While this shop is filled with photo prints covering an eclectic assortment of subject matter like landscapes, seascapes, floral macros, and other fun and beautiful pieces, they also have a series of photos of bubbles. Yes, bubbles - and prints like this Bubble Bubble Flows The Stream capture the amazing rainbow iridescence of bubbles just perfectly!







One of the next shops that caught my eye was gemheaven, based out of St Austell, Cornwall, UK. Specializing in sterling silver pieces, this shop is filled with a lovely selection of organic inspired jewellery designs. One of my favorites is Dark Moon - an organic sterling silver and moonstone pendant that definitely appeals to my preference for mystical and earthy.





My last stop was DuckDuckGooseUK, a newcomer to Etsy having just joined the community in January of 2010. Currently, the shop offers a small but nice selection of baby blankets, with a promise of an expanded collection in the near future that will include doorstops, draught excluders, larger blankets and throws, and cushions, amongst other things. I think this Baby Blanket in Blue Paisley is simply lovely and since all of her baby blankets are 100% cotton and fleece backed, you can be sure your little one will be both warm and comfortable!


These are just a few of the many great shops based in Cornwall, UK - and I hope you'll take the time to check them out as well as their neighbors! Have a great Friday, a wonderful start to your weekend - and happy shopping!

Not Quite Wordless Wednesday

Whenever I need to go to my "quiet place", this is the place I pick.  This photo was taken from one of the rooms in the Lomaki (Hopi for "beautiful house) Pueblo ruins at Wupatki National Monument just northeast of Flagstaff, AZ.  The view you see through the "window" looks out on the Painted Desert. If you're ever visiting AZ, be sure to take some time out to visit some of our wonderful Native American ruins!

Marvelous March

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold:
when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.
~Charles Dickens
March has made its arrival and true to form, for most of us, it has come in like a lion and we're hoping it goes out like a lamb! Even though I'm a day late, I thought I would share some fun facts and trivia about this third month of the Gregorian calendar with you today as a way to welcome the new month.

March was named for the Roman god Mars, god of war, and was actually the first month of the Roman year. There is a bit of logic to both its position in the calendar and its naming since springtime is the time of new beginnings, and after the long dark, cold winter, it was also the ideal time to start considering plans for plundering and pillaging that next village in the rites of war..

March is one of 7 months in the year that has 31 days and it always starts on the same day of the week as the November of that year.

March's traditional birthstone is the bloodstone - a green chalcedony with red inclusions of iron oxide or red jasper. The modern birthstone is the one most people recognize - the aquamarine - which is a light blue or turquoise colored variety of beryl.

The jonquil is March's birth flower, however daffodils and narcissus are also considered tradtional birth flowers of March.

The only well known holiday that always falls in March is St Patrick's Day (17th), however Easter also does occur toward the end of March in some years. This year it lands on April 4th! In the Northern Hemisphere we usher in the beginning of the spring season on March 20, which our friends in the Southern Hemisphere are just beginning their autumn.

Do you share a March birthday with any of these famous March born people?

March arrives in the sign of Pisces, giving way to the first sign of the zodiac cycle - Aries, the sign of the ram - on March 21st.
Month-long celebrations for March include American Red Cross Month, National Women's History Month, Irish-American Heritage Month, Family Fun Month, Adopt a Rescued Guinea Pig Month, National Multiple Sclerosis Education and Awareness Month, National Hamburger and Pickle Month, and National Hobby Month - among so many others!

The Native American name for the full Moon this month is the Worm Moon or the Crow Moon, depending on the locale of the tribe.

The angel for the month of March is Machadiel, who is the "Grace Bringer".

March's trees are Weeping Willow, Hazelnut, Lime and Oak. Hazel tree symbolism includes hidden wisdom, dousing and divination.

According to the Chinese agricultural calendar, March is the month of the Rabbit.

There are so many more interesting facts, legends and folklore surrounding the month of March, but I'm hoping you've enjoyed the few that I've shared with you!

I'd like to say thank you to the following shops for the display of their items to illustrate my post. Please be sure to visit them all, as well as the other great Etsy shops that are featuring March related items!

Aquamarine Blue Czech Glass with Antiqued Brass Earrings - Grace - Mysticwynd
Three Back-lit JONQUILS from Below - BLANK 5 X 7 Flower NOTECARD - WinsomeWorks
Zodiac Sign Silver Pendant - Pisces - Nanostyle
Zodiac Sign Silver Pendant - Aries - Nanostyle
GUINEA PIG LEPRECHAUNS 4pc Saint Patrick's Day Magnet Gift Set - JenKlimas

$50 Gift Certificate Giveaway from NorthernLodge

NorthernLodge is a wonderful little Etsy "cabin in the woods". You'll find vintage, antiques, lodge, primitive, seasonal,and spiritual items that its owner and creative spirit, Patti Kryzanowski, creates with loving energy in her rustic Colorado cabin. Her products reflect a love of nature, and demonstrate a strong desire to create responsibly using eco-friendly upcycled components. Patti has graciously offered to sponsor this great month-long giveaway for the month of March, and now you have the opportunity to win a gift certificate valued at up to $50.00 US for any one item of your choice from her great collection. This gift certificate can also be applied toward item purchases exceeding $50.00. Free shipping on your prize/purchase is included for winners living in the US or Canada.

With items like this rustic this Snowflakes -winter white handmade afghan, At the edge of the timber-two elk flannel pillow , or even this Turtle medicine bag-beaded by Northernlodge, you're sure to find something perfect for yourself or someone special to you!


Before I go into the details about how earn a chance to win your gift certificate, I'd like to take the opportunity to share a little of what I've learned about Patti and her log cabin life in Colorado...

In Patti's own words... " I’m a Biologist in my day job, and as such I feel a responsibility to create with an underlying sense of responsibility. I try to incorporate the ideas of recycling, upcycling and eco-friendly materials in my work. I use quality materials so that my products will last.

My work is influenced by the lifestyle of my childhood..nature, spirituality, and responsibility to the planet are key elements in my creations.

Family is first and foremost to me. I'm the mom of four kids-three I birthed, and one who "adopted" us. I'm extremely proud of all my children and their life paths.

This past November, I achieved a life long goal of opening a store. With the help of two wonderful friends, we've opened a store called North by Southwest at the base of the Spanish Peaks in beautiful LaVeta Colorado. Please come visit if you are in Colorado.

I hope to make a website soon for the store..and THAT will test my computer skills or lack thereof.

I also asked Patti to share a little bit about herself through some "interview" questions - these are her answers to my curiosities!

If you could have lunch with anyone (presently living or from the past), who would it be and what would you talk about? My dad, who left this earth two years ago for new adventures. I would ask him what adventures await us on the “other side” and if they have bigger blueberries and better fishing over there. And then we would have some great discussions about “new stuff” we have learned or discuss the new books we’ve read since we last talked. The Dali Lama would be a close second though...especially since now he has decided to include Science as part of the training monks receive.

When you're not being artistically creative, what do you like to do to pass the time? WHAT?? You mean you can take a break from the creative process? I love to hike but even then I’m writing poetry in my head and taking photos with my brain as I walk through the woods. Love to garden, but that is a creative process for me as well-working with textures, colours, and space. Avid birder and fishing woman. Pretty much love anything which involves the great outdoors! Sometimes I sit still enough to read.

Name one thing that not many people know about you. Hmmm…I’m SUCH a blabber mouth that one might be hard…Oh I have it...that I feel guilty about writing in books. Books are so sacred to me that I think it is wrong to deface them by writing in them, and using highlighters in books is just plain uncouth.

If you could be a crayon, what color would you be? No question about it AQUAMARINE...I used to BEG my mom for the big box of Crayola crayons so that I could get aquamarine. I was always sad when I broke that crayon. I even wrote a haiku about aquamarine crayons...I’m a dork what can I say.

What song always makes you happy when you hear it? My Girl by the Temptations. And please don’t laugh at me if you drive by me when that song is playing and I’m dancing in my car.

You've been asked to put an item of your choice in a time capsule, to be opened in 100 years. What do you put in it and why? A teenager... why? Because they know everything. Seriously, I would record a CD with songs from various genre because I think music is always reflective of the current culture.

Now that you know a little more about Patti, let's work on telling you how to enter this great giveaway!

Entry criteria for this great giveaway-

1 entry for visiting NorthernLodge and then posting and commenting on a favorite item
1 entry for visiting Patti's second shop CabinWindows and then posting and commenting on a favorite item
1 entry for visiting Patti's daughter's shop TheOlivePit and then posting and commenting on a favorite item
1 entry each for following Patti on facebook

2 entries per purchase at any of the three shops - NorthernLodge, CabinWindows, or TheOlivePit.

1 entry for following my blog here on Mysticwynd
1 entry for following MysticWynd on Twitter (http://twitter.com/mysticwynd)
1 entry for following MysticWynd on Facebook (http://facebook.com/mysticwynd)

Easy-peasy with LOTS of opportunities to win! Just be sure to include a way of contacting you - cuz I get a bit grumpy when I have to go tracking down winners ;)

Now for the business end... Entries will be accepted with a posting timestamp prior to 12:00 midnight MST on March 31st and I'll be picking a winner at noon MST on Thursday, April 1, 2010. Just as an FYI, this giveaway is open worldwide (unless you live in an area where this type of giveaway is prohibited! Winner is responsible for any taxes, duties, and/or compliance with local laws.) A hard-copy gift certificate will be mailed to you within 48 hours or if you would prefer an electronic version, that can be sent within 24 hours via e-mail.

Good luck and happy shopping!