Finest Feathers in Green and Gold

Etsy's Treasury feature allows users to "curate" their own list of 12 items plus 4 alternates. You can only make a Treasury when the number of lists drops below 333. Treasury slots are highly coveted because 1) they are fun to make and 2) there is a small chance that your Treasury will be chosen for the front page, giving the curator instant fame and glamour. Or at least a little extra exposure.



Today, the Treasury list dropped below 333. Over 500 people were waiting to jump on a slot, and most of them were successful. In the short, seconds-long window in which the slot was open, the number of Treasuries jumped from 332 to 803. That is by far the highest number I've seen; no word yet as to whether that's an official record-breaker.



I was one of the lucky "few" that snagged a slot. I love doing bird treasuries because there are so many beautiful examples of avian arts and crafts on Etsy. I decided to narrow my theme to a particular color scheme as well, choosing green and yellow as an homage to high summertime in the South.



Here's my Big 12:

To check out the other 700+ Treasuries, visit http://www.etsy.com/treasury.php

Finally Finished!

My Singer and I heaved a collective sigh of relief today... we finally finished the owl purse. There were times when both of us almost gave up, but we made it through. As a reward for my Singer, I'm going to dethread her, take her apart and give her a good cleaning and oiling, change her needle, and then let her rest for a while. I was also glad to retire the ironing board and free up some space in my catastrophe of a craft room.

So how did the owl purse turn out? I'll pick up where my last post left off.

I finally got both sides lined



and I added a coin pocket:



The final product (I went with a button closure- still not brave enough to attempt a zipper):



It's far from perfect. For example, one side is bigger than the other. All things considered, it's not too bad for a first attempt. I am only mildly embarrassed to be seen with it in public.

My Latest (Amateur) Sewing Projects

My spankin' new Singer Prelude has been getting quite the workout since we moved. Thanks to our nosy (and noisy) neighbors, I decided to tackle the issue of window treatments first. Up to this point, my biggest project had been the ugly brown book pouch. I was a little intimidated, but figured I might as well try. I got some great tips from the nice craft lady at WalMart's fabric counter. (Yes, I know, we're all supposed to hate WalMart and shun anyone who patronizes the place, but short of driving 80 miles, it was my only source for affordable fabric). Given the selection, I picked out some real doozies. I think this teal Chinese dragon print is my favorite:

That curtain was a brilliant innovation in window covering design (please read with tongue in cheek). The back door in our rented house is brand new, and I was pretty sure the landlady would not appreciate me installing hardware right off the bat. Luckily the door was also metal. I just sewed magnets into the top.

My other curtains were a bit more traditional (and time-consuming). The process got tedious at times, but I think it was a good learning experience. I felt ready to tackle another big project: making a purse.

I chose an adorable, butter-yellow Hot Couturier owl fabric with a rich, chocolate-brown satin lining. Perfect for fall, assuming it all turns out alright.

Keep in mind I have never worked with or even seen a pattern. I decided to try my hand at making my own. It couldn't be that hard, right? This is what I came up with:

I guess I didn't screw up too bad, since it yielded four fairly uniform sections, plus a strap and button flap:

That's all the progress I've made so far. Time to really take the plunge: I'm even going to attempt a zipper.

Major Makeover in the Works

I am a huge fan of home makeover shows. I am slightly obsessed with "before and after" pictures. Since I'm living in a brand new place and making a career change, I think it's the perfect time to give my shop a big facelift. I'm currently designing a new banner and avatar, and I'm planning to take my shop in a slightly different direction. I'm working on building up inventory that showcases the Appalachian influence I hope to reflect in my jewelry. As they become available, I will be posting updates and new pictures here at PossumBlossom.

This means a lot more flora- and fauna-themed pieces will be appearing, and I will be incorporating some antique components as well.

Items in my current inventory that don't quite fit with this new direction will be put in a special clearance section at rock-bottom prices. I hope to unveil the new & improved JunkMostWondrous around the first of August. In the meantime, I'm offering free shipping on all my current stock. If you have any suggestions for the makeover, leave me a comment!

Where Have You Been?!

In the three weeks or so since I last posted, I have been quite the busy beaver. My boyfriend and I moved from an apartment in Blacksburg to a house in the most awesome little mountain town. It's been a stressful process, but worth every minute.

We also got to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday in the new house! Notice the gaping hole in the top of the cake... this is what happens when you put the icing on while the cake is still hot.

Unfortunately, I've been without internet access in the interim, so I've let my shop fall by the wayside. My first move upon getting back online was to order some beautiful art for our new place. I ordered this stunning owl print from the talented HadleyHutton called Barn Owl. I promptly framed it and hung it above the fireplace.

Now that I'm all settled in, I think it's the perfect time for a major shop overhaul & makeover, so keep your eye out for changes! In the plans are a new banner and avatar and some cool new sections.