Chocolate Brown Clutch Review

Chocolate Brown Clutch

Is it a flower? Is it an English symbol of royalty? Is it a monster from the depths of I have no idea where? Call it what you will, but the design on this clutch is intricate and beautiful. And, as an added bonus, while you're waiting in the doctor's office for your name to be called, you can play psychologist with your fellow patients by asking them "What do YOU see in this picture?" Be sure to raise your eyebrow when you say this. People find this very intimidating.

I'm thrilled with the usage of the photo slots in this listing. However, I think the second picture should be the main picture. The main picture seems darker than the others and may not accurately reflect the actual color of the clutch. Additionally, the angle in the second picture gives more depth than the frontal picture presented in the main picture.

The placement of the brown-on-red designer's tag is excellent. The contrast works very well to offset what would otherwise be a harsh interior. This listing shows excellent picture quality, a great close up view of the flower design, and an adequate view of the back of the clutch.

I approve of the shipping options outside of the US, although the seller might want to consider shipping to Canada and Everywhere Else.

Sterling Silver Chunky Shell Pearl Necklace Review

Sterling Silver and Chunky Shell Pearl Necklace

I was struck by the simplicity of this black pearl necklace. This single pearl strung on a leather cord reminds me of a Christmas tree ornament. With the swarovski rondelle at the top of the pearl, the sterling silver fastening peeking out the bottom, and the wire connecting the rondelle to the cord, this ornament looks sure to hang around any neck with style.

The black necklace set against a white mannequin is a nice visual touch, creating maximum contrast. I really like that the seller used all of the picture slots, although I would make the second picture into the main picture. This would demonstrate the necklace being used in the thumbnail, thereby decreasing the amount of thought necessary for a buyer, and increasing the likelihood that a potential buyer would click through to the actual listing. If a buyer has to think about what an item might be, he or she might simply pass on to the next item rather than read what the title says.

I love the third picture. The way that the seller has swirled the leather cord into loops is very attractive.

I'm pleased to note that this seller has listed four different options for shipping destinations - US, Canada, Australia, and the ubiquitous Everywhere Else. The seller may regret having such a low shipping cost to Everywhere Else when Everywhere Else becomes Russia, however. Sometimes, international shipping can be more expensive than one might imagine.

Ghoulish Goodies - Cookies in a Jar Review

Ghoulish Goodies - Cookies in a Jar

Initial reaction to the picture: What the heck is in the bottom of that jar???? And then I read on to discover: Oh, my gosh! It's cookies in a jar!

With oatmeal, pecans, M&Ms , chocolate chips, and sugar in this container, what's not to love? The seller even offers to mix you a custom batch that doesn't contain nuts, if you're allergic.

But the fun doesn't stop with the yummy goodness that's inside. The outside of the jar is decorated with Halloween fabric displaying ghosts, bats, and pumpkins.

I love the pictures on this item. Not only are there a lot of them, but also they were taken outside with good lighting and a tasteful background.

The polka dot black and orange ribbon against the ghost/pumpkin/bat fabric may have been a tad much though. There's only so much activity that should be happening in one area, and the polka dots push this one over that edge. Might try that fabric with a plain black ribbon for a better effect.

Clear Rubber Cupcake Stamp Review

Handmade Clear Rubber Stamp -cupcake-

After reading over this description, my first thought is "Gift wrap? Where?" The description claims that a buyer can have the stamp gift wrapped, but shows no indication of this in the pictures.

I love how there is a picture of the top of the stamp, the bottom of the stamp, and of the finished product resulting from the stamp. Still, I'm left to wonder about what the offered gift wrap looks like. As we all know, there's gift wrap, and then there's gift wrap.

The cupcake image itself is very cute. It isn't quite symmetrical and yet it is definitely not haphazard, resulting in a subtle charm. I could see this stamp being used on envelopes, greeting cards (think Happy Birthday!), or in scrapbooking.

Dream Pictures on Canvas Review

Dream Pictures On Canvas

My attention was so distracted by the sparkling beauty of this image that at first, I didn't notice the baby curled into the top of the flower in this picture. This picture has an almost magical feel, from a land where babies are small enough to fit on the head of a flower (or perhaps the flowers are just that big ;).

A contrasting color would do nicely for the text. As it is, the text is difficult to read, particularly in the whiter areas. Using a color from the flower for the text definitely ties the picture together effectively. However, because of the contrast issue, I would suggest using one of the brighter colors of pink within the flower.

Halloween Blossom Hair Clip Review

Halloween Hair Blossom

What a stunning hair clip! I love the way that the orange and black chiffon layers appear to flow from one side to the other. This effect appears to be created by placing less of the material on the left than on the right side of the button, so that the flower appears to be leaning to the left. The vintage button adds to the overall effect, looking almost like a flower within the larger flower.

Did I say "appears" enough yet? Pretty soon, I'll have to inform you that you're actually in The Matrix. Would you like the red pill...or the blue pill? But I digress...

I would love to see more pictures of this item, particularly if it were displayed in the hair of a young model. Although the photo currently on this listing is quite fetching, using a human or a mannequin as a model would make it easier to see the size of the hair clip in relation to the average head size.

If I were to purchase this hair clip, I would wear it to a Halloween dance. Placed daintily behind my left ear, this eyecatching hairpiece would accentuate my long black dress as I sailed across the dance floor.

Altogether, this is a beautiful item perfect for that special Halloween occasion. I also notice that shipping on this item is only one dollar within the United States. With the cost of shipping supplies, plus the actual shipping, the seller of this hair clip must be perilously close to losing money on shipping costs. Be careful of the usps demons - they take much more than they give!

Raise Your Hand If You Know What Spalted Means

I was wandering through the Etsy aisles in the woodworking section, when I noticed that I kept seeing the same term over and over again: spalted. Now, says I to myself, what could this word mean? I have a fairly extensive vocabulary; yet these woodworker types seem to know this word that I know not. Because I'm a freakishly curious type, I felt the need to look it up.

However, Webster's remained strangely silent on the term spalted. I tried "spalt" instead, and this is what I discovered: "To split off; to cleave off, as chips from a piece of timber, with an ax." Therefore, this seems to mean that a spalted piece of wood is a piece of wood that has been chopped up. Got it.

So here you go...some spalted items for your viewing pleasure

Spalted Maple Dish




Spalted Birch Pot




Spalted Maple Bowl





Spalted Oak Vessel with Bubinga Finial





Spalted Maple Vase




Seahorse Box