Jeterforks photos.

I'm trying to get back in the practice - taking proper photos - so I took some photos of my Jeterforks collection outside in the sun today. I think most wooden objects look prettiest in direct sunlight, rather than with flash. It also tends to show their true colour the most clearly.

Here's the whole lot in indirect sunlight:

Here's everything in direct sunlight. All photos should be clickable for more detail:

 

My preciouses! (Well, my non-furry preciouses.) Aren't they just gorgeous? I still can't believe all of this pretty comes out of the inside of a tree! I hope these photos do them more justice than the ones I took previously. There's a reason why these ones are keepers.

One day to go until the weekend. Yay! We've got some tidying/organizing and some painting to do. I wonder what everyone else will be up to this weekend?

 

 

 

Fork stuff.

Yay! The new bedroom floor is all finished so I'll have the time and energy to blog again now.

 

I thought I might start off blogging again with something I like very much, and that's my hair forks, mainly Jeterforks for today. This seller is one of the very best three on etsy in my opinion, based on the product and customer service. The top three all produce very different but very desirable things. I honestly think everyone should own a fork from each of these sellers.

 

Elymwold produces forks and hairsticks unlike any other. His work is more like jewelry to me than hair-toys, with inlays, burls and seamless combinations with a glass-like very waterproof finish. I am in awe of his skill. I have never seen anything quite like his work before. He's also one of the nicest people I have ever had the pleasure to ever deal with.

 

60thstreet produces beautiful slim-pronged forks in mostly dymondwood these days. There are so many different woods and topper shapes to choose from for quite different looks if you are lucky enough to grab a custom. These are somewhat addictive but very, very difficult to get a hold of, especially if you want natural wood or four prongs on your fork. These have a satin finish and on slippery hair days I find they hold best if I buy them a little longer to make sure a bit of prong pokes out at the other end of my bun or twist. The makers behind 60thstreet are very good people.

 

Jeterforks produces perfectly smooth, comfortable, beautiful, functional hair forks out of a variety of lovely woods. I have always appreciated the apparent strength and subtle beauty of these forks. He is available to create customs for you in your desired wood, topper shape and prong number. He is very friendly, genuine and helpful and a joy to communicate with.

 

Unfortunately during the time spent renovating the bedroom I seem to have forgotten how to take good photographs and I'm having what could easily count as a "bad hair month", so these photos don't really do my Jeterforks justice. I've included some older photos and I tried to get some shots of my newest ones in use, but the photos are quite blurry. Still, I'll add them to break up the block of text. I believe these to be much nicer in person than my photos. Also disregard the naughty, messy hair and imagine them in smooth, pretty hair.

 

Here's a group shot of all the forks I own. I had a few more but sent some of my larger ones to friends when I realized they weren't getting nearly as much use as my favourite figured cherry wood fork. I hope they're enjoying them.

From left: Purpleheart, Black and White Ebony, Bocote, Purpleheart, Mahogany and Figured Cherry.

About Jeterforks:

 

They have a reliable gentle head curve. This makes them very comfortable.

 

They are always sanded very smoothly. I have never caught hair on a rough part (because there are no rough parts) or prong end on any of these forks. They are consistently hair safe. The only other fork sellers I can say that about are 60thstreet and Elymwold. You can absolutely tell that Mr Jeter has a long-haired wife because he 100% respects the need for wood to be snag-free and hair friendly. This is a great quality for a seller to have. You can trust him with your hair.

 

The very tips of the prongs have a nice taper to gentle points, so they aren't stabby at all, but still slide into hair easily. No worries about poking anyone's eyes out. More great news.

 

Black and white ebony



The newer Jeterforks are much more slim-line in profile than the older ones. I didn't mind the size of the older ones and found them to have beauty and charm but for some people the slimness will increase comfort certainly. They still work well and look strong to me. The prongs are even along the length rather than tapered (until the tips) and that's one of the things that differentiates these from some of my other forks by other makers. This makes them hold differently too, which is good news if my hair is in a uncooperative mood and is spitting out forks made by someone else. I find that I can use a shorter Jeterfork than a 60thstreet fork and it will hold the same way. This is neither a good nor a bad thing for me, just a fact, but may influence the purchase of someone who minds how much the fork prongs show in an up-do.

 

My Jeterforks have a silken smooth finish rather than a satin shine about them. I wonder if this contributes to their ability to hold so well? Or it might be the smaller gaps between the prongs than some of my other forks. Or the straight, wide, yet slim-profiled, even prongs? Whatever it is, it works!

Mahogany

I don't think these are waterproof or even water resistant so I wouldn't recommend wearing them in the rain or damp hair at all to keep them safe. Maybe I'm just being over-protective of them but better safe than sorry.

 

I am very happy to own these forks. They are incredibly good value and well made and Joshua is so helpful with custom orders and convos. I will always be grateful to him for letting me know he had that black and white ebony fork available for purchase. It's one of the most beautiful non-burl pieces of wood I have ever seen, and finished well too. I will treasure it and finally my first purchase ever, my incredible swirly cherry wood Jeterfork has competition for favourite Jeterfork.

Figured Cherry

I would recommend owning a few of these forks in a variety of woods, prong numbers and length as this seller produces reliably hair friendly and very functional hair forks from beautiful wood in a variety of shades. It's definitely difficult to stop at one, or two.

 

I have heard that some people look at the listings and think they'll be too "chunky" compared with some of the thinner forks like 60thstreet, but I honestly disagree. I believe that everyone I know who has tried them is very fond of them and would definitely purchase from this seller again. Some of my friends have accumulated considerable collections. I know I'd like a couple more with three prongs.

Bocote

 

Last of all, one last link to his Etsy shop. If you are feeling enabled, click here.

Been busy!

Pulling apart the bedroom and replacing the flooring has taken up almost every spare bit of energy myself and Mr Cardigan have had for the last week. The end is finally in sight. Here's hoping that the floating floor will actually last for the 15 years the (extremely limited and highly conditional) warranty is valid for.

I feel like this:

Fingers crossed I can get back to blogging properly once everything is back in its proper place. I know the dogs are sick of the humans wasting all their energy prettying up the house.

We're doing it because you shed so much, silly corgis. It'll make fun tapping noises when your claws need clipping too. Surely that's worth us being boring for a week?

I'm really enjoying the good company at Untangled Island, the new private hair forum where many nice people are gathered. It is friends only, so that is extremely positive. Good company, no spammers and no creepers. I'm glad that most of the people I like online made their way there. There are a couple of people that I really miss, but maybe somehow they'll hear about where I've gone.

For being away so long I offer you a cardigan corgi on a swing and hope you'll all keep checking in.

 

 

The pics are from the "I Can Has Animals" section at http://cheezburger.com 

I love that place. So good for a laugh.

 

 

Hairtoy storage

The way people like to store their hairtoys is a highly individual thing, and I would guess it depends on many different factors, including how many you have and how much you value them.

I LOVE mine, and want to do everything I can to protect them and keep them nice, but I discovered a while back that if I stored them all safely away, snug in their baggies they just never got used. So I have found that for me, the best compromise is to keep them sealed up in clear boxes, sitting on padding. This way I can see them, and they are protected from being scratched and from too much air exposure. I also store them in an area that never receives direct sunlight, and keep the dymondwood ones boxed up in a dark place, but they are in the same clear container so I can still see them when I look for them.

I went as far as to buy another box to get the proper details for you guys. So generous, right? It had absolutely nothing to do with wanting another box so I could space my Elymwold pairs out so they don't touch... I need a tongue-sticking-out smiley for here.

Here's some photos I took for you lot:

As you can see, they each have 6 slots, and each slot is 20cm long and 8 cm deep. They fit 60thstreet forks perfectly without removing any dividers. The little felt bags that come with 60thstreet forks fit in the bottom of these slots perfectly. I remove dividers to give proper room for some of my wider hair forks, such as my new rather spectacular Elymwold  fork, my two Baerreis nautiluses and my favourite cherry and purpleheart four pronged Jeterforks. 

 

 

If the forks don't have a soft bag to rest on I will lay them on top of soft white padding, or bubble wrap if they already have a sheer bag around them. I recommend white padding to eliminate the chance of any colour transfer from the fabric or padding to the wood.

 

Here's a pic of my Elymwold forks in their box on soft white padding, and a pic showing how they are still clearly visible when the box is sealed. Ideally I'll have these pairs spaced out so there is only one fork per slot soon.

 

 



The boxes stack wonderfully, and click shut with a tight seal and I would recommend them to anyone. I do have one small quibble, and that is with the labels on the box. The first couple boxes the stickers came off cleanly and easily, but my most recent two purchases have involved more than fifteen minutes scratching away at the labels which tear into tiny little pieces leaving paper and adhesive behind. A bit of time and patience and some methylated spirits and I got them completely off, but I don't have the energy to waste on things like that. I wish they'd have kept the nice easy to peel labels.

I bought these at Bunnings Warehouse in Australia. I'm not sure if they are available anywhere else, but the label has the brand and BUN on it clearly.

I'm just happy that I can keep my hair things pristine and see them at the same time.

Hope everyone has a good weekend. We'll be busy tearing up carpet. Well, to be honest Mr Cardi will be the one tearing up carpet and I'll help however I can.

Cardi.

Another Elymwold hair fork.

I know, I promised more photos today but I got side-tracked and ended up having fun with the dogs and my family during photo o'clock.

Worth it!

I did make an effort to take a couple photos tonight to show the second Elymwold hair fork I purchased along with the ebony and burl one in my last blog. That's this one here. Nigel's photos are much, much better than anything I managed to take today, but I did get a shot of it in action, and a close up of the topper which shows quite nicely how stunningly beautiful it is.

 

The ripple of the grain pattern is gorgeous! I really like the subtle crushed gem inlay as well.

 

 

I really think this fork is fantastic. It's a good size for me and holds nicely on its own without a twin, although I don't doubt that someone with more hair than I have could easily wear a pair of them with style. I love yellow, and huon pine is such a great shade of yellow without being too bright. Huon pine smells amazing to me as well, so that was a nice bonus.

 

 

I am very, very, happy with my latest purchases and hope you like them too. I wish for all of my hairy friends to eventually own a piece or two, or three, or more, from Elymwold. I can equally recommend both Nigel's hairsticks, hairforks and customer service as being exceptional.

 

Cardi.

 

 



New Elymwold Forks Arrived Today

 

My new Elymwold forks arrived today and they are beyond gorgeous! They put all my other beautiful hair toys to shame. (Sorry other forks, but it's true.) It was too late by the time I had unwrapped them and stared adoringly at them for a while to get a proper photograph of them out in the sunshine, but that gives me something to look forward to tomorrow.

I just can't put what I like about them so much into words. They're just beyond wow. Mr Cardigan thinks they are the nicest of the bunch too.

So, since I've been left lacking in descriptive vocabulary, here is the link of the one I am wearing right now. With my husband's help I was able to get a photo which almost does it justice.

 

 

I can't believe how well it holds a really loose puffy bun. It felt on the heavier side of my hairtoys in my hand - (to be expected from a piece of ebony so large) - but I can't feel it in my hair. The weight distribution is perfect. I'm so in love!

 

Now to take care of it so my little niece can inherit it one day.

 

More elymwold fork photos to come soon. Many thanks to Nigel for his beautiful work.

 

Cardi

Stalking my mailbox.

I have no idea when the things I recently ordered on my luckiest day ever (also known as Paypal Insanity Day) will arrive, but I am stalking the mailbox, waiting for the prettiest things I have ever purchased to arrive. Something might arrive today, or tomorrow, but it might be a month for the rest of it.

Thank goodness Elymwold is based in Australia. I'm so lucky that I don't have to wait a month for things from him to arrive. I would go mad with excitement, I think. So many of my loved ones who aren't interested in my hair things, or pretty wood grain at all can recognize the beauty of his work.

A very nice person on the private hair forum I now frequent said the nicest thing about Elymwold today. I hope she passes it on to Nigel, because it is true. She also posted a gazillion pretty photos of hair things and I was in awe of her gorgeous collection. It's not just me, see. Other people have discovered how wonderful quality hair things can be.

I was looking for mailbox stalking memes and I found one I couldn't resist posting:

 

I'm so excited and over-eager that I am sure disappointment awaits today. I predict a bill, or maybe two or three just to rub it in. Also, no parcel. *Crosses fingers for a parcel and no bills* 

 

Mailbox corgi puppy, please beg me a parcel. Thank-you.

 

 

Cardi.

 

 

 

No mail today. Only a bill.

 

Tomorrow!!

 



 

 



Nothing serious today.

Just thought I would share a couple of really funny things I saw at cheezburger.com

 

So that is where my energy went!

 

 

 

Titled, "I forgot how to cat". Classic.

 

 

I laughed.

 

Also, wishing a very happy Fathers Day to those celebrating it in Australia.

 

Cardi.

 

 

 

 

One more.

I wanted to mention that I saw these tie-dyed hair elastics on Etsy and I thought, BONANZA!!

It looks like a rainbow exploded and turned into hair ties. Purdy!!!


Also, for my Mister:

 

Hope you can forgive me :)

 

I love you!!!

Speaking of pretty timber...

I was just browsing through the Jeterforks store admiring his work and I saw a few really beautiful things that I just can't understand why they have not sold yet. I'm going to link them all here to force you guys to look at the pretty.

Flame box elder is soooo pretty! I have a spiral in this wood and in person it is just gorgeousness.

Pheasant wood looks amazing. It really does look almost feathered. If it wasn't almost the exact same shade as my hair I doubt I would have been able to resist this one.

Black and white ebony. Who doesn't love a bit of black and white ebony, really? If I hadn't been hanging out for round topped four pronged jeterforks this one would have fallen into my cart a long time ago. Same goes for this verawood and this bubinga really.

Pretty, pretty wood!

 

So, if someone would like to treat themselves and buy one of these please feel free. I don't know why they are still available to be honest and they keep winking at me. *Puts hands over eyes*

 

Nooo! We have to pay for underlay for the floor. Sorry forks. I can't buy you.

 

I get far too much joy from enabling people, so let me know if I tempt you.

 

Have a fantastic weekend.

 

Cardi.

Obsessed with pretty timber.

Over the last four or maybe even more years I've been a member of a few different hair forums, but although I admire beautiful hair and appreciate tips on hair care, what has maintained my interest has been all the discussion of pretty hair toys and also the varied group of people I have chatted with along the way. I am proud to call some of these people my friends, even if we have never actually met.

Hair toys is a sort of generalized term which includes all sorts of common and uncommon things which are used to hold hair in styles or even just to decorate hair. I mostly like things that are practical, comfortable and don't cause any damage, but my real passion is only for the beautiful timber that is used to create the wooden hair forks and hair sticks. I wonder if I were well again if I should switch completely out of my science based career and test out my skills in carving and wood-working? It's unlikely to happen at this rate (hurry up please research!) but my dear Granddad, may he rest in peace, was a carpenter, and I wonder if somehow I have wood-working in my blood? Probably a silly notion, but it's nice to think I could share one of his qualities.

Because I have such an appreciation for the look of beautifully finished wood I have become fascinated by the different types of woods and I like to collect the most beautiful wooden hairtoys that I can find. I am certain that had I not discovered wooden hairtoys, I would have eventually ended up obsessed with beautiful wooden pens, bowls or other knick-knacks, but I really like it this way because I can wear the things I like so much every day.

I have a couple new photos that I have taken of beautiful wooden hair forks from Designs by Baerreis that arrived yesterday afternoon. I had no idea maple in particular could be so pretty! I think my new zebrawood three prong Ursula, (the striped one) is the nicest of their work that I own so far, and I am delighted by the patterns in the maple nautilus (four pronged fork). I was pleased to see how nicely they were shaped and I like the shape of the three prong fork even better than the example photo in the shop. The rounded prong gaps are really lovely. I was happy to see that both woods were finished very nicely too.

One of my favourite references for the different looks and types of woods is HobbitHouse. I LOVE HobbitHouse and if the guy behind it ever reads this, thank-you, thank-you for all your hard work. I have learned so much from this site that it is simply incredible. Plus I like to look at all the pretty woods and enjoy the discussion about the accuracy of photographs by vendors. I especially like the fact sheets and colour change discussions. They are very informative. I like to imagine that the creator of that webpage would understand my passion for beautiful timber.

I have been slowly collecting bits and pieces for over four years now. I like to think I am quite choosey and that the sellers I return to are very talented and deserve the repeat business.

One of my favourite things in wooden creations is burl. Burl is the result of damage to the tree that kind of forms a little "tumour". Once the tree or branch affected is felled, and the wood worked, burl will show up with whorls of grain and some voids. My absolute favourite woodworker is amazing in how he works with burl and fills the voids beautifully with things like crushed precious stones before finishing his hair sticks or forks. I suppose now would be a good time to link the new Elymwold fork I have headed this way:

See how he has filled the eucalyptus burl topper with turquoise to beautifully close any gaps in the burl? Then added strips of black wattle which shimmer copper-bronze in the light, and another stripe of silky oak inlaid with silver? All on top of a glossy gabon ebony fork! Yes, I know it's probably not exciting to anyone who isn't a "grainiac" (wood grain maniac), but to me it's more gorgeous than a whopping great big diamond ring. I hope this piece in particular can become a family heirloom and be passed down for who-knows how long. I need a "happy dance" smiley on this blog. I don't think I have ever seen anything quite this amazing before, even my birds-eye maple glass bead topped Graydog hairstick will take second place to this work of art.

There's a reason this crafter is my all time favourite. This should not diminish how highly I think of other vendors I mention.

And last of all, but certainly not least, I can't stop thinking about the black and white ebony and bocote Jeterforks on the way. I just know they are going to be in my absolute favourites list. Two years between orders was far too long. I kept on looking and admiring constantly, but was trying to cut back on spending in general after moving house.

Mr Jeter's work is always perfectly smooth when he's finished with it, even when using rough or ridged woods. He really takes very good care. Your hair will always be safe with these forks and I will happily recommend them to anyone. I like the fork shapes and Mr Jeter is incredibly helpful. Like Elymwold, he has always been very happy to shorten forks where needed, which is a wonderful kindness and encourages me to buy beautiful things I would otherwise have passed on. The head curve is always perfect and consistent and I find that with the tung oil and beeswax finish the forks increase in beauty with age. If you live in the U.S. the shipping is free too. Bargain!

So, I hope you're all tempted and maybe you can pick yourselves up some pretty wooden things. I probably (definitely) have enough already, but I make an exception when I see something amazing.

I promise photos when the elymwold and jeterforks arrive and I'm still slowly working on clearing out some other stuff that I liked before but has been gathering dust since Elymwold started making forks.

So yeah, I just rambled on about timber and hair forks for ages. Well done if you managed to read it all without falling asleep. You might be a grainiac just like me.

Cardi

Why, Etsy, Why??

I buy things from Etsy more than I buy things from anywhere else, so when I say these things I am saying them as a frequent shopper and an even more frequent browser.

Etsy, your latest changes are NOT an improvement in my opinion.

I don't like the interface as much anymore. I find it annoying having to click on a tab to see what the shipping is or if the seller will even ship to my country. Sometimes the shipping amount will make or break a transaction, so to make me search for this instead of it being right there is not helpful nor conducive to me trying a new vendor.

I HATE the changes to feedback. My ability to gain positive feedback has been wiped out. How can a vendor trust me when I tell them that they should take a chance and mail something to Australia, without being able to base that decision on my 100% positive feedback from multiple vendors. My loyal patronage has been wiped out and I am now only as trustworthy as any random new account.

Also, I don't want everyone to know what I have bought, but I LOVE to leave positive feedback for those who deserve it. Why can't I leave anonymous positive feedback? Why do I have to have my account name and profile picture displayed any time I want to leave honest reviews?  Also, grouping sales in feedback is disrespectful to people's privacy. Maybe that person who bought 5 things at once (not me in this case) doesn't want everyone to know about it, but still think the vendor deserves a good review for their fantastic service and well made merchandise?

Also, vendors aren't going to like getting less than 5 stars. This may lead to vendors refusing to sell to people who don't believe in 5 stars for anything short of perfection. There is too much space for hurt feelings. There are some vendors who do indeed always deserve 5 stars (sometimes more), but there are others I am happy to buy from that probably would only honestly rate a 4 or 4 and a half, but that I am still happy to buy from repeatedly. I don't want to insult these people or hurt their businesses, so I will leave them a 5, but is this really honest? Also, making me wait until a designated date to type reviews? Why? If something arrives before that, I want to review it then, as a way to let the seller know it arrived and I am happy.

I don't like the idea of  having my account name and profile picture, and a link to my profile proudly displayed next to feedback. Why is this necessary? Is the aim to make it possible for sellers to hunt down buyers? Why else? I'm good enough at contacting vendors on my own, thank-you.

Now, if it weren't for fantastic Etsy vendors who always deserve 5+ stars, like Elymwold (beyond amazing work and best customer service ever), Jeterforks, (years of fantastic service, and stunning work) and 60th Street, (consistently beautiful work and care for customers as much as their work), I might be annoyed enough to stop shopping at Etsy.

I feel patronized when I am typing a review and a little, encouraging "Great, keep going" pops up underneath. What am I? Six? I mean, really...

Anyways, I don't think it will make any difference but I just thought I would put that out there.

Probably a case of TL:DR here, sorry. As an apology, I offer you photos.



Yeah, she doesn't like the Etsy changes either!

 

A kitteh washing a doggie. I bet they don't care about anonymous feedback.

 





And three happy window shoppers.

 

 

Hope everyone is well, and watch out for some sale listings at "The Island". I've made enough back to pay back what I spent on those gorgeous new Jeterforks, but now I have to drum up the money for my Elymwolds. I think I'd happily sell most of what I own to pay for those forks. They're so amazing!

 

Hope I haven't scared anyone away for good with this one.

 

Cardi.

 



Ever-changing collection

Well, I have had one very fortunate day when it comes to finding out about beautiful things before they were listed. I don't have magic powers or anything, I guess I just asked very nice people at the right times! I feel pretty lucky. Also grateful. I already think I own the most beautiful Jeterfork ever made. That's this one. A really beautiful swirly cherry wood.

Today I think I have even managed to top my favourite grained Jeterfork with two more incredible pieces of wood. One black and white ebony and one bocote. I have been searching for the perfect black and white ebony fork for years, and to find one from one of my top three favourite vendors and at such a great price? Well, I was over the moon! Here's some pics of the new ones:

I can't believe how fortunate I was! I hadn't made a purchase from Jeterforks on Etsy for myself in just over two years, (mostly because the cherry wood one was so awesome I felt I couldn't top it) and I can tell these forks will be worth the wait. I'm particularly happy about the high contrast topper on the black and white ebony and the fascinating swirly grain in the bocote fork, with the knots on the prongs. Joshua from Jeterforks is one of best three hair fork vendors out there, and I have high standards. He's extremely helpful too.

Also, I have reserved a couple of amazing new Elymwold forks, but I don't have listings to link the photos from yet. Nigel from Elymwold is one of the nicest people ever, and if you are serious about wanting to reserve something just send him a polite conversation and ask. You won't regret it. Even with no customs, Nigel is very happy to tell you if he has something non-custom available.

Now, between my Elymwold beauties and my natural wood 60thstreets and my carefully chosen, amazing Jeterforks, it is going to be difficult to use anything else, so it feels like the right time to shed quite a few of my less used items. Paying for new things by selling the old unused ones feels much better than just buying new things. Also, with time I now know exactly what I want and most of my new items are forever keepers. Going for quality instead of quantity now. I can reduce my collection and have more forever items. Sounds like a WINNING situation to me. Hopefully I can find homes for some of the things I'm willing to let go, (even if it is only because I'm allergic to dymondwood now.) I'll miss all the happy bright colours when they are gone, but I can console myself with amazing burl and wood grain.

Hopefully I'll end up at least even, or in the front after this last lot of purchases. That would be fantastic. I just hope everything arrives safely at their destinations. That's most important to me.

In other news Mr Cardi changed my ring-tone to the "Can't hug every cat" song and I laugh every time my phone rings. Thank you Darling!

Hope everyone is having a good week. I'm going to have to stop shopping for a long time now, but I'll be happy to point out all the gorgeous things I see to everyone else.

Cardi.

Busy Weekend

Wow, this weekend has been so busy, I've not had time to even think about blogging until now, but everything is settling down now.

I'm particularly pleased to have scored six large bottles of the original Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Conditioner at a local bargain store. No silicones and not heavy, but really moisturizing. I love that stuff! Ever since they changed the formula I've been trying conditioner after conditioner with disappointing results and sticky build-up, so it is really happy news for me to have enough to last some time now.

There are a few things I really want to review in the next week. The "Tangle Angel" hair brush, Redken Diamond Oil, the intense version, and I really should mention how much I like Jeterforks and Baerreis hair forks too. Hopefully that is something to look forward to and will make up a bit for the break.

If you don't know already, Designs by Baerreis are having a 30% off sale at the moment, which is unheard of to me in the last four years I have been watching hair-toy sellers. Here's their shiny new internet store Gallery26, and if you can't help yourself, the coupon code is 303030. I am wearing one of their hair forks as my own strange celebration of the sale. I feel so silly having ordered two forks last month for the first time in over a year. Oh well! Here's the pic:

It's a "finny" in padauk wood, holding a pencil bun. I'm also wearing a pair of the earrings I bought from MaryGraceJewellery just over a week ago. I'm very happy with them too.

The sale ends on the 28th of August, I believe. I'm still watching the Elymwold store in awe of all the beautiful customs that everyone had ordered too, and I'll try to link anything particularly beautiful that I see.

Hope you all had a great weekend.

Cardi.

Mooreartstudio Spiral In Action

Just a quick blog post to show my Mooreartstudio box elder spiral hairstick in use.

 

My spirals are all 6 inches long, so for someone who might not want as much stick to show, a 5.5 or 5 inch hairstick might work better. These seriously never move. I think he does custom orders too.

 

Anyone tempted yet?

 

 

 

 

WOW!

I realize that everyone doesn't have the time to stalk Etsy, that I do.  Because of this, when I see something truly amazing - even if it is reserved for someone else - I am going to link it here for you guys.

Check this out from Elymwold:

Shell top fork

 

Nigel has mad talent. The likes of which I have never seen before from a hairtoy maker. How incredible is that?!

 

We all neeeeeeeed more stuff from Elymwold.

 

That's all for now.

Iron Matcheroo!

Good morning everyone. *Checks to see it is still morning* Yep it still is.

 

I received some mail yesterday! It was extra exciting because my Father-in-law who is very clever and crafty had just made us a new mailbox, so the padded envelopes fit easily inside with no bending.

 

Also, I had only been expecting two orders from Mary Grace Jewellery but there were three packages. Oh wow, I didn't know what to think.

 

I told you all in one of my previous blogs that I had enabled myself into buying earrings, and they are all here now. It turns out that my gorgeous friend Lulu also managed to sneak order me a pair too. Oh Lulu, you're just so sweet. I was already trying to hunt you down some more wild 60thstreet forks since you're now mad about wood grain too, but your friendship was all the gift I could ever need. *Huge hug for Lulu*

 

So, I have lots of photos for us all today.

Group shot of the earrings I had ordered.

 

The absolutely stunning gift Lulu chose. Aren't they spectacular?

 

Unfortunately the pair of vitrail vintage style earrings I had fallen in love with were out of stock, so Mary sent through a refund for those. I'd be dishonest if I said I wasn't a little heartbroken about that, but she was very polite and quick to let me know and do the refund. Also the leaves with red beads on the far right were supposed to be fern leaves, but I like the leaves just as much and I let Mary know I'm happy with them regardless.

 

I was so excited by Lulu's surprise that I started to think about which hair toy I could wear in an action shot with them, to thank her, and I came up with these:

 

I really like how macassar ebony looks beside them. Thank-you again Lulu. You're the best! When my sock-puppet, erm, I mean wonderful husband (sorry, bad forum joke) gets home I'll see if he'll help me out with that action shot.

 

After taking that photo, I got into a matchy-match mood and started to think which hair-toys would go with each pair of new earrings and I started to have a bit too much fun, as you'll be able to see in a moment.

**Off topic for a bit. Mr Cardigan and I used to love watching Iron Chef, and we'd call it "Iron Cookeroo" and have great fun watching the cooking battles with strange ingredients. That's why I can't help thinking, "Iron Matcheroo" about all of this. Oh no. My crazy is showing.**

More photos now:

This...

became this...

 

and now I am all worn out for the day! Whew. I'm so pleased with my little earring haul and it was all so inexpensive. Yay! Plus I got to play with so many of my favourite things today and my doggies had fun out in the sunshine.

 

If anyone has any questions about the different items, I'm still keeping comments off because I don't want to be trolled, so if you're my friend you can probably reach me by email or at one of my new favourite places, Untangled Island.

 

 

...and it's still morning!

 

Have a great Thursday everyone.