New Jams Comin-at-cha!

Lately I've been spending a boatload of time making jewellery and then taking my sweet, sweet time getting it up online. There are no excuses, but at least I've been having an awesome time in my absence! The guy and I spent too little time in Ottawa over Halloween checking out Strayotic, and you should check them out too! Click, click, click. We looked ridiculous in our sleazy 80's costumes (Ron ended up looking a little rape-y) and this was the only picture we managed to get:



When we got back from our mini road trip, I remembered that I make jewellery and it's not going to share itself!



I'm really not a skull person at all, despite my interest in dark things and taxidermy. These however, remind me of Day of the Dead celebrations and they really have a lot of character. I decided that they needed to be long, swingy and shoulder-sweeping, one of my favourite combinations. They would have been perfect in the time leading up to Halloween, but these are definitely all-season.



I've also been doing a serious amount of photographic experimentation, and I've been so happy with the results. After shelling out big bucks for a portable lighting studio and various plastic animal props, I've discovered that the best way to take pictures is first thing in the morning with natural light and some simple backdrops. It's funny, keeping things simple is never my first instinct, I always have to work backwards from completely overthinking everything to get there...but I'm finally happy with the quality!



This crystal wolf necklace is absolutely my new favourite thing. You can wear it double stranded or open it up and wear the necklace super long like so:



There's so much more on the way, so much!

xoxo
Amarina

Hibou Accessories now Available from Art Fire!

So I've decided to spend some time spreading my owl wings and selling my wears on another website in addition to my Etsy shop. Art Fire is still in it's beta phase which is good because I have some issues about how cluttered the front page is, but it has also earned some major points in it's favour. For one, a monthly fee allows me to put as many pieces into my shop as I like, as opposed to Etsy where I pay every time I list an item in my store. Also, I'm pretty sure yet not completely certain that customers do not have to create a profile in order to shop on Art Fire, as they would on Etsy. My last favourite new thing I've discovered on Art Fire is that every item that is listed makes it to the front page...check out my Crystal Bear Earrings that appeared on the front page the other day!



None of this is to say that I'm abandoning my Etsy shop, I'm just doing a little compare and contrast. I'm also curious to hear what other Etsy sellers and shoppers are thinking of the new competitor. Anyone?

xoxo
Amarina

Etsy Treasuries

I've been so lucky to have been featured in two Treasuries on Etsy this week! Click that hot necklace to check it out before it's over!

Thanks to my fellow Etsy ladies for that awesome surprise!

xoxo Amarina

Coming to a jewellery box near you...introducing the Clusterfuck Collection

So this is a wee taste of what I've been keeping myself busy with: The Clusterfuck Collection. I had two goals,

1. Create some jewellery that was eclectic and interesting and a bit of a mess...in a good way.
2. Throw the word fuck in there for significant reasons but also for some good cursing karma.

I should say, or maybe I shouldn't say that I fucking love swearing. It feels so fucking great to swear, mostly because I work a day job where it would not be the best idea to say fuck all the time but also because I just love to say fuck. I try not to swear in the blog too much, and I generally try not to swear all that often...but I fucking love it.



I'm not implying with the title of this collection that the necklaces are one big fucking mess. I put thought into each piece...more of a calculated clusterfuck than anything. The Steer Clusterfuck necklace is now up for grabs on Etsy. Click on the photos above for some Hibou Accessories on Etsy loving.



Now we have the Nautical Clusterfuck Necklace. I've mixed vintage charms, sodalite stone, a few charms I picked up last time I was in Santa Cruz and some sweet sweet chain. I love gun metal, but for some reason I only like it in bits and pieces. You know what that means? Paired with gold, this necklace and the rest of these guys go with mostly everything in the land of jewellery. We've got silver, gun metal and gold, so anything goes and I like that kind of versatility in my accessories. This piece has just been added to my Etsy shop, check it out!



This last teaser might end up being a permanent teaser. Above, I'm wearing the Bear Clusterfuck Necklace, which I have not taken off since I put it on for this picture last week. See that little flip in my hair? That's not usually there...this is the hair flip of someone who is going to tease you with awesome stuff and never sell it to you! Even though it's my job! I think I'll try to make something similarish (all of these babies are one of a kind), and I promise I won't taunt you with it.

There's more to come! Featuring all sorts of clusterfucky goodness: crystals! horses! Wild Bill Hickok! emroidered uniform name tags! Stay tuned...and let me know what you think. Is there anything you'd like to see thrown into a mess of charms and chain? Do tell.

Thanks for reading,
xoxo Amarina

More new jams and SALE!

Here's another new piece I've just put up on Etsy. I really love that my dear friend and model appears to be having the greatest standing solo orgasm of all time...in my necklace. The eggshell linen curtains in the back are working hard to make it seem as though I take photos of my jewellery on sexy ladies in an Ikea decorated bordello. I assure you dear friends, that this is completely true.




Also, I'm marking down a bunch of things in my shop (like the sexy eagle lovin' bracelet below) to clear out oldies but goodies and make room in my space for original resin pieces. Take advantage of my spring cleaning!

xoxo
Amarina

So Long, March

I'd like to officially say "adios" to March. It's one of those months that during the winter I mirage as full-on spring and this never happens. So hello April!

I've made some jewellery for you to wear:


Hope you like them!

xoxo Amarina

New Jams

This is just one of my new pieces being added to the Hibou Accessories Etsy store. I've been working hard to create darling new duds for spring, but I really just want to keep most of them for myself. This is not going to happen for two reasons:

1. I have actually reached a previously unthinkable limit of jewellery in my bedroom (and ahem bathroom, dining room and living room). This I assure you is not an exaggeration, I've had to start putting jewellery boxes on top of jewellery boxes in order to not completely cover the walls with necklaces on nails.

2. There is definitely a skill to be learned of letting your creations go. Heavy emphasis on to be learned, as I clearly haven't mastered it yet...but I'm working on it!

xoxo Amarina

Necklaces!

What person who was born in the 70's and 80's doesn't have extreme nostalgic attachment to Smokey the Bear? He had me convinced as a child that even thinking about fire in a forest would result in a landscape of charred stumps and flocks of birds attempting to fly to safety.

This poor excuse for a plastic dollar store ram appears to be carrying his weight in jasper and chain. His lifeless eyes are happier when he's sporting an Hibou Accessories piece!


xoxo Amarina

Whistle while you Work

So I've been trying my darndest to Etsy everyday and I pretty much have been (unlikely but true!). Now I'm not one to frown on internet dating (this sounds completely unrelated to the previous sentence but I assure you I'm going somewhere here), however I have to say that I was rather surprised when I was contacted from a fellow Etsyer (Etsyian?) for a DATE. Via an Etsy listing. Based (from what I understand) completely on a picture almost identical to the one above. This of course, is not me. It's my lovely friend E. who also happens to have a sweet Etsy vintage clothing shop.

Really, I'm just throwing this out there. I thought the whole thing was amazing...what kind of guy straight up asks a girl out because of a picture featuring her chest with a necklace on it...on a site that sells necklaces? It's bold and I like it.

In other news, I've listed some new hot things and have been perusing local dollar stores for fancy prehistoric and modern day jewellery displays. I found a great plastic sheep and was probably more excited than anyone should be over a plastic dollar store sheep.

Hey, it's almost the weekend!

xoxo Amarina

One last thing,
The whistle on the necklace above was a great vintage find...and it works!

Necklace!

Allow me to introduce you to Glocky. Named after the sound his hooves would make on the ground if he was real, Glocky is sporting one of my new pieces.



xoxo Amarina.

Necklace!

Hi friends,

I've been working until my eyes feel like I have sandpaper for eyelids. Good news? Photoshopping of images for new fashiony things is complete! Here's a little preview...my mate and I found this roaring lion when we decided that going to Value Village for knick knacks and being very close to arriving late at a wedding was better than not going to Value Village and being way on time. The gamble obviously paid off! I'll be adding new jewellery to my Etsy site over the next couple of days. Happy weekend!

xoxo Amarina