Probably my last Etsy treasury

As Etsy has announced that treasuries can no longer be created and old treasuries can no longer be edited from October 5 (you can sign a petition against this HERE), I've decided to end this pastime with something fun: kinky leather. I was innocently searching Etsy for leather toys and I discovered several nice adult toys, the names of some of which I didn't even know. So, check out the Kinky Leather treasury to learn about dragon tongues, cage bras, special riding crops and, naturally, spanking paddles!

 

Buffalo skulls

By most recent Etsy treasury focuses on various types of artistic depictions of buffalo skulls - carved leather, prints, art works, photography and sculpture. It is a collection about autumn, decline and memento mori. Still beautiful, though!
Buffalo and ox skull have been used for their eerie beauty and symbolism since Antiquity. Back then, when they were called bucrania (sg. bucranium), garlanding sacrificial oxen was a common practice and their heads  were displayed on the walls of the temples.
See our bucranium tooled leather wallet HERE

Wrist related things

Creating leather cuff bracelets, I took an interest in similar and connected items on Etsy. My "wrist related things" treasury focuses on such finds, including bracelets, cuff, jewelry and leather accessories alike, but also camera straps, keyboard wrist rests, temporary tattoos and watches. 

See also the previous post on the Celtic knot tooled leather wristband that started the search.

Enjoy!

Leather: Etsy treasury and teams

Here is my most recent treasury that focuses on a group of objects close to my interests, i.e. hand tooled leather wallets. I have collected both new and vintage handmade wallets that I like due to the quality of their craftsmanship, the decorative effect, or other surprising elements. I confess, I am a fan of the Sherridan style.

If you sell such items on Etsy, here is a list of teams focused on leather products to which you can apply to promote your shop and items. Unfortunately, these smaller teams are not so active, so you might consider also joining some of the more general ones to compensate. See you there!

Association of Artisans in Leather (AAL) 

hand stitched leather craft 

Hell Bent For Leather 

Leather Crafter 

Leather lover 

Leather lovers all over the world

 

 

 

 

Roman Reenactment goodies

The reenactment season has started, so I regained my enthusiasm on all things ancient Roman / reenactment / handmade artifacts. I've been looking for such supplies on Etsy and found a trove of lovely things I'd like to have during the next show. The best are reunited in my latest Etsy treasury entitled Ancient Roman Reenactment Goodies. Check out the earrings, coins, mosaics, wax tablets with stilus, finger ring keys, leather sandals (calligae), dice sets, even helmets that one can get in order to relive history at its best!

 

Non-kitschy diamonds

I've always hated the "diamonds are a girl's best friends" line. It is hard not to find diamonds kitschy after that, and yet, here they are, in my latest Etsy treasury dedicated to raw diamond jewelry pieces, diamond-shaped tattoos, antique prints of diamond cuts, and concrete planters and pendants, playing with the nice contrast between the perfect diamond shape and the raw quality of concrete.

 

Leather Tray Etsy treasury

Starting from my previous post, I turned to searching for leather trays on Etsy. The best are selected for my latest treasury. Naturally, this not purely devoid of personal interest, as I am thinking of making some myself. So, as usual, Etsy treasures provide a source of inspiration. I have selected here trays and bowls that do not require stitching, as I find this among the more difficult operations in leather working.

Hybrids and monsters

Art and culture are full of hybrids and monsters, beasts, and mixed creatures, marking people's fear and curiosity towards the boundaries of their own kind. One is familiar with the classical ones, such as sphinxes, centaurs, and sirens, but contemporary culture and popular culture still come up with new ones, more disturbing and contorted. One of my oldest Etsy treasuries [Hybrid creatures] tackles just the topic, though I could not find that many examples that I like...
Here is a good article on the topic: A Brief History of Monsters

Architectural linos

I believe lino is a great medium for architectural topics, with its "encouragement" of straight lines and perspective effects. My latest Etsy treasury reunites several examples that I like, see the collage in the first photo, while the second photo renders the "linocut" section of my own Etsy shop Ana-Maria Gruia ART.

Air plants

I am surprized I did not know of air plants before. Well, they might not be that popular in temperate climates, I guess. My latest Etsy Treasury is dedicated to this new discovery and to the diversity of air plant accessories: hangers, cradles, misters, planters, himmels, and terrariums. Don't you know what they are? Check them out, it's fun!

Curious about the names of these air plants? They are just as fascinating as their shapes and colors: Tillandsia, Butsi, Bulbosa, Tenuifolia, Straminea and so on.

Here's a bit about how to grow them.

Collections

There is a certain charm and strangeness about collections - i.e. the psychology behind ordering the universe or a certain portion of it anyway - but there is also a fascination about the visual beauty of collections. My "Collections" Etsy treasury collects in itself examples of sample sets and item hoards (fossils, beetles, leaves, feathers) but also of art depictions of such collects in various mediums (tattooed leather, photography).

Handmade oxidized silver jewelry

For me, the very definition of jewelry includes elements made of silver with strong patina. Thus my most recent Etsy treasury, and in my opinion the best I've made so far, reunites jewelry pieces design d'autore, handmade, with oxidized silver. The idea was to show examples of possible gifts for Mother's Day, but the artifacts go beyond the mentioned occasion to be universals.

 

Physalis

Also known as ground cherry, the golden berry, Cape Gooseberry, or the Chinese lantern plant, Physalis is extremely aesthetically pleasing and thus a source of inspiration for various decorative arts: illustrations, textile imprints, jewelry etc. My latest Etsy treasury is inspired by such items.

 

Insular things

I guess I am looking forward to some holiday or at least a beautiful getaway, as my latest Etsy fancy has been taken by insular things. It groups prints, photographs, and several handmade items inspired by marine and island-related themes - I give you the "Insular things".

Playful mobile art

Playful art is irresistible! I have collected some of my favorite crib mobiles, kinetic sculptures, and sun catchers in my latest Etsy Treasury. Such types of art and collectible items display the same characteristics in the play with textures, shapes, 3D forms, and movement, with various materials such as paper, wool, brass, precious metals, driftwood etc.

The eyes of art

There is definitely a fascination for the eye - the Eye of Providence / the All Seeing Eye / the Eye of God - and one can note that the depiction of a single eye, as symbol of seeing itself, is often more philosophical than the depiction of two or multiple eyes. The latter case is connected with paganism (the two-faced god Janus for example) or wildness (as indeed, in nature, several species have multiple eyes). My latest Etsy treasury looks for eyes in contemporary art - prints, pottery, tribal masks, and other types of decorative arts.

 

Tulip treasury

Starting from my academic interest in the introduction of tulips in Transylvania and the proliferation of the "Oriental-type" tulip as a decorative motif in the repertoire of applied arts (stove tiles, carpets, embroidery, painted furniture etc.), I did a bit of research on how and how much tulips feature in contemporary applied arts. This thematic Etsy treasury as revealed that tulips still feature on an entire array of artifacts, such as ceramic, silver jewelry, textiles, jewelry beads, glass painting, but also painting. It seems the popularity of tulips has survived, despite their loosing the "novelty" element enjoyed during the Early Modern period.

Geometric flowers

I've been reprimanded for not creating paintings with flowers. I know this is the universal subject for common artwork, but I find it extremely challenging. Depicting flowers in art is treacherous and the result often kitschy - rendering them geometrically is one way of avoiding the issue. Here are some of my favorite examples, a bit of research actually for the next art project, collected in another Etsy treasury.

Drawings on Etsy

Though apparently easy to make, drawings and sketches are often the test of one's skill as an artist. They are also the basis of other artistic endeavors and thus even more important. I therefore greatly appreciate well-made drawings, in pencil, ink, charcoal, or various combinations. Here is my most recent Etsy treasury that reunites such finds. Fresh and pure, drawing should not be overlooked as an art form :)

 

Leather accessories

Working with leather always generates scraps and odd pieces of material, so all artisans turn to creating small accessories in order to minimize the losses of the expensive primary material. I am going through the same phase and therefore though of researching the topic a bit on Etsy and Pinterest. The Etsy treasury of such inspirational finds - "Leather Accessories" includes catchalls and trays, key holders and coasters, dishes and earphone holders, various organizers and leather bowls. The Pinterest board of the same name is more varied, with leather chess pieces, key-shaped leather key fogs, dip-painting of various articles, and some exquisite types of knots and braiding.

The design of some of them is rather appealing, so let the adaptation / invention process begin!