Spring Has Sprung!

and so has this new Vertical Budding Vine Necklace! I elaborated on my usual by adding some new features this time; hand-forged sterling silver leaves soldered onto wires which are then wrapped lovingly around the main fine silver stalk which is made from a real vine, and get this! This one has a little copper flower on it with a sterling silver stamen! This new piece is bursting with color and texture and it brings 3D to a whole new level. You feel like you're in the woods right now with your face a few inches away from a vine with all its lush foliage as it just begins to bloom! This is a necklace you can look at for hours with all it's details! But don't just look at it. It's fun to wear too! Be the envy of all your friends and even people you haven't met might just ask you where you got it!

And what is Spring without the "birds and the bees", well in this case it was two Luna Moths mating!

These guys were right outside my back door yesterday when I went out to take some pictures for my Etsy shops. Now how often do you get to see that! Since Luna Moths are generally very introverted creatures and don't show themselves often I would guess it's not very frequently!

I'm usually lucky if I see one each Spring but this year I've been lucky enough to see several; these two, an immature one a few days before that, and another full grown one about a month ago.

It must be a good omen of easier times ahead. Luna Moths are probably one of the gentlest animals I can think of. There is something about their spirit that reminds me of a dove and I've never really thought of them as insects. They seem more substantial, deeper, and higher-thinking. I've had them climb right onto my hand and look at me on several occasions. They don't seem to be at all afraid, just curious.

I've got lots of cool jewelry in the works and will be doing more things with leaves and flowers.

Be sure to keep checking my shop, come in and take something home with you.
http://Giftbearer.etsy.com

If you're looking for unique supplies I have been listing Cactus Quartz like mad! In fact I am using one right now for a piece of my own jewelry that you will be seeing in my jewelry shop in the near future.

See those and many more items here.
http://GiftbearerSupply.etsy.com
Secondary items are often only .75 additional shipping to destinations within the US, so go ahead and load up your cart! Several buyers have purchased 5 or 6 items at a time, and my stock of Cactus Quartz is starting to go but there are still some very nice stones left if you act soon!

Love At First Bite- Riol96

Great Cuisine on Etsy

3 triangles of Spanikopita with Greek Salad

Food may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about Etsy, but that is about to change! The number and variety of Etsy food sellers and delectible dishes you can get delivered right to your door is steadily growing, and searching the Plants and Edibles section yields a plethora of yummy handmade items both sweet and savory.

A lover of really good food from many cultures, I just happened to be doing a treasury one day and as I was searching through all the food items offered for sale I came across a shop selling Spanikopita. For those of you who have no idea what that is it is an authentic Greek delicacy often served in the finest Greek restaurants; like a savory spinache and cheese turnover or pie, but the crust is made from phyllo dough, a very light and flaky material that looks like thin rice paper and gets nice and crispy when heated.

Alma Karassavidas, the shop owner living in New York makes these delicious treats with an old family recipe handed down by her husband's great Grandmother who lived in Greece.

Alma guarantees in her listing that this will be the best you've ever tasted, and boy was she ever right! When I opened the box the aroma told me that these were going to be top notch! What you'll get rivals that served in some of the best authentic Greek restaurants.

They are made to order, take about a day to complete, and then ship Priority Mail.

Currently she is listing them as she goes, but if you want a larger order you can convo her and have her do a custom order for a larger quantity. I ordered 24 so they'd last me awhile. I knew that a dozen would be gobbled down fast. I put half of them in the refrigerator and the other half in the freezer.

To reheat;

Thaw the pieces to room temperature before baking

Brush tops with butter if desired.

Do not microwave, as the phyllo dough will become soggy in microwave.

Bake it at low temp 325-350 until heated through (10-15 minutes)

Pies can be stored frozen in an airtight container for 2-3 months if needed.

As you can see in the photo above I ate 3 pieces for lunch today already. They were so good I didn't want lunchtime to end, but there is always dinner tonight, LOL.

I highly recommend this seller and her delicious Spanikopita. It would be great for a wedding or party, or food for you or your family even without a special occasion. She just happens to have some waiting for you; http://www.etsy.com/listing/60814634/greek-spinach-pie