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my friend nicole had this great idea to start sticking googly eyes on everyday ordinary things to sort of "spruce" them up a bit. on the forum of her podcast she asked if there was anyone else who would like to participate and i of course said yes! carlos & i went out last night for happy hour and here are a few of the pics we took of our "googly" experience. we were at chuy's on barton springs and i was enjoying a wonderful frozen strawberry margarita. i'm pretty adventurous and creative so i had a feeling a little frost wouldn't hinder the stickiness of the googly eyes. and i was right....  next was a sticker outside chuy's for a design group in santa fe, nm. it had elvis on it with the fancy glasses and i just couldn't resist.  we then rode our bikes down to uncle billy's brew & que for some of their new celebration double ipa. yum! on a side note i LOVE hoppy beers.....we were sitting at the bar when i looked down and saw the fabulous woodgrain that just had to be googled up.  so there...i hope others will see the joy that we left in our paths. i think its pretty fun and really harmless. the eyes aren't all that sticky so they won't ruin anything. i hope you enjoyed seeing these funny pics as much as we had taking them.... have a great weekend! cheers! xo diane
i just finished listening to my friend mark tafoya's latest episode of his remarkably mark podcast . this one is about what he does with his enormous talent in the podcasting world and i'm feeling quite inspired. lately i have been feeling a bit like i'd like to do more with my crafting talent and share it with others. this show got me thinking on a different track about that possibility. nice. if you have the chance or inclination, i highly recommend giving his podcast a listen. you can find it on itunes with his other podcast remarkable palate about being a personal chef in NYC.  gosh, i don't know when this guys sleeps. if you are at all interested in food and travel i suggest you go to itunes right now and subscribe. you won't be disappointed. i'm planning a trip to NYC sometime soon and i hope that he's in town so that we get a chance to meet... have a great friday night everyone! cheers! xo diane
i'd like to show you one of the new graphics that i've been working on for the website, but first, can i just mention how crazy the weather was last night? i was woken up by a HUGE thunderstorm that produced golf ball sized hail....this was the result. i can't tell you how scared i was hearing it hit the windows. it sounded like someone was throwing baseballs at our house. i guess the storm produced up to 70mph winds and some funnel clouds too. at one point we couldn't even see out the window the rain & hail was coming down sideways. i just kept hoping it wouldn't break the giant window we have in our kitchen. anther bonus was that our power was out for 8 hours....bye bye groceries in the fridge. (i'm an old lady talking about the weather...)  now on to better things. i've been working on bird graphics for spring and wanted them to have multiple layers and colors....this is one of my favorites so far:  it will be offered in a couple of different styles of earrings as well as necklaces and perhaps even salt & pepper shakers. we'll see....i really like the colors in this one. subtle and retro. cheers! xo diane
all the fun has ended since i just dropped off my friend caroline at the airport just 30 minutes ago. we had such a blast together, ate lots of mexican food, took lots of photos with arty vandalay, and despite her fending off a cold/allergies we still had our fair share of fun time cocktails.  yesterday we were at guero's taco bar (where i set up for first thursday each month with my tasty jewelry booth of goodies) and we saw none other than jeff tweedy of wilco fame. it's a good thing i'm from chicago and actually had a sighting of him a few years back with his child in a stroller. they were in town playing 2 sold out shows at stubb's amphitheater.  ok, so all that great stuff is now over....wah wah, now its back to work. i've been working on revamping my website with all new prints & designs so watch out! i will be definitely blogging about that when it happens too...so stay tuned. cheers! xo diane
okay, so if you read yesterday's blog you know that my friend caroline and i went to central market and were going to make something great with our finds. she's a vegetarian so instead of burgers & steaks we opted for something a little healthier.... a grilled veggie sandwich! but first, here's arty vandalay whilst we grill...he was busy reading magazines and chatting with the girls...  i grilled zucchini, onion, a portabello mushroom and roasted a red pepper. we got some fresh pita bread from phoenicia bakery here in austin which is amazing. i took some simple goat cheese and added fresh garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, onion powder, red chili flakes and salt & pepper for our spread. we built the sandwiches with spread first, i added avocado, the roasted red pepper, mushroom, onion, tomato and mesclun greens. WOW! what flavor! so here is the sandwich in all its glory:  cheers! xo diane
we decided to spend a great deal of time outside today since the weather was so beautiful! sunny, dry, breezy and about 80 degrees. caroline and i went to central market to do a bit of grocery shopping for our grilled veggie sandwich. since caroline is from chicago she was amazed at the bounty of produce that we offer here in the south. here are a few of her observations: funky fruit  texas grown herbs  a plethora of dried peppers  and her favorite, the salsa bar  see what we did with some of the goodies that we got tomorrow! cheers! xo diane
thanks blogger for not posting my blog yesterday! argh! so here it is...posted a day later since the "scheduler" wasn't working.... i'd like to introduce to you arty vandalay. he's a little guy with a big personality. while caroline is here we will be following arty on his many adventures. here we are at chuy's in austin enjoying a frozen margarita and some yummy tex-mex food. arty loved this place and you would too!  arty is very excited to be in austin and is looking forward to sharing his shenanigans with all of you. cheers! xo diane p.s. happy mother's day to all the moms out there!
my friend caroline (from chicago) arrived this afternoon and i couldn't be happier. we haven't seen each other for about a year and started catching up right away. we went to chuy's for some chips, salsa & queso we're just going to be chilling out and chatting non-stop in between all the margaritas! there will be WAY more to come of our crazy antics...so stay tuned. cheers! xo diane p.s. i got the googly eyes today and can't wait to start pasting them all over! hee hee hee.
i feel like i might be a bit nuts because i'm retaking all the photos for my website. i just wanted to change the look of my site a bit and freshen it up. this could prove to be a MUCH bigger project than i imagined. i really want to revamp my entire website to simplify it, i'm just not sure this is going to be simple. i've started working on all original artwork for my prints & patterns so i guess that just lit the fire to make all these other changes. so, for now, cross your fingers and hope that i come out the other side smiling and not pulling my hair out!  cheers! xo diane
i subscribe to this cool blog about packaging design called the dieline and they had this wine bottle with my initials on it. its for duffy & partners wine....i'd love to get a bottle just to have it.  i wonder if this tastes good? hmmmmm.... cheers! xo diane
here is a photo of the latest necklaces that i've been working on for my www.tastyjewelry.com website.  i just got that mini, twisted, sterling silver chain at the latest bead show here in austin. i was inspired by its delicate nature to come up with some small pendants to hang from it. they are 5/8" square so not too big. and i used completely original artwork that i made myself. the mod teardrops and bird graphics will be available in several colors and the necklace will retail about $36. i should have it up on the website in about a week or so.... oh, and have i mentioned that my best friend caroline is coming to visit me from chicago? yeah, that's where i used to live you know. for 14 years. i miss it. cheers! xo diane
i'm so excited to be a part of austin monthly magazine this month. about 3 weeks ago the style editor, libby dean hoppe, contacted me about being included in a feature about local jewelry designers. of course i said yes and here is the result:  this makes me so happy. cheers! xo diane
okay, so yesterday was another beautiful day in austin. not quite as cool as saturday but lovely nonetheless. so i decided to smoke some pork ribs. using mesquite chips soaked in water, the process is quite simple really. light up half the grill with natural wood charcoal and leave the other half open so your ribs aren't over direct heat. here they are at the beginning:  i smoked them continuously for about 2 1/2 hours then finished them off in the oven for another hour or so. they were dark, rich and delicious! full of smoky flavor. my house smelled like a real texas bbq! we had some southwestern style rice and beans on the side and life was good. here's carlos while we're outside:  and our table full of the activities we were partaking in during the smokefest.  and me....reading bon appetit to be inspired.  i'll have to post a picture of the finished ribs later.... cheers! xo diane
now when i say football, i mean REAL football...the kind where they actually use their feet and not their hands. otherwise known as "the beautiful game". its great and amazing. i've loved it since i was in high school, but now i can really appreciate watching it. now, there are many reasons why i love this sport, its speed, its unpredictability, and most of all, its players. now, when you are going to be watching men run around for 90 minutes, with only a 15 minute half time and NO time outs, there really isn't time for gawking at the players. or IS there? this is cesc fabregas, midfielder for the arsenal gunners. (they are from london in case you didn't know)  don't you think THIS guy is worth watching? i'm just saying. and he celebrates his 21st birthday today. happy birthday you cute little spaniard! cheers! go gunners! xo diane
i am sitting here in austin, tx at noon on saturday may 3rd and am in awe of the AMAZING weather that i am experiencing at this very moment. its cool, there's a breeze and its about 72 degrees. that makes it the most perfect weather in my book. i'm going to go outside in my backyard and read my latest issues of bon appetit, everyday food, and take a peek into my newest cookbook, italian easy.  i used to watch this cooking show featuring ruth rogers and rose gray of the river cafe in london and it was amazing. the way it was filmed, the way they talked about food, and the dishes looked absolutely scrumptious! they even gave that cute rocker chef jamie oliver his start. these women know what they are doing! well, off to be enlightened by food! have a great day.... cheers! xo diane
on the first thursday of each month, the city of austin holds an amazing event celebrating its "weirdness" and allows artisans of all types to line the streets of south congress to sell their wares. i have participated in "first thursday" now on and off for the past 2 years. its a great way for me to show my jewelry and really connect with my customer. i have met some really amazing people doing this one of which is my new friend david from 302 designs. they specialize in organic printed t-shirts with a meaningful message. its an awesome company with a great philosophy, one which i believe in as well. here's an example of one of their shirts: the message says: "as the trees come to leaf we shed our winter skins and we are born anew in the spring sun"  i thought this one was appropriate for spring. they also offer men's tees so go have a look. take care & have a great day! cheers! xo diane
my friends venus & nicole extended a challenge to their friends to blog everyday in may. well, since i seem to need another challenge in my life right now,(insert sarcasm here.) i figured i'd join in. i've been making some pretty delicious dinners lately and will be showcasing them here since i can. today's feature is one of my favorites of all time. its giada delaurentiis' short ribs w/ tagliatelle.  these are so succulent and delicious! you braise them for about 3 hours and then i garnished it with fresh parsley & bittersweet chocolate. yes, you read it right, chocolate! it just adds a slight hint of richness and sweetness to the dish. the recipe is online. i follow this one exactly which usually isn't my style. i like to cross-reference many recipes and make my own. this one was just perfect on its own. if you decide to make it please send me a picture or at least let me know how you like it.... cheers! xo diane
herein lies my attempt to blog on a more regular basis....let's see how long i can go this time. okay, so i'm up early this morning and am feeling a bit off due to the crazy dreams i had last night. perhaps that was a good thing because now i'm sitting at my computer and am blazing through some new graphic designs today. i have been feeling the need to change up the graphics offered for my jewelry as well as for my home accessories. (see previous post for info on updated coaster sets! whew!) i have a few new techniques that i've been working on...i like to think of them as my secret recipes for style. cute, huh? since i am "tasty" jewelry and all. i wish i had 2 or 3 of me to be able to work out all the ideas that i have in my head. oh, and i just joined flickr so go over there and add me as a contact. surprise, surprise, my user name is tastyjewelry. i'll add you too! i've also got something pretty exciting on the horizon....so stay tuned for that too! i have a few friends i have to consult before i can get that going. geez, couldn't there just be 48 hours in a day? PLEASE!!!!! cheers! xo diane
well, here they are! the patterns have been chosen, and the updates to the website have been made, so without any more fuss here are some new patterns for my recycled coaster sets. they are felt backed to protect delicate surfaces and to reinforce their strength. you get 4 coasters for $16. i've added a few more neutral styles too so they make great gifts for everyone. here is an example of the "same" sets. you get 4 patterns that are all quite similar with little variance in them. my favorite are these grass ones...oh, so green!  here is an example of the "assorted" sets. you get 4 views of a different part of a larger pattern. colors and sets vary so each set is completely unique. >  i am ready to start updating this blog on a more regular basis. wish me luck! cheers! xo diane
it has been quite some time since i've written...it was due to the loss of my beautiful mother, carolyn, on easter sunday. she had been battling a rare form of cancer for about a year and a half and she has now found peace. words alone cannot express the feelings i have towards my mother for being such a patient teacher, a trustworthy confidante, and an unbelievable provider for me and my entire family. at a young age, she left her family to help others and never stopped. i can't imagine how many people's lives she's touched and changed forever. among her many talents she was an accomplished cook and seamstress. she instilled in me at a very early age how to make something out of almost nothing and i thank her for that. when i was just 4 years old i remember watching julia child & the galloping gourmet with her. i was by her side every day in the kitchen picking up tidbits of her techniques and still use them today. her beauty surpasses discussion. her work ethic was without compare. i feel so very fortunate and honored to have been a part of her life. although she is in my thoughts everyday, i will miss her dearly. i love you mom, forever. 
i've been busy from the fallout of my latest mention of my salt & pepper shakers on the austin tidbits website & newsletter and couldn't be happier. i was notified by the lovely ladies about 2 weeks ago that they were going to do an editorial on them and how they wanted permission to use a photo from my site, so i knew it was coming...i just didn't know when. so in the meantime i had been quickly taking photos and getting web pages built for the new goodies i had planned for the spring. i wanted everything to be ready for when people hit the site...and it was. whew! here is a photo of some of the new earrings i have:  i call them flower power and just love them. they are offered in loads of different colors; candy, berry, lemon, sno-cone and licorice to name a few. if you click on the picture it will take you to the site. since the recent "discovery" of so many copy cats to my work, i have decided to just go on and leave them in the dust. like i said before, i always have loads of new designs and ideas.... cheers!
what a fabulous way to start out my valentine's day! i was mentioned in an editorial about my salt & pepper shakers on austintidbits.comlook!  click the above pic to go to their site. happy valentine's day everyone! xo diane
here's yet another example of what i'm talking about. just because you change the juxtaposition of 2 materials doesn't mean its your idea. especially since the size of the graphic item is identical. now imagine this person is selling this in the same store as you. imagine that. pathetic. here's mine:  and theirs:  i don't know what they would do without my "inspiration".
i just have to write about this since it makes me sick to see the rampant stealing of ideas in the indie craft world. there is a HUGE difference between being "inspired" by someone else's work and blatantly STEALING someone else's designs. in this age of over exposure by way of the internet via blogs, craft sites, etsy, etc. is an original idea a thing of the past? not unless you are a true artist and not an opportunist. there is a GIGANTIC difference here. an artist is someone who comes up with unique, original ideas and is inspired by the world around them...an opportunist is someone who takes an artist's designs and passes them off as their own. i have been subject to several people "being inspired" by my designs lately and its got to stop!!! i am able to create freely since it is a part of who i am as a person. i have decided to pursue my passion as a career in the jewelry making business since there is no way that i can turn off this creativity. so i guess i'm lucky because new ideas come as easily to me as my next breath, what i can't figure out is how other people think that means they can take MY designs and pass them off as their own. i'm not talking about materials...i use many different types of materials to keep my jewelry unique. i have been creating jewelry for OVER 30 years...simple bead stringing is not my thing anymore. what i'm talking about is the marriage of the materials with the actual design of a piece. here's an example: here's my ring that i designed over a year and a half ago:  and here's one i just saw where the "designer" says that she started making these before the holidays. see any resemblance? come on!!!  i would like to contact the designer to find out just exactly where she stole her idea, but i already know. now perhaps you are saying "sour grapes", but when this effects your livelihood how can it not be of some concern? the indie craft world is full of wonderful and talented people with loads of new ideas. i am inspired by them constantly. to see art in a museum does the same thing. but does that mean when you see something and say "i could make that" you should? not when you decide to also put that item up for sale. you are in essence taking money out of the pocket of the designer. should the original designer be compensated? i don't know how that could work either...it just boils down to ethics. they just seem to be a thing of the past. especially in this day and age of the internet where images float around freely. the hard part is not wanting to put your items out there to be "inspiriation" to others, but all i have to say is that i've already come up with new ideas that will blow you away.
so here are some rough pics of my new limited edition valentine's day earrings and necklaces.  earrings:   necklaces:   these will be available for a limited time only and will not be sold on the website. if you would like to purchase any of these items, please send me an e-mail. cheers! xo diane
rack 'em up with this super nifty billiard magnet set. comes complete with a mini foam "rack" too! conveniently boxed in a clear acrylic box so you can see just how cool they are right from the start. would make an excellent gift for that "pool shark" in your life...i know it did for mine...  rock on! cheers!
i am currently working on a few new goodies for the upcoming valentine's holiday. some really cute "floating" heart earrings...think teardrop hoops with a printed heart (with original artwork mind you) that will dangle from one side. they will come in 3 different designs and will be available for a limited time only...of course. i will be posting pictures once i get some made. stay tuned! cheers! xo diane
here is an image of one of my new "delicious" necklaces.... 
i've been busy updating my website today with a whole new look...i've decided to start a new line of upscale jewelry which will be called: "delicious". dedicated to the pursuit of beautiful jewelry with a touch of unique flavor. here's a screenshot of the main page  check it out...the designs will be available for a limited time only. cheers!
its finally here, the end of 2007. with it brings much reflection of my fledgling business. i have experienced much during this past year. i have learned so much about myself and plan to use that knowledge in 2008. i opened many new wholesale accounts, started my home accessories line and decided to change direction of my other website: www.dianepetkoff.comit is now going to be more of a "one-of-a-kind" gallery of sorts featuring those whimsical musings that i will occasionally add for sale. it will be my art, my voice and my vision. ever-changing and making unique statements. we'll just see what unfolds in the upcoming months so stay tuned in and turned on. cheers! diane
if you are looking for a unique item for that friend that has everything, then look no further. i have just added these mod salt & pepper shakers featuring my own original artwork. these limited edition shakers each measure 1 5/8" square by 4" tall. sold for $22 they make a great gift for under $25!!!! this one is the "stems":  and this one is the "squares":  head over to tastyjewelry.com where most of my items are under $25. i am offering complimentary gift wrap for orders over $15 and as always FREE SHIPPING! place your orders by december 17th to try to ensure your christmas delivery. cheers! xo diane
aren't you tired of shopping at the big box retailers? well, you should be....this year make a pledge to shop independent. and to keep up with that pledge, come out and see me while i set up outdoors for the holiday shopping season. where? guero's taco bar 1412 s. congress ave. (@ elizabeth st) in austin, tx. when? from 12pm - 6pm saturday december 8th sunday december 9th saturday december 15th sunday december 16th friday december 21st saturday december 22nd (this will be your last chance!) i will also be having a trunk show at adelante boutique located at 1206 w. 38th st, austin, tx. thursday december 13th & friday december 14th from 10am - 5pm. i will be showing mostly tasty jewelry with some new one-of-a-kind pieces. earrings, necklaces, rings, hair accessories, home accessories and more. whew! i am working hard to make this the best holiday season ever! please come out and see me if you get the chance. cheers! xo diane 
its that time of year again when all you want is peace on earth and good will towards men and all you get is crazy traffic, long lines at the checkout & cranky kids screaming in the aisles. well, why not leave all that crazy behind and shop from the comfort of your own home. while you're at it stop by: www.tastyjewelry.com and see all the wonderful gift items i have offered. most everything is under $25 so you can shop for everyone on your list. i promise you won't be disappointed. xo diane
here it is! one of the most fun days of the year...halloween! i remember when i was little we would race home from school and get our costumes on as fast as we could. each year we would have the same dinner, a tradition of sloppy joes, potato chips and a pickle. i LOVED it! and off we would go with pillow cases in hand ready to tear up the neighborhood. one of my favorite parts of the evening was sorting out the "loot". once we got home my brothers & sisters and i would dump out the candy onto the carpet and the trading would commence. pixie stix for snickers, fun dip for smarties....i always felt good about my trades even though i was the youngest. ah, the memories..... have a safe and fun halloween whatever you decide to do. we're going to a halloween party with a "dead celebrity" theme. he's going as andy warhol and i'm going as edie sedgwick.
do you listen to podcasts? well, if you don't you should. i've decided to partner with a few of the great podcasts that i listen to this holiday season to give their listeners a gift of my own. from november 1st through december 31st listeners of how much do we love, the daily purge, ramble redhead, its not us, its you, the smith's occasional podcast, archerradio & the little fatty cast will be given a special code to use when placing an order on www.tastyjewelry.com. not only will they be getting a discount, but they will be helping their favorite podcast out too. the proceeds from the discount will be donated right back to the podcaster! its my small way of saying "thank you" for the year long effort they make to produce such creative content. they are all entertaining and fun, fun, fun! use the code: podcastlistener (all one word) in the voucher code box during checkout then in the box that asks "how did you hear about tasty jewelry?" enter the name of the podcast that you listen to. its that simple. cheers! xo diane
here are a few of the new things that i've added to my website www.tastyjewelry.com in the past week. wine gift bags:  and skull bauble rings:  get your groove on this holiday season with some hip, funky and groovy jewelry!
i've just updated the website with some new earrings. a cool graphic printed disc with a metallic ring in awesome 70's style motifs.  and some awesome punk rock skull earrings (available in more colors)  go check them out! xo diane
here are the newest earrings that i've been working on...the mod trio. one really mod graphic repeated three times...i LOVE these! $20 each pair and i am offering 12 different designs. they will be featured on the modish holiday gift guide...go check it out. it will be online soon.  i offer free shipping on all orders in the U.S. cheers! xo diane
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