Happy New Year 2013!

What better way to ring in the New Year than a waterfront table outside at the Chart House Restuarant in Florida.
It was such a difficult year and I am eager to put it behind me. Between the stalled enconomy and hurricanes, let's wash it away with some bubbly and get on with the renewal.

I will be taking my miniature business to new levels this year with the quantity of items I offer while continuing to offer the best customer service possible. Cheers!

I have more and more sales to international customers and thought it would be fun to show a map of all the places my miniatures have been sent to (shown in green). Is your country highlighted? Click the map to view it larger.

I decided to reopen my eBay store. I have filled it with items normally only available if you visited me at one of my miniature shows. I am sure this will please many of my followers who live too far away to travel to the shows. I now have items like individual, loose cookies, greeting cards, candies and more. See whats available now at Diane Paone Miniatures

Delicious Ideas, NYC Eats

What better way to see New York than this Etsy Treasury curated by PeacockBeads, eat your way through New York! Yummy! My Black and White cookie cuff links fit perfectly with street vendor pretzels, dirty water dogs, New York style cheese cake, bagels, pizza, and of course the big apple itself.

PeacockBeads has some lovely beaded earrings in beautiful styles. Love the featured Tanzanite cube earrings! If you want a little style in team colors for those autumn football games, have a look at the items in her shop.

My item featured in the treasury: Noshing my way through NYC

Check out PeacockBeads etsy shop

Mardi Gras Krewes & new Mardi Gras Mask Pin Brooch

Don't know what a Krewe is? Krewes are private societies that host parades and annual ball over the Carnival and Mardi Gras season in New Orleans. Most Krewes have names that incorporate a god or goddess from Greek or Roman mythology. One of the most well known krewes is "Krewe of Bacchus."

Anyone can apply for admission to belong to a krewe but it may not be that easy to get in. Every krewe has its own bylaws and requirements. It's considered a great honor to be admitted to a krewe and many krewe members have a family history of involvement going back many generations. This is serious stuff! Krewes do not take their responsibilities lightly. 

There is so much more to learn about krewes, Mardi Gras and the coming carnival season which changes dates every year. This year Carnival is Feb. 21-24 and Mardi Gras is on Feb 24.

Here is another Mardi Gras Mask stick pin brooch I created, offered in my etsy store. A portion of the sale of each of these pins in 2009 will go to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Wear this pin and spark a conversation, you'll be reminiscing about New Orleans in no time. Every pin I make is a unique work of art and is signed and numbered. I make these pins with the same attention to quality and detail as my dollhouse miniature Masquerade Masks for which I am known. I use freshwater pearls, genuine Swarovski crystals, antique beads and semi-precious beads, stone and shells.

 

New! - Mardi Gras Mask Stick Pin

Here it is, the Mask Stick Pin inspired by those pink crepe paper roses I previously mentioned. The handle is free swinging with a real freshwater pearl and vermeil ornament. As with all my masks the beads slide up and down the handle for fun. A delicate pink rose sets in the center of this sparkling pink mask.

There's been a renewed interest in wearing pins and brooches by fashion trend setters like First Lady, Mrs. O - Michelle Obama who loves to wear brooches in this article by Mary Tomer . Want to know what's hot? Stars like Sarah Jessica Parker, Cate Blanchett and other folks on the red carpet do know, and are featured sporting brooches in this article Trend Watch by Cynthia Sliwa. 

Want to creatively wear a brooch in a new modern way? Or when to wear the right brooch? There are two short articles here by Melanie Spark and Victor Galindo that will tell you how.

This brooch would look lovely on a black sweater or jacket, hat, or scarf. Pins aren't just for lapels anymore. 

Artist - Kerri Settle - Painter

From time to time I intend to feature an artist of interest & inspiration to me, so here is the first:

I discovered artist, Kerri Settle, on ebay offering small & large contemporary oil paintings in an impressionistic style. Her landscapes usually evoke a dreamy state of mind and always take me someplace far back in my memories I long to return to.  I delighted to own a number of her works. She is a prolific painter and very affordable. She paints mostly landscapes and still life. 

On her blog she has been offering a monthly painting giveaway! What a great offer! I hope you will leave a comment on her blog and have a look at her work. Her main web site is Sirenic Art. Visit both her blog and website to see her variety of work.