Last Minute Bookish Gifts

Of course first choice would be to buy a book!

1. Bookworm Socks. Available in 3 colors.

2. Bookish Earrings from Coryographies on etsy

3. Due Date iPhone Case from Out of Print Clothing online 

and Poe-ka-Dots iPhone Case

4. Pattie Tierney Designs.. my favorites!!! Pins, bracelets and more!!

5. Raven Bookends: 

6. Mystery Readers Journal. 5 issues for the price of 4. 2014 Subscription with bonus issue (Volume 29:4)!

Pattie Tierney: Dying for Chocolate Bracelet

Dying for Chocolate Bracelet

Today I welcome Pattie Tierney. Pattie Tierney has done guest posts on DyingforChocolate.com, but I think this is her first time here on Mystery Fanfare. Pattie of St. Louis, MO, has a passion for travel, dining, photography, and mysteries, and writes about them all. She has published in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Personal Journaling Magazine, The Diarist's Journal, and Ink & Ruminations. Her art has appeared in The Rubber Stamper, Signatures: The Art Journal Collection, ATCs: An Anthology of Artist Trading Cards, Somerset Studio and Stamper's Sampler magazines.

Her Agatha Christie Mystery Charm Bracelet was featured in the holiday gift guide of BUST magazine's December 2006 issue as one of the "must have" gifts for the year. In 2007 her "Methods of Murder" charm bracelet and Agatha Christie Typewriter Pin were both included in the Mystery Gift Guide of Mystery Scene Magazine. Pregnancy Magazine featured her Jane Austen bracelet in their 2008 Valentine issue. Her Clue Game Piece Bracelet was featured on the online site iVillage.com in November 2009 as one of 7 Cool Products Made from Board Games. Tierney has designed jewelry for various organizations including USA Today, Sisters in Crime, Short Mystery Fiction Society, Forensic U and the St. Charles Public Library system.

The former editor of The Baker Street Chronicle, a Sherlock Holmes journal, her current project, Recipes To Die For, is a mystery cookbook full of recipes from actors, authors, and readers who perform in, write, or read mystery stories.

Pattie Tierney:

I once read an article on Marilyn Monroe that quoted her as saying that she wore no jewelry because she didn't want to wear anything that might detract from her beauty. Of course, Marilyn Monroe was 36 when she died. Had she lived, she'd been two months away from celebrating her 86th birthday. My guess is that, unless she chose to nip, tuck, Botox, and lipo, she'd have bagged, sagged, and dragged with the rest of us. And, like the rest of us, she'd have adorned her body with some pretty dynamic baubles to divert attention from the, um, baggage, saggage, and draggage.

Unlike Marilyn, I've always been a jewelry wearer, but as I got older I wanted jewelry that represented the "me" that I know I am rather than a reflection of someone else. Herein lay the problem: I am a mystery fan. And, as I found out after many hours of tireless search, no one makes mystery jewelry.

Armed with no more than an idea, desire, and a bit of chutzpah, I bought a book on jewelry making, a package of assorted jewelry-making tools, a collection of beads and findings, charm bracelet chain, and a handful of charms, some culled from broken bits of jewelry that had been taking up space in my jewelry box. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, but had an image in my mind as to what I'd hoped would be the end result.

The task was slightly more daunting than I'd imagined, but I love a challenge and in little less than a month I had created my first piece of mystery jewelry, a "Murder and Mayhem" bracelet devoted to Agatha Christie. It sold the day it listed. It was a good feeling to know that I was not alone. That, out there, somewhere, was at least one other formerly frustrated mystery fan looking for jewelry. The benefit of a mystery focus is that inspiration can be found everywhere. From Dame Agatha to Sherlock Holmes, Nancy Drew to Trixie Belden, Nero Wolfe to Charlie Chan, I was making bracelets as fast as you can say, "It was a dark and stormy night." Then, I thought, why not make a "Dark and Stormy" bracelet? How about a city bracelet like "Sherlock's London?" Characters, authors, even "Methods of Murder" have all found their way to becoming bracelets.

My latest creation, inspired by none other than Janet Rudolph and recently released is called (what else?), "Dying for Chocolate" and features murder weapons, poison labels, antique chocolate labels and beads in colors of milk and dark chocolate. Dastardly and delicious!

Order the Dying for Chocolate bracelet

See more jewelry designs at Pattie's Etsy Shop
Visit her paper goods and mystery gifts shop

Follow Pattie Tierney on Twitter @pattietierney
Pattie's blog: www.pattietierney.blogspot.com

Pattie Tierney Guest Blogger: Mystery, Jewelry & Halloween

As I've mentioned many times, so many of my worlds and interests cross. Today I welcome Pattie Tierney, mystery critic, jewelry maker, bon vivant :-).

Pattie Tierney of St. Louis, MO, has a passion for travel, dining, photography, and mysteries, and writes about them all. She has published in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Personal Journaling Magazine, The Diarist's Journal, and Ink & Ruminations. Her art has appeared in The Rubber Stamper, Signatures: The Art Journal Collection, ATCs: An Anthology of Artist Trading Cards, Somerset Studio and Stamper's Sampler magazines.

PATTIE TIERNEY


I came to learn about mysteries the same way I came to learn about baseball, at my father's knee. Literally. My mother would shoo us out of the kitchen when she was fixing dinner, so dad and I would head for the living room and the new B&W Deforest TV where I parked by nine-year-old self front and center. We watched “Rawhide” and “M Squad” while the aromas of our eventual dinner wafted over our heads. It was on that TV that I first got a glimpse of Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes, and Ken Boyer hitting a grand slam in the 7th game of the 1964 World Series giving the Cardinals the win. I was instantly captivated by both of these things then, and remain equally as captivated, if not more so, today.

As the result of my two loves, by the time I reached high school I had a mystery collection that exceeded the holdings of the public library - Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, Judy Bolton, Dana Girls, (later Christie, Conan Doyle, Queen, Gardner, and Poe) -- and could quote batting averages more readily than any of the boys. Clearly I was hooked, on mysteries and on baseball. These two lifelong interests have been as much a part of my life as my family. I can define certain events by relating them to what book I happened to be reading, or game I was attending at the time. (I was in bed with the worst flu of my life while reading The Whispering Statue; I broke my new braces while eating a hot dog at a Cards-Dodgers game -- the Cards won.)

When I was younger and insecure, I pretty much kept my obsessions to myself. Now that I have reached the comfort of middle age, I wear them proudly like a badge, or bracelet, or earrings. It was while shopping (hopelessly searching) for unique jewelry that reflected who I am (no easy task considering my variety of interests), I came to realize that there was nothing on the market that reflected the real mystery-loving me. I wanted a bracelet that smacked of intrigue. Something where I could display my favorite books, murder weapons of choice, and tie it all together with colorful beads, and bits of whimsy. My background had been mixed media, but in the past I’d been fairly good at creating my own reality, so why not now, I thought. So, armed with nothing more than an idea and 40% off Michael’s coupon, I shopped, I bought, I came home dazed.

Considering I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, I’m pretty proud of the first bracelet I ever made. It was an Agatha Christie tribute (I was reading Dead Man’s Folly at the time), with book covers, poison bottles, mystery charms, and beads. Now what?

An artist friend, not quite so sure what to make of my idea or creations, put me on to a new, experimental site for handmade items called Etsy, and I signed up. It was my first foray into online selling, so, much like the bracelet, was a learning experience. The bracelet sold within days of its listing. I had learned something. I learned there was a market for things like this. My people were out there! Somewhere! Clamoring for the same thing I wanted; I was not alone! I could make my own line of jewelry, put it in an online shop devoted to people like me, and fulfill that place in their jewelry box that ached for a mystery.

Well over four years have passed since that auspicious day. I’ve learned a lot since then. My designs have become more numerous and sophisticated, the elements more varied, and the wheels in my brain never stop turning, cranking out new ideas. I have now expanded into paper goods, offering mystery cards, beaded bookmarks, a mini mystery cookbook, and journal books of varying sizes, with more items making their debut for Christmas, in addition to the wide variety of jewelry. I love doing custom work, and thrive on listening to new ideas and turning them into the next mystery lovers’ reality.

It’s been a wonderful joyride. I think Nancy Drew would be proud.

Visit my online jewelry shop: www.ptierneydesigns.etsy.com
Visit my online paper goods shop: www.mysteriousjottings.etsy.com
See my photos: http://flickr.com/photos/pattietierney/
Follow me on Twitter @pattietierney
Read my blog: www.pattietierney.blogspot.com