Gifted Designs

The Market - Wrapped, GD Packaged!

2011-10-26T12:45:00.010-04:00

*dusts off the screen*

Gee, it certainly has been a good long time since I posted...almost a year! A lot has happened in that time and I will be sharing some of it with you all...:) I have pictures...;)

I thought an excellent way of kicking this blog off again would be to show off the packaging for my goodies. The examples below are basically how I always package though there may be ribbon/tissue paper color & width variations depending on the size of the jewelry box.

I worked very hard on my branding. I wanted something that reflected both whimsy and elegance and so my logo is both crazy and refined. The colors I chose are a pure personal reflection. Pink and Aqua are two of my fav colors...;) Along with this lovely bundle, customers also get a simple silver envelope with my business cards inside and a SECRET item! hehehehehe

I want my customers to feel special and so I go out of my way to give them special packaging reflective of the quality of their purchase...:)

All wrapped up and ready to go
Up close
Business cards
If you want to see more, you can check out my fellow Aspiring Metalsmith teamies' packaging solutions...:)

♥ Beatriz Fortes – cjbf.blogspot.com
♥ ArtistiKat – artistikat-scratchingpost.blogspot.com
♥ Claire English – brightstar109.blogspot.com
♥ Mary Anne Karren – silverpearlmetalworks.wordpress.com
♥ Lisa – glenshire-shop.blogspot.com
♥ Stacy – formandfunktionaccessories.blogspot.com
♥ Amy Estelle – amyestellemetalworks.blogspot.com
♥ Morgan MetalAdornments - metaladornments.blogspot.com
♥ Jason – happytortoisedesigns.blogspot.com

I hope you enjoyed looking!
♥

It's Personal - My Second Montreal Gem Fair Visit

2010-11-07T21:15:00.006-05:00

I almost COMPLETELY forgot about the Gem Fair this year and I managed to get there this afternoon. I'm so happy I did! I found some beautiful stuff and I reconnected with a lot of awesome people...:)

I didn't get to take photographs this year inside, but I did sneak one of my buddy Mike, a super sweet rockhound...:) There was a such a crush of people that even if I would have been allowed, I doubt I would have gotten anything else BUT people in the photographs! LOTS more people than last year, though it seemed like there were less vendors. I honestly wouldn't mind trying my luck at selling my pieces there as there were jewelry enthusiasts as well as stone and mineral lovers...:)

So, on to what I nabbed! These are awful pictures...I'm probably gonna retake them in daylight.

This is my buddy Mike, I got the following three pieces from him
A really pretty piece of amethyst that Mike handed over, I will probably make a pendant out of it...:)
This little beauty was hiding amongst some of Mike's slabs he had behind the counter...I had to have it and I'll probably keep it as is as a mineral specimen. I have a special place in my heart for Eudyalite.
This stunner was just sitting there looking pretty and I fell in love. It's a Picture Jasper the size of my palm. I bought this one for myself...;)
Mike always has fascinating stuff and he's a great hugger! You should have seen the MASSIVE 200lbs rock he had at the back and he had some beautiful petrified logs. I shoulda taken a pic of that rock...it was HUGE!

And now for beads...:D

I've been looking for small rondelles of moonstone for a while and I got these at a very good price. They are not the flashiest, but they still have good color and clarity. They are not faceted and are considered pillows.
Also known as Rainforest Jasper, this is Ryolite. I just loved the shape and color of these. They'd look great with copper although I have a marquis-shaped chain in sterling that would also be fab with these.
Are these not just gorgeous? They are Dendrite Agates. They are the size of my thumb! I saw them and fell in love....weirdly enough, they haven't spoken to me yet beyond telling me I think they're gorgeous...*lol* But a design...or two or three...will come!
Last but not least, my first mineral purchase...:D

This is Amazonite taken from Lac St-Jean in Quebec, Canada. Amazonite is my favorite stone and I saw TONS of specimens at the fair. So many were beautiful, but none tempted me from my promise not to buy minerals...until this little guy. Why was it so irresistible? Well, Canadian Amazonite is the quiet variety. It's similar in look to Russian Amazonite with white striations, but it's MUCH, MUCH paler. Most have just a blush of aqua color. Very soft and quite lovely in it's own way though the brighter varieties are far more popular these days. This particular specimen is quite rich in color...there are even some areas that are almost as bright as the Colorado variety of Amazonite. On top of that, this piece has gorgeous golden Pyrite crystals on it. I didn't see any other specimens with nearly so many...the few I saw that did have some only had tiny spots. And so this beauty came home with me and will get a nice display box along with the Eudyalite as soon as I have a shelf to put them on...:D
I left so much stuff behind that I just drooled over. Gorgeous raspberry-colored Garnet beads in hexagon shape and some small, lovely, flashy Labradorite smooth freeforms. If I would have been more confident in my faceted gem knowledge, I'd probably have taken home some of those too! There was an Indian dealer who was super nice selling some of the most gorgeous beads I've ever seen. He had this 16" strand of enormous Rose Quartz that was out of this world. Not a single inclusion to be seen with the naked eye, and so clear you could see right through them...1500$ for the strand...O_o OUCH! But I was convinced they were worth that price! He had some beautiful sapphire brios and other just beautiful things, Kunzite and stunning Smokey Quartz and colored Moonstones and Labradorite and the list goes on an on and I'd be surprised if he had anything less than 50$ a strand...:D

And that was my trip this year...I can't wait for next year!
♥

It's Personal - My baby turns 16!

2010-11-06T13:04:00.004-04:00

Kaleeka checking out her new buddies August & Jessica on their first day with us.
On November 3rd, 16 years ago, I was witness to a beautiful thing.

My sister's beautiful, TINY, blue tortie kitty, Puce, went into her very first labor. My sister rushed to my mom's house to tell us about it. I ran downstairs as fast as I could, of course, but my mom being my mom and not the most fond of kitties took her time.

I was there to watch first Junior, then Storm and finally Kaleeka come out into a world.

Kalee being a model...:)
There were no issues with Junior and Storm, both were quite big and Puce was able to get them out of their birth sacs and get them all cleaned up. Kalee was an other issue. We're not sure why but it took her much longer to release Kalee and by the time the tiny kitten emerged, she was so exhausted that we had to step in to save the runt...definitely the runt! Eric and I reached in and gently removed the membrane around her and cleaned her up. We cleared her tiny mouth and nose of the mucus and waited for her to take her first breath.

It's relaxing time...
...again!
It didn't come. Eric and I panicked and in a moment of genius, Eric picked up the delicate coin-sized baby, put her head gently in his mouth and breathed into her nose.
She suddenly gave a great gulp and let out one heck of a howl for one so tiny.

My mom arrived just before Kalee came into the world and so was there throughout the whole drama of Kalee's first breath. EVERYONE in the room was crying in joy to see her breathing and seemingly healthy!

She always cuddles up to Tobee...:D
Alas, our happiness lasted only about three weeks. Suddenly Puce refused to let her drink from her. She was half the size of her brother and sister and there was no way she'd have survived on her own. I was drafted to be her nanny seeing as I had the time to help wean her.

We took 3 weeks to slowly wean her to solid food going from mostly milk pablum, to mostly pablum to soft kitten food to hard kitten food. I flew by the seat of my pants as I had no clue! I tried to ignore it, but I fell in love with this tiny, needy little girl. She would follow me around the house, sleep with me in bed, cuddle, play and do her best just to be around me. Knowing I could never have her because my mom doesn't like kitties, I did my best (obviously not good enough) to remain aloof thinking I was doing this so someone else could have her.

Did you say treats????
By mid-December, she was basically weaned, but she was still very small and so my mom said it was OK to keep fostering her until she was big enough to be offered up for adoption. Look at her, do you honestly think it would have taken a long time for someone to gobble her up? Ok, maybe I'm biased...:D

Come New Years, she was almost at a normal kitten weight and she was finally roly-poly. I started to detach even more because I knew her time with me was over and she'd be going to her new home. And then she was still with us all the way until January 9th, my birthday.

BWAHAHAHAHA!
And the laughter continues...:D Pardon my voice!
That's when my mom did the unthinkable.

She told me Kalee was mine to keep, that we would finally call her something other than kitty. I thought my mom was joking! Little did I know that a bond was created when my mom watched her be born. For the first time my mom liked a cat. Not just liked but loved. And she hide it from me. She had planned on giving Kalee to me from the moment I started weaning her. My mom calls on Kalee's birthday to talk to her every single year since I moved out...:D Isn't she adorable??? :D:D:D

We spent hours brainstorming a name for her. We wanted something that played with her beautiful calico coloring and so we came up with Kaleeka. Mind you, we have a bunch of nick-names for her too...;) Kalee-kalee, Miss Priss, Puty-tuty and Brat to name a few...:D She was the only calico kitty out of three litters by Puce.

I walked into this in my bedroom in our new apartment.
I truly, deeply believe that the bond we have is a result of me being so closely connected to her in her kittenhood. She has a dog's personality. She's friendly, affectionate, loud, boisterous, demanding, a true drama-queen. We have such closely meshed personalities that it's scary sometimes. She's also incredibly communicative. It's often difficult to know what a cat wants when they are sitting there meowing at you but Kalee has quite a few tones and levels to tell you what she wants and she'll even lead you to it to make sure she gets her point across. Feed me, clean my litter, let me in the tub, water please, cuddle please, sleep time please, I'm pissed at you, enough with the grooming, and you're moving me why?...all these have different sounds and so I almost always know what she wants. Of course there are moments where I just think she wants to piss me off...;) She is LOUD and I think that's because she was the runt.

I had forgotten something on my way to work so I came back to get it and found them like this...awww
Well, runt....that honestly didn't last very long. She VERY quickly grew. At one point, she tipped the scale at a whopping 19.6lbs. She was definitely overweight, but not as much as one would think seeing as she's larger than your average female. In fact, the vet said she had the bone structure sizing of a large tom! Not that I'm surprised, her daddy was a HUGE boy. He's one of the biggest cats I've ever encountered and he didn't have an ounce of fat on him.

Kalee has just turned 16 and she's doing wonderfully...:) She's arthritic, but it doesn't stop her from jumping on the couch or bed to be where I am. I also helped her lose the weight she needed to lose to help her move around better and she's at a healthy 14.2lbs.

None of my girls are active and so my solution to make them move around was to use these treat balls that get batted around as feed balls during the day. They get their night feeding in a regular bowl so the rolling won't disturb the neighbors at night.

I'm so very blessed to have had the opportunity to raise and love this special kitty. She truly loves me without reservation and conditions and she's a constant source of drama and amusement.

Kalee being her cute self
What more could one want in a special friend?
♥

Hidden Treasures - Citronella & Blueberry Punch

2010-11-06T11:36:00.005-04:00

MINE
Citronella and Blueberry Punch
Another Nonteam Challenge, this was conceived to highlight the beautiful filigree objects that abound on Etsy as well as focus on the color of Citrine, November's Stone...:) It used RogueButterly's beautiful and vibrant gypsy filigree earrings as a starting point...:) I wanted bright color, contrast and elegance and I think I got it...:)

Interested in finding out more about the Nonteam Challenge? Check out this blog.

YOURS
Honeymoon in Blue
This is so refreshing and pretty. I was really happy to be included in TreasuredDetails' collection...:)

I actually didn't forget to make a treasury this week. Work has been very busy and I have been busy preparing for a few things that I'll be talking about in an announcement this week...:) So my own treasuries are on hold and I'm doing my best to get the Nonteam treasuries up as well though I may need to forgo a few!
♥

Hidden Treasures - Say it ain't so!

2010-10-30T18:08:00.004-04:00

MINE
Say it ain't so!
This is my second entry for the Nonteam Challenge...:) It used FlutterbyeNotes' super playful blank cards as a starting point...:) Playful was what I wanted for this and I also wanted to make a little bit of a statement about how we perceive our own abilities with speech and how we use them.

Interested in finding out more about the Nonteam Challenge? Check out this blog.

YOURS
Thank you Curators
Isn't this just wonderfully soft and serene? A gorgeous thank you for sure. AwakenJournaling chose to thank the curators of the treasuries she liked best by making her own treasury for us...:) I'm so glad she enjoyed my collection! Thank you!

I completely forgot to do my own treasury this week! So stay tuned for next week's...:) Thanks for looking!
♥

Hidden Treasures - Nonteam Challenge!

2010-10-19T12:49:00.004-04:00

MINE
Hot Pink Tamale with Olives
The weather has been absolutely dreary and so I wanted to brighten things up. I haven't used hot pink in a while and so I took flight! Enjoy this spicy little collection...:)

The Key is...
I've recently chosen to participate in a really, really cool treasury concept called the Nonteam Challenge. The premise is to build a treasury around one common item. The first Challenge has netted about 125 treasuries! I want to include this along with my weekly treaury building...:)

Interested in finding out more? Check out this blog post. This week's item was Awakenjournaling's gorgeous leather key journal.

YOURS
Art Deco
Talk about a gorgeous and funky collection! I love the geometric emphasis in here. Gorgeous color too! Thanks to kitkingdesigns for including me in this wonderful collection!

Cozy Weekend at the Lake
I am really honored that out of all the participating Nonteam challengers, WickedDarling chose one of my pieces to be in her group of 16. It's a beautiful, rich curation and my earrings look fabulous in it!

If you comment on my weekly treasury (first one posted above!), you get the chance to be in next week's Hidden Treasures!
Thank for looking!
♥

Announcemnets - And the Winner is.....

2010-10-12T18:01:00.003-04:00

As many of you know, the lovely Nicole of Lillyella was kind enough to use me for one of her Spotlight featurees last week!

I got to talk a little bit about myself and I got to do a Giveaway for one of my pieces (shown below. Don't worry, I'm not wearing the earrings; it's a print!) or a gift certificate worth 20$!

Well, we have a winner!
JESSELYN A.

Congrats to you Jesselyn! You have already left me some sweet comments on my FB page which made me feel better. I hope you enjoy accompanying me on my journey and I can't wait to get to know you better!
♥

Hidden Treasures - Chain Mesh

2010-10-06T17:57:00.004-04:00

MINE
Chain Mesh
This collection was inspired by my two friends Stephanie and Julie who both make beautiful chainmaille jewelry. Both are featured in the listing as DoskasDeisgns and LunargentWorkshop.

YOURS
Feline Fun!
Meeeoooooww! This is a gorgeous collection full of warm yellow tones created by Art2ArtColorado.

October Rains
Cool and elegant and fresh all in one. This makes me anticipate the coming rains and snows...:) Created by TickledPinkKnits.

If you comment on the treasury, you get the chance to be in next week's Hidden Treasures!
Enjoy!
♥

Announcemnets - Gifted Designs featured on Lillyella!

2010-10-04T17:34:00.003-04:00

The lovely Nicole of Lillyella has been kind enough to use me for one of her Spotlight featurees!

I cannot tell you how exciting this is for me...:D

Lillyella is my favorite blog and to be on it in this way is a huge honor for me. Nicole is a huge source of inspiration in everything that she so creatively does.

Please show support by checking out the feature HERE.

You'll notice I'm doing a Giveaway to compliment the interview and so feel free to participate. Good luck to those of you who do!

I'm sick as a dog and I don't care. This feature has me on Cloud 9!
♥

Hidden Treasures - Golden Glow

2010-09-29T20:24:00.002-04:00

MINE
Golden Glow
This elegant, warm and welcoming treasury was inspired by Sue's necklace, holding it's place as first in the listing...:)

YOURS
Smile!
Just how FUN is this collection by FlourishBathBody? She managed to capture my personality with this one. I definitely smile a lot and yellow, green, aqua, orange and pink are some of my fav colors!

Smile!
What I love about this collection by CherubimArts is that she made it both soft and bright. Some of the items looks as delicate as whispers while some explode with vibrancy. Something magical is in the air, perhaps?

If you comment on the treasury, you get the chance to be in next week's Hidden Treasures!
Enjoy!
♥

Mini Marvels - Bellabijoujewellery

2010-09-28T08:37:00.004-04:00

It's Mini-Marvel time!

As many know, I have started on the path to learning how to metalsmith. I have been privileged to have the opportunity to meet some AMAZINGLY talented artisans from whom I have learned a great deal and been inspired to aim high and never give up! Bellabijoujewellery is one of those who inspired me to push my limits and aim for the sky...:)

I asked her to share a little about her journey:

I am one of those people who has a ridiculous memory. I can remember lyrics to almost every song I have ever heard. I can remember what I wore to the first day of school when I was 5. I can tell you what song was playing the first time I danced a slow dance at a school dance. I can remember saying I was going to be an artist from as far back as preschool.

Born and raised in Vancouver BC, my parents always encouraged my "crafty" side. Birthday and Christmas presents were always craft and art related - whether it was a paint easel, a sewing machine, or a pottery wheel ( yes, I was the only kid I knew that had a pottery wheel - mind you it was meant for kids and never worked quite right...). My mother ran her own small business, and my Dad was, is and always will be the ultimate build it guy. From houses, to boats, to cars and motorcycles - if you asked Dad to build it, he would. Its no wonder to me now how I grew up to be an entrepreneur with the "I think I can make that" mindset.

I didn't however choose to channel my artistic tendencies into metalsmithing right away. I was at a turning point in my personal life when I decided that the beaded jewellery I was already making and selling just wasn't doing it for me. Some say that is the best time to throw caution to the wind and try something new - and it was the best thing I have done in my adult life. A few months later brought a new place to live, with a new boyfriend (I really wanna say soulmate but am trying not to get too corny here) and support system, and my first set of jewellers tools.

From there I grew - as a person and an artist on a mission. I was going to teach myself as much as I can retain ( remember that memory thing? I think this is where it is finally coming in handy!) I am proud to say I am self taught by trial and error. I feel it proves my perseverance and passion for what I do. Each time I discover a new tool ( or better yet, and old tool), each time I light that torch, each time I put the final touches on a piece of jewellery, then stand back and look at it, I fall in love with metalsmithing a little bit more, and it reminds me that this is what I am meant to do!

I hope you enjoyed sharing in Bella's positivity and beautiful talent! I do every day!
♥

Sunday Showcase - Autumn

2010-09-26T10:52:00.002-04:00

1.kitkingdesigns2.glazedearth3.WeirdAndTwisted4.BijiBijoux5.louloututu6.heroicbeer
Each Sunday Showcase features one item from six wonderful shops based on a predetermined theme.

OMG! You guys gave me SUCH a challenge this week. I agonized over 2 HOURS putting this together because I was given such GREAT stuff to work with. Gorgeous, gorgeous items, gang! Thank you SO much for making this hard for me!

Want to have a chance to be selected for a Sunday Showcase? It's really simple!

♥ Check out the current Sunday Showcase thread running in Promos on Etsy to find out the theme for the following week♥ Comment in the thread if you feel you meet the criteria (or if you want to bump it up for others...;)♥ Comment on this post and tell me which of the six items is your favorite and why. Don't forget to post your shop URL so I know who is who!♥ ONLY SHOPS WHO COMMENT IN BOTH LOCATIONS WILL BE CONSIDERED!
Here's the current thread!
That's all there is to it! Simple, right?

I cannot stress enough the importance of leaving your shop URL and posting in both locations! I see BEAUTIFUL things that end up left by the wayside because those criteria are not followed! Links to your items are fine, but not at the expense of your shop url as they don't tell me right away who you are.

The thread will be open for participation until the Friday of the given week.

All items will be tweeted on my Twitter page and the link to this blog entry posted on my Facebook Fan Page.
Twitter
Facebook

Please feel free to follow me/fan me to keep up with my Features and all I have to offer!

All types of artisan crafts, vintage & supplies are up for consideration (unless stated in the Theme section in the Forum thread) so don't be shy!
♥

Hidden Treasures - No you're not seeing double! There are TWO this week!

2010-09-21T21:30:00.004-04:00

MINE
Last call for Summer...
...Heralding the Fall
I couldn't choose between the two and this is the result...:) All these sellers were kind enough to comment on previous treasuries of mine!

YOURS
None to report as far as I know!

If you comment on the treasury, you get the chance to be in next week's Hidden Treasures!
Enjoy!
♥

Sunday Showcase - September Blues

2010-09-19T16:38:00.003-04:00

1.AlexSharDesigns2.Scrollworkdesigns3.LifeSoapSimple4.marysmenagerie5.TheSilverLakeStudio6.topaz08
Each Sunday Showcase features one item from six wonderful shops based on a predetermined theme.

Aren't these items just gorgeous?! I'm so happy with my choices this week!

Want to have a chance to be selected for a Sunday Showcase? It's really simple!

♥ Check out the current Sunday Showcase thread running in Promos on Etsy to find out the theme for the following week♥ Comment in the thread if you feel you meet the criteria (or if you want to bump it up for others...;)♥ Comment on this post and tell me which of the six items is your favorite and why. Don't forget to post your shop URL so I know who is who!♥ ONLY SHOPS WHO COMMENT IN BOTH LOCATIONS WILL BE CONSIDERED!
Here's the current thread!
That's all there is to it! Simple, right?

I cannot stress enough the importance of leaving your shop URL and posting in both locations! I see BEAUTIFUL things that end up left by the wayside because those criteria are not followed! Links to your items are fine, but not at the expense of your shop url as they don't tell me right away who you are.

The thread will be open for participation until the Friday of the given week.

All items will be tweeted on my Twitter page and the link to this blog entry posted on my Facebook Fan Page.
Twitter
Facebook

Please feel free to follow me/fan me to keep up with my Features and all I have to offer!

All types of artisan crafts, vintage & supplies are up for consideration (unless stated in the Theme section in the Forum thread) so don't be shy!
♥

Hidden Treasures - Ruffled Feathers

2010-09-14T21:25:00.005-04:00

MINE
Ruffled Feathers
I was gazing with longing at all the pretty, feminine blouses that have been appearing in all the stores and decided to see what Etsy had to offer. I wasn't disappointed!

YOURS
Green With Envy
Nothing says fresh like bright green and chrissilynn2 certainly delivered. I'm coveting that Garnet so bad I can feel it through the screen!

Elegant Accessories
A great collection filled with lovely items created by magnumrx. I certainly agree that any of these pieces would be great for an elegant evening out.

If you comment on the treasury, you get the chance to be in next week's Hidden Treasures!
Enjoy!
♥

Sunday Showcase - Relaxation

2010-09-12T13:04:00.005-04:00

1.pixestreasurechest2.squid21r3.veterok4.TheMayFlower5.shinyfantasy6.NewCreatioNZ
Each Sunday Showcase features one item from six wonderful shops based on a predetermined theme.

I didn't have as many participants this time and I was surprised there were no bath & beauty selections. Either way, I like to think I made a lovely collection which expresses the theme of soft relaxation...:) Because I did not get enough participants, I supplemented the listing with one shop that was kind enough to take interest in my feature even though they thought they wouldn't have anything of interest to me for the theme...;)

Want to have a chance to be selected for a Sunday Showcase? It's really simple!

♥ Check out the current Sunday Showcase thread running in Promos on Etsy to find out the theme for the following week♥ Comment in the thread if you feel you meet the criteria (or if you want to bump it up for others...;)♥ Comment on this post and tell me which of the six items is your favorite and why. Don't forget to post your shop URL so I know who is who!♥ ONLY SHOPS WHO COMMENT IN BOTH LOCATIONS WILL BE CONSIDERED!
Here's the current thread!
That's all there is to it! Simple, right?

I cannot stress enough the importance of leaving your shop URL and posting in both locations! I see BEAUTIFUL things that end up left by the wayside because those criteria are not followed! Links to your items are fine, but not at the expense of your shop url as they don't tell me right away who you are.

The thread will be open for participation until the Friday of the given week.

All items will be tweeted on my Twitter page and the link to this blog entry posted on my Facebook Fan Page.
Twitter
Facebook

Please feel free to follow me/fan me/ to keep up with my Features and all I have to offer!

All types of artisan crafts, vintage & supplies are up for consideration (unless stated in the Theme section in the Forum thread) so don't be shy!
♥

The Market - New items for you!

2010-09-11T13:14:00.006-04:00

I was rather prolific this week and posted 4 new pieces for your enjoyment...seeing as my goal per week is 3 newly listed, I think I did pretty good!

Now, on to the show!

Enterprise Necklace
Enterprise Earrings
Azzuri Necklace
Mare Mystique Necklace

So my question for you this week is if you like the way I have displayed the pieces this week, or if you would prefer to see individual pictures the way I did here. I'm always struggling with length versus imagery and I'd love to know your opinions!

Next week, I'll be listing stand-alone earrings...;)
♥

Hidden Treasures - Bluebells in Autumn

2010-08-25T13:32:00.006-04:00

MINE
Bluebells in Autumn
I must have been thinking of the leaves turning and the cool, crisp, vibrant blue skied mornings when I went searching through my favorites...:) I also found some lovely items from some of the people who commented last week! Who knows, you could be on next week if you comment...;)

Enjoy!
♥

Hidden Treasures - Feline Fun!

2010-08-17T08:37:00.006-04:00

MINE
Feline Fun!
My cats were clowning around and just being adorable little poo-poo heads (said with utmost affection) and they completely inspired me to check out what else was adorable, fun and cute on Etsy.

YOURS
Lovely August
I loved this fresh collection by dancingintherains. Green is one of my fav colors and this one made me want to go outside and play in the grass...:)

If you comment on the treasury, you get the chance to be in next week's Hidden Treasures!
Enjoy!
♥

Mini Marvels - VickiDianeDesigns

2010-08-16T20:24:00.004-04:00

It's Mini-Marvel time!

As an admirer of those who do for others, I could not help instantly being respectful of VickiDianeDesigns...:) She's vibrant, generous and full of life and it comes through in everything she does so passionately.

I asked her to share a little about what makes life grand for her:

I'm in LOVE with life , colour music and art.
My creations are Bold, Vibrant, Sexy Funique and ALIVE. ( Hopefully as you read -- like me! )

I'm from London UK , where I left at 19 and travelled the world singing the blues and playing the piano. I came from a very theatrical and artistic background. My father being a film director and mum was a nurse but a fabulous pianist. I took up music and acting at an early age and spent a short time at drama school later.
My hobbies now are much the same...music (always LOUD while I'm working )...art, which I've been working at in some shape or form for over 20 years now...painting , fashion and jewelry...(and sport- when I can fit it in if I have any puff left ! )
I am lucky enough now to live between beautiful Southern Spain, Andalucia and the UK....guess which I like most ?

Regarding my designs, I've a HUGE passion for animal print, which I must have picked up on my travels , and also for vibrant rich, exotic and Mediterranean inspired colours, having spent many a moon relaxing on foreign sands and enjoying the amazing stunning sunsets !
I spend FAR too much time on Etsy and Facebook promoting other people (and occasionally myself ;) and love it !
As long as I can get to the gym or play tennis occasionally then I don't feel too guilty. I started a series of Etsy Treasury's nearly 2 and a half year years ago called **Artists Exposed * where I feature the artists from behind their shops and this has proved overwhelmingly successful and had people queuing up for a feature.
Now the format has changed and I have a non- stop rotation going on where there are as I write- well over 3000 views and over 4000 clicks already. I've kept it running since the end of April and it just proves that folk are nearly as nosy as me LOL !!! (I've only 750,000 artists to get through now :)

My designing gives me GREAT pleasure and doing this for you has been such fun. Thank you Shannon x

I hope you enjoyed her generosity, rara-avis spirit and playful work like I do!
♥

Sunday Showcase - Summer Splash

2010-08-15T09:39:00.011-04:00

1.yourcharmedlife2.WhatItSeams3.SixSkeins4.merriweathercouncil5.LoveMeAmberLee6.rtisan
After many months of hiatus, Sunday Showcase is back! *tosses confetti*

Each Sunday Showcase features one item from six wonderful shops based on a predetermined theme.

I had serious trouble picking a selection this time around. I had 4 different compositions that I had to choose from! Thank you SO much to everyone who participated for making this a challenge and for providing me with GORGEOUS items!

Want to have a chance to be selected for a Sunday Showcase? It's really simple!

♥ Check out the current Sunday Showcase thread running in Promos on Etsy to find out the theme for the following week♥ Comment in the thread if you feel you meet the criteria (or if you want to bump it up for others...;)♥ Comment on this post and tell me which of the six items is your favorite and why. Don't forget to post your shop URL so I know who is who!♥ ONLY SHOPS WHO COMMENT IN BOTH LOCATIONS WILL BE CONSIDERED!
Here's the current thread!
That's all there is to it! Simple, right?

I cannot stress enough the importance of leaving your shop URL and posting in both locations! I see BEAUTIFUL things that end up left by the wayside because those criteria are not followed! Links to your items are fine, but not at the expense of your shop url as they don't tell me right away who you are.

The thread will be open for participation until the Friday of the given week.

All items will be tweeted on my Twitter page and the link to this blog entry posted on my Facebook Fan Page.
Twitter
Facebook

Please feel free to follow me/fan me/ to keep up with my Features and all I have to offer!

All types of artisan crafts, vintage & supplies are up for consideration (unless stated in the Theme section) so don't be shy!
♥

Hidden Treasures - Sunset Lights

2010-08-10T18:59:00.007-04:00

Welcome to the new format for Treasuries! Before, I used to separate treasuries into the ones I made, mine, and the ones you all made, yours. Now I will be putting them all into one post once a week starting with my weekly Treasury at the top of the post. I'm hoping to have treasuries by you to post every week as well, but it may happen that I won't depending on how well I kept up with my new item postings...;)

MINE
Sunset Lights
A treasury inspired by the lovely sunsets I've been seeing from my balcony at home. It's amazing how much the setting sun colors the sky. Like God decided to take out His watercolors and dance across the sky...:)

It's possible that there are a few treasuries that I am in that I have not yet shared. I'll be sure to double-check and if I am correct, I'll update the Yours section in this post.

UPDATE!
I knew I'd missed at least one!

YOURS
Cerulean? Electric blue? Persian blue? Air force blue?
Definitely all of the above in this one! The vibrant blues were just really fun. Mammamiaeme is really sweet to have included me in this!

Enjoy!
♥

Mini Marvels - Bomobob

2010-08-09T15:13:00.004-04:00

It's Mini-Marvel time once again! Nothing like starting fresh with some amazing artisans!

I've always loved photography and I was pleased to come across the work of a fellow Montrealer. Bomobob has been around the block some and is a well known photographic entity in our fair city...:) Not only is he a talented gent, he's also a hilarious one and I have been privileged to get to know him.

I asked him to give us a little perspective on what makes him tick:

Somewhere there’s a photo of me at the age of about 5 or 6, at Upper Canada Village. In it, I have a 127 camera hanging from my wrist on a strap. It may be a Kodak Brownie, but I seem to recall it may have been green, which would probably mean it was an Imperial. I know that photo is around here somewhere, because it was always hanging in the stairway when I was growing up.

I guess that’s when it began. I was always fascinated by the idea of being able to freeze single moments in time and save them to look at over and over. Not just people, but places, events. Sure, that’s what photography is all about, but I caught the bug early on.

The local supermarket used to give out bonus stamps, and you’d stick them into booklets until you had enough to trade them in for something from their catalog. For me, it was Kodak Instamatic X-15, which I still use regularly.

I sometimes feel like I’m still back in that era, as most of my 60 or so cameras are from that period. I like the bad optics, the vignetting, the false colour…what’s referred to now as “vintage look”. And yes, I’m obsessed with carnivals, as they also take one back to a time of innocence and false colour and faded memories.

I tend not to travel light when it comes to cameras. There’s almost always one old twin-lens reflex camera for doing TTV photography, a Polaroid, a Holga, an Instamatic, and usually any one of a number of small 35mm rangefinders, along with either a film or digital SLR. And a tripod.

I hope you enjoy his gorgeous photography as much as I do. I have a calendar at home which I LOVE flipping through...:)
♥

I haven't disappeared...:)

2010-08-07T10:11:00.004-04:00

Hello everyone. Be prepared for a LONNNNNG post. I hope you'll find it worth reading!

As many of you know, it's been a few months since I last posted on my blog. This isn't because I lost interest. It was more because I was trying to figure out what exactly to do with myself and where I would go while doing it.

I've been very much considering Etsy and if I want to continue to sell there. The reasons for this is because Etsy has been having issue with both visibility and seller tools and in delivering on the things they've been talking about. Despite these issues, I have decided to continue selling on Etsy for now but I have also chosen to diversify as well.

CARGOH.com

I recently discovered this beautifully designed venue, Cargoh. It's BRAND NEW and in Beta and so it's got bugs and the poor admins have had a huge influx of Etsy sellers and are scrambling to keep up with us all...:) I am hopefully that this market will end up being an interesting competitor for Etsy. It's one of the few sites that doesn't just deliver on content and customer service, but on design as well. I've already set up my shop and I'm going to be listing some things as soon as the photos are ready to list...:) What's cool about it is a buyer doesn't have to sign up to purchase from it and my Twitter and Facebook page are linked right there for quick and easy following. The images are also super big and you can put up more than just 5 of them.

Here's my shop: http://www.cargoh.com/store/gifted-designs

Tell me what you think of it...:D

WHERE I WANT TO TAKE THIS BLOG

My blog is also something I've been giving a lot of consideration to. I wanted to figure out exactly what I wanted to do with it and where I wanted to go. I decided that I want this blog to be a mix of self-promotion and promotion of others. I was doing that in the past, but I was only really promoting my jewelry. Very little of MYSELF was here. I feel it's important for people to know ME, not just my jewelry and artistic endeavors.

I took a good chunk of time to just right down some of the things I want to do whenever an idea would pop in my head and here's what I've got for you.

WHAT'S SHA UP TO? (personal side)

-Monthly Giveaway: I will be giving away an item with a 20-40$ value. Each month will be a different item. This is not your typical giveaway. People will be participating to enter and then a voting system will be in place once entries are given. The total time spent to run the giveaway will be two weeks, one week for entries and one week for vote. The winner will be whoever has the most votes. The inspiration for this is from the lovely Lillyella, someone who inspires me in HUGE ways...:) I'll be going in further detail when I host my first one! I would be starting this on the 15th of every month.

-It's Personal: Once a week, I will highlight something I have been doing. It could be a recipe I tried, artwork I'm working on, jewelry I'm working on, sharing some new supplies I received, a tutorial to make something, sharing my thoughts on books I'm reading, sharing photographs of things that happened (be prepared for kittie pictures or vids!) or just thoughts and observations for the week. I really want to personally connect with you and I think one day a week devoted to that is a good thing...:) I was thinking this could be on Thursdays.

-Gemstone Spotlight: This is a segment I started with my Amazonite column. I LOVE stones, I always have...even before jewelry was ever a thought and I am looking forward to sharing my favorites with you once a month. I'm hoping that people will also share with me and bring forth suggestions for the following month. Amazonite, BTW, is my favorite stone, thus why I started with it...;)

PROMOTING MY SHOP

-The Market: Anything new listed in shop during the week would be showcased and talked about. I'm hoping to list 2-3 pieces a week and so I would talk about those pieces and I would show them off too...;) I do a sneak peak 3 days before on Facebook so if you follow me in both places, you'll know before others what's coming! If a piece sells before I can post it, I will still talk about it here...:) I will be posting this on Fridays.

-Announcements: If I have special news concerning my shop, news such as the Black Friday Event I participated in last year or perhaps craft fairs I'm attending, or features I may be in, I will be announcing them, if I can, on Saturdays before the events occur. If the event or feature happen before, I will make a post about them ASAP.

PROMOTING OTHERS

-Mini Marvels: I will definitely continue to promote individual shops and people that I love or have a wonderful connection with. These people could be on Etsy, on Artfire, on Cargoh or be actual stores with an on-line presence. As with the other examples, sellers will be asked to write a short blurb about whatever they would like. Links to their stores will be provided. This is a weekly post on Mondays. I'm open to suggestions for this as well!

-Sunday Showcase: I will also definitely be continuing the showcase! I have FAR too much fun making these! Six shops are featured based on a predetermined theme posted the week before. This is a weekly post on Sundays.

-Style Exchange: This is inspired by Lillyella's Style Swap. I wanted a way to showcase my fellow EtsyQ teammates and so I think this would be a great way to do it. I would basically choose one of their items and place them in two different situations. This could either be decorative or fashion in nature depending on the teammate! This will either be a bi-monthly or monthly segment on Wednesdays.

-Treasuries: Though my love affair with Treasuries has cooled a little, I still make them and people still include me in them for which I am eternally grateful...:) As the treasuries function in a different way now, I have considered showcasing them in a different way. Instead of separating treasuries into 'yours' and 'mine'. I was thinking more of making this a specific column weekly. I would feature the one treasury I made for the week as well as anyone else who included me in a treasury that week. This would do two things, A) Encourage me to make a new treasury every week and B)Localize them in one day rather then spreading them out. Tuesdays would be a good day for this...:) I may make this a bi-monthly column. I have not decided yet.

So all this basically makes my blog half about me and half about others. I think that's a great balance.

I would greatly love your opinions and I hope this was worth the read for you all. I really want to push myself to run my business more efficiently and in a much more planned manner. I think this will definitely help me get going with that! I would LOVE to hear any suggestions you all may have. Please feel free to share them!

I want to take the time to thank you all for being around and being patient with me. I hope this blog will become something you truly love to check out and read!
♥

My Treasury - Blush

2010-06-22T08:57:00.004-04:00

I have a friend on the Whiner's Thread on Etsy who makes gorgeous, elegant, timeless treasuries and she inspired me to actually try to make something muted and classic. I think this turned out quite well...:)

Check out Jewelryvixen's gorgeous treasuries here: http://www.etsy.com/treasury/people/jewelryvixen

Blush
This so makes me wish I was getting married so I could buy everything!
♥

Your Treasury - Hand Made

2010-06-20T09:42:00.005-04:00

I so love color! I opened a convo this morning to discover that I am in this bright, fun curation by jewelrybymichal.

It's got a really playful feeling and the vibrant items had me smiling...:)

Hand Made
Have a great Sunday!
♥

Your Treasury - On a Whim

2010-06-14T12:53:00.003-04:00

This sweet little grouping was made by the lovely Sarahkdesigns

I love how random it is but everything still goes together so nicely!

On A Whim
Have fun exploring!

Stay tuned for a very important blog post. I want to take this blog further and I'll be looking forward to your feedback!
♥

Your Treasury - Red Meets Blue

2010-06-12T18:06:00.003-04:00

A lovely collection full of brightness and fun created by Lisaburkin.

I wasn't feeling so hot today and so this was a lovely surprise and totally appreciated!

Red Meets Blue
Have fun exploring this one!
♥

Treasury - Playful

2010-06-11T19:06:00.004-04:00

I may just make this a regular part of my blog seeing as we can now make treasuries whenever we want and there's no time limit....:)

Playful
Enjoy!
♥

Treasury East

2010-06-10T08:20:00.008-04:00

Mellow Yellow
As many Etsians now know, Etsy has chosen to revamp the way the Treasury works.

In the past, the Treasury was Flash based. You had to wait for a specific number of slots to be freed up and then you had to pounce on a spot. You were also only allowed one Treasury at a time. Because Treasury West was open as a testing ground, people, if they were quick enough, could have two treasuries in the two locations.

There was a sense of excitement in getting a Treasury slot. You had to time it and wait. It was like waiting for your favorite team to score. Craftopolis.com even made a Treasury clock to better help people schedule their treasuries. It took a certain level of love and dedication to sit there and wait.

Soon, Treasury Main and Treasury West will be closed forever as we bring in the new generation of Treasury creation.

Treasury East

Daddy's Little Girl
There are pros and cons to TE (as I will refer to it from now on).

Pros
1- It's no longer flash dependent.
2- There are three prominent thumbnails to wet peoples' appetites visually before we ever get into the Treasury.
3- The new format is lovely and you see all 16 spots right away instead of only 12 (though only 12 show on the FP, the bottom 4 items being alternates).
4- Easily and quickly sharable through many websites.
5- All your treasuries are compiled under your user name so you can manage them easily and so people can see everything you've made.

Cons
1- Not searchable yet (they are supposedly working on this)
2- Only Hotness and Date Created are clickable to generate the top listings.
3- Views, clicks and comments are not being counted properly which skews data.
4- Items do not open in a separate tab which can be annoying and time consuming.

On top of those, we have things that people can't decide are pros or cons.

Unlimited Treasuries.
That's right, you can make as many as you like as often as you like. That means you can have half-finished content just floating uselessly in cyber-space.

Unlimited Time.
Treasuries no longer expire...even when they've long out-grown their time. It's now been put on the curators to maintain and/or delete old treasuries. Except that the unlimited TE thing means that people aren't really going to care about maintaining or deleting old content.

In my book those two things are cons but in many others' minds unlimited treasuries is great.

Regardless of sentiment, they lead to two more Cons:
5- It's IMMENSE...there are over 1600 pages already!
6- Your new Treasury doens't last long on the first page of 'Created'.

Bright Insanity
We've been told that Etsy wants TE to be searchable on Google and so that means they can't expire. Basically they'll be a great way to generate links for SEO.

There are a lot of things Etsy needs to do to make TE really great though. They need to make it searchable ASAP. They need to either eliminate or define Hotness because the old algorithms just don't work with an unlimited format. We've already noticed that 'Hot' Treasuries stay at the top FAR too long making TE look boring and static. They need to offer more sorting options than just Hotness or Created. They need to add a 'Skip To Page' box below the page numbers so that one can go to any random spot. Perhaps they even need to make Categories for TE now that there are so many to look at.

As a person who loved the Old Treasury it's taken me a few more weeks to come to terms with this rather boring, static TE. There's no more 'thrill-of-the-chase' in TE. Thankfully I can see the possibilities for how this could be a fun data-base and I can see how this could be a fine companion to Favorites.

So basically, I'll have to get used to it and maybe eventually even embrace it...:)

I leave you with the four TE treasuries scattered throughout this little article to peruse. Clicks and comments are still very much sought and appreciated! Three were made by me and one was made by the lovely Juliejongleuse, a fellow EtsyQ teammate...:)

Made in Quebec
See TE for yourself and think of the possibilities!
♥

Two treasuries...:)

2010-04-01T08:27:00.003-04:00

So I didn't get to highlight the lovely TheEye's treasury as I had left the screen capture at work and I wasn't able to screen cap it again at home. I'd like to take the chance to show it off even though it's long gone now...a shame...:)

Waiting on a Friend treasury

I'm also currently in an active treasury created by my friend, Jetflair...:) It's beautiful too and features one of my very favorite necklaces, Kiwi Q-T.

Springtime in the Park

You can still comment and click on Jet's treasury...:) Thank you ladies!
♥

Mini Marvels - Mia's Closet

2010-03-30T12:40:00.005-04:00

It's Mini-Marvel time! Well, it was yesterday, but I had connection issues because my provider is doing some work in my area.

Have you ever had the urge to find some cute cloths for your pets? To dress them up for special occasions? Well, Mia's Closet is definitely the place to start! She even does bridal and special event clothing for your furry friend...:) Not only is she a talented seamstress, she's a straight-froward and trustworthy friend. You always know that, though she may not say much, what she does say counts and she means it from the heart.

I asked her to share with us and she made a nice little compilation for us:

I hope you enjoy her beautifully crafted pet accessories. I so want a bow for my mom's dog...:)
♥

Sunday Showcase - For the Birds

2010-03-28T09:42:00.004-04:00

1.HomeOfficeDeco2.aggieray3.GraceyMay4.BellaPuzzles5.splendidthings6.Batwa
We're finally back up and running!

Each Sunday Showcase features one item from six wonderful shops based on a predetermined theme.

These lovely people submitted there items nearly a month ago and I happy to finally be able to show them off as they deserve!

Want to have a chance to be selected for a Sunday Showcase? It's really simple!

♥ Check out the current Sunday Showcase thread running in Promos on Etsy to find out the theme for the following week♥ Comment in the thread if you feel you meet the criteria (or if you want to bump it up for others...;)♥ Comment on this post and tell me which of the six items is your favorite and why. Don't forget to post your shop URL so I know who is who!♥ ONLY SHOPS WHO COMMENT IN BOTH LOCATIONS WILL BE CONSIDERED!
Here's the current thread!
That's all there is to it! Simple, right?

I cannot stress enough the importance of leaving your shop URL and posting in both locations! I see BEAUTIFUL things that end up left by the wayside because those criteria are not followed! Links to your items are fine, but not at the expense of your shop url as they don't tell me right away who you are.

The thread will be open for participation until the Friday of the given week.

All items will be tweeted on my Twitter page and the link to this blog entry posted on my Facebook Fan Page.
Twitter
Facebook

Please feel free to follow me/fan me/watch me to keep up with my Features and all I have to offer!

All types of artisan crafts, vintage & supplies are up for consideration (unless stated in the Theme section) so don't be shy!
♥

Stay Natural...Be Sexy Treasury!

2010-03-28T09:18:00.003-04:00

Coeurdepierres was lovely and included me in this wonderful treasury full of beautiful neutrals and rich browns...:)

I have another to show you guys, but I left the image at work so I'll be all mysterious until I can upload it for you all to see...:) Alas, I neglected to post these while the treasuries were still running and so no link directly this time!
♥

Mini Marvels - TheEye

2010-03-17T08:27:00.008-04:00

It's Mini-Marvel time! Well, many of you are prolly going it's about time! :)

A few months ago, I came across a thread way down in the bowls of the ETC. Forum and the people there were so welcoming that I quickly felt at home...:) Theeye is one of those people. Like her compatriots, she's super sweet and she's also an extremely talented Photographer. I always love coming across Canadian talent and I did in spades with this lovely lady.

I asked her to share a little bit about her perspectives and here's the wonderful things she shared:

Seeing Art in Everything

When Shannon asked me if I would like to be featured on her blog, I thought about what I wanted to share with her readers. I had no guideline to go by, or questions to answer, she just said, talk about whatever you want. So… we’re talking about seeing art everywhere.

Have you ever had somebody say, "Wow, you really have quite an eye for that" ….. I get this comment quite often and I mostly don't understand why. I suppose I think everyone sees things visually the same way I do. This must not be the case, however, as I have shot birds, bugs, flowers, skies and endless other images and upon sharing them with people, comments range from "you gave it a personality" ... "it's so ugly, but you made it look cute" .... "I wouldn't have photographed that in a million years" ... “I would hang that on my wall!” or "I didn't even notice that...."

That last one is probably my favorite. Maybe that's the secret? I notice things. Little things. Often when I watch movies, I'm so caught up in looking at the background, set and the surroundings, that I am not paying attention to the movie at all. Movies in my house must be watched at least twice for that very reason. It’s not that I don’t pay attention. I just pay attention to something other than the story.

Here’s an example of what I mean. A photo of a poppy out in the yard. A simple red flower, a little top heavy... swaying with the wind ... just an average shot, right? Before scrolling down any further, allow the imagination aspect of your organized brain to take control for a sec. Do you really see a poppy?

This particular time, what I saw was not a poppy...an ordinary summer flower ...what I 'saw' was a fish. A flowy goldfishy-koi type of fish.

Poppy Fish
It wasn't that my mind was purposely trying to envision something else, this gorgeous fish is just what appeared to my mind's eye as the images were uploading onto my computer screen ..... Then it was just a matter of applying the right Photoshop skills, so I could share that vision with you. Now any time you see JUST a poppy in the yard:

… someone else might be seeing the beautiful flowing fins of some exotic fish.

Poppy Fish 2
*****

The same principle applies with a lot of my digital photography. I can basically compose what I want my image baseline to be:

And then thru some skills and techniques in Photoshop, I can put into print what my imagination was envisioning:

Pink & Burgundy
Or perhaps I snap this photo...

But in my mind, I’m seeing this finished piece of art...

Dandelion
I'm not talking about seeing the Virgin Mary in a slice of toast, or Michael Jackson's face in a reflection of a cloud, (that would be cool though), but you might just surprise yourself with what is right in front of you.

If you open up that creative channel your brain, the one that lets you daydream freely, your right brain, your inner eye, third eye, your imagination...whatever name you give it, maybe you'll start 'seeing' poppy fish out in the yard, too. They're out there... you'll see. Literally.

Ellen

I hope you see the little things in her amazing work like I do!
♥

Spring Bloom Treasury!

2010-03-11T22:28:00.007-05:00

YAY! I'm back in the saddle! I wasn't able to post of remove spam or anything for almost a week and a half. I swear, it's amazing what you miss when it's gone!

That means that the Sunday Showcase will FINALLY be properly listed on Sunday and I will be continuing my Mini-Marvels series with a lovely young lady who I'm sure you guys are gonna love...:)

Meanwhile, I was able to snag a treasury and I was feeling all Spring-like and so voila! Please click and comment and help these wonderful artisans be seen!

Spring Bloom Treasury

I also learned I'm an alt in this gorgeously tie-dyed treasury by Theeye:
Got One Treasury♥

Treasuriessss EVERYWHERE!

2010-02-25T13:14:00.004-05:00

Wow...I discovered I'm in FOUR treasuries today. One each in Treasury Main and West, each with one alt position and one main position.

Cool, eh?

Here are the links for them all. Comments and clicks are always appreciated while they are on-going!

HappyTortoiseSupply continued his stone theme this week in this little beauty!

Stoned Again Treasury
I was pleasantly surprised to see my Spring Fling necklace features in this fun and colorful piece by TheBuzz.

Early Bird Catches the TREASURY Treasury
Aside from these two, I'm an alternative in these two beautiful and incredibly different treasuries. Thank you to both photomcgee and suza for thinking of me in their treasuries!
Bold and Beautiful TreasuryMy Pleasure...Treasury
♥

Olympics CAN distract you...lol

2010-02-23T12:40:00.003-05:00

Sorry gang, I COMPLETELY forgot to post up my Sunday Showcase this week. I was too busy getting excited over Olympic Events...:D

I'll be posting it up when i get home tonight so stay tuned!

EDIT: It would help if I actually brought the grouping home to finish editing it all!
This is twice I forget to send it to myself!

I may just skip this week altogether and post what was supposed to be shown on last Sunday THIS Sunday so you guys get the most exposure. I'd feel bad if all you get is three days versus everyone else's week!
♥

Sunday Showcase - Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T12:28:00.003-05:00

1.EvaKoestel2.SoStinkingSweet3.prendasbyenid4.handarts5.rejenerate6.jodieflowers
Each Sunday Showcase features one item from six wonderful shops based on a predetermined theme.

I dind't get much response this week and so I had to include everyone who posted regardless of if they actually followed the rules, which many didn't, and I then went and found wonderful items to compliment them...:)

Want to have a chance to be selected for a Sunday Showcase? It's really simple!

♥ Check out the current Sunday Showcase thread running in Promos on Etsy to find out the theme for the following week♥ Comment in the thread if you feel you meet the criteria (or if you want to bump it up for others...;)♥ Comment on this post and tell me which of the six items is your favorite and why. Don't forget to post your shop URL so I know who is who!♥ ONLY SHOPS WHO COMMENT IN BOTH LOCATIONS WILL BE CONSIDERED!
Here's the current thread!
That's all there is to it! Simple, right?

I cannot stress enough the importance of leaving your shop URL and posting in both locations! I see BEAUTIFUL things that end up left by the wayside because those criteria are not followed! Links to your items are fine, but not at the expense of your shop url as they don't tell me right away who you are.

The thread will be open for participation until the Friday of the given week.

All items will be tweeted on my Twitter page and the link to this blog entry posted on my Facebook Fan Page.
Twitter
Facebook

Please feel free to follow me/fan me/watch me to keep up with my Features and all I have to offer!

All types of artisan crafts, vintage & supplies are up for consideration (unless stated in the Theme section) so don't be shy!
♥

We're all stoners treasury!

2010-02-13T10:19:00.003-05:00

I am so pleased to have been included in this gorgeous treasury stuffed full of goodies from the earth.

Thanks HappyTortoiseDesigns for including me!

Comments and clicks are appreciated while the treasury is running!

We're all stoners Treasury

New treasuries and FP!

2010-02-09T21:43:00.003-05:00

Hi gang! I've been lucky in treasuries lately...:)

I was happy to be told of two more lovely treasuries I'm currently in but I haven't had a chance to show them off! Alas, they are both almost over, but you can still go and check them out for the next 6 and 9 hours...;)

My Lavender Lime necklace is featured in this lovely set-up by TheMayFlower. It's a really cute set-up and I think my necklace looks great next to all those fab items...:)

Bye Bye Miss American Pie Treasury
I was also placed as an alternative item in this pretty selection by noabrumberg who makes absolutely ADORABLE plushies and who is one of the brains behind Craftomania, a really cool toolbar for everything you could possibly need for Etsy and more...:) This particular selection was highlighted on the Front Page and, according to my friends over at the New & Improved Whiners thread, my alt item was put up on the FP for a little while...:D YAY! Alas, I can't find any screen caps with me in them and I wasn't on-line at all, but I am still happy that this made it for everyone else shown too!

FT Craftomania Bloggers Treasury
Feel free to click and comment where & while you still can...:) So excited to know that I am being found!
♥

Sunday Showcase - Ravishing Red

2010-02-07T17:42:00.004-05:00

1.Arianwen2.handmadebyannepotter3.senioritis4.tulusahomegoods5.MarrenDesigns6.magnoliasurprise
Each Sunday Showcase features one item from six wonderful shops based on a predetermined theme.

I had fun picking this week...:) It's amazing how these things end up shaping themselves! There are items I see that I am SO SURE are going to be in but then they don't fit together. That doesn't mean the items are any less beautiful! I hope you enjoy the selections this week...:)

Want to have a chance to be selected for a Sunday Showcase? It's really simple!

♥ Check out the current Sunday Showcase thread running in Promos on Etsy to find out the theme for the following week♥ Comment in the thread if you feel you meet the criteria (or if you want to bump it up for others...;)♥ Comment on this post and tell me which of the six items is your favorite and why. Don't forget to post your shop URL so I know who is who!♥ ONLY SHOPS WHO COMMENT IN BOTH LOCATIONS WILL BE CONSIDERED!
Here's the current thread!
That's all there is to it! Simple, right?

I cannot stress enough the importance of leaving your shop URL and posting in both locations! I see BEAUTIFUL things that end up left by the wayside because those criteria are not followed! Links to your items are fine, but not at the expense of your shop url as they don't tell me right away who you are.

The thread will be open for participation until the Friday of the given week.

All items will be tweeted on my Twitter page, the link to this blog entry posted on my Facebook Fan Page as well as on my DeviantArt page.
Twitter
Facebook
DeviantArt

Please feel free to follow me/fan me/watch me to keep up with my Features and all I have to offer!

All types of artisan crafts, vintage & supplies are up for consideration (unless stated in the Theme section) so don't be shy!
♥

The Lapidarium - Lick this! treasury!

2010-02-07T12:32:00.004-05:00

I haven't made a treasury in a while and so I thought I would make something in honor of all the great rockhounds I have had the pleasure to meet on Etsy...:)

These guys and gals wow me every time they post something new and if I could, I would buy ALL their rocks!

If you're interested in learning more about rocks, you can find us in the Etsy forums:
♥ Mis-Named Stones and Metals
♥ The Lapidarium
♥ Lick This! Your source for fresh cabs, slabs, and jewelry

Clicks and comments, as always, are extremely appreciated...:) The more clicks & comments, the higher up the treasury goes, the more people get to find treasures like these!

The Lapidarium - Lick this!

Yeah!!! treasury!

2010-02-07T11:21:00.002-05:00

Now who wouldn't want to be in a treasury called YEAH!!! I know it totally had me gun-ho to go check out the other pieces in this gorgeous set-up!

Thank you SO much, DCHStudio, for including me in your beautiful selections...I always love what you put together and I never thought I would be chosen by you to be included! It is an honor...:)

Feel free to click on this while it's still up and running, I'd say comment too, but the comments are filled already!

Yeah!!! Treasury

Mini marvels - JillMacCorkle

2010-02-01T08:32:00.002-05:00

It's Mini-Marvel time!

JillMacCorkle is a wonderfully talented designer and super sweet lady...:) What I love most about her work is her ability to pair something rough with something elegant and come out with classic pieces every time. Her pieces all have something in them that makes them special and removed from the everyday.

I asked her to share something about herself with us and here's what she had to say...:)

I’m honored to be featured on your blog, and among such good company as your past mini-marvels! I love that aside from gemstones and jewelry, we all share a similar view on the importance of honesty and integrity in our work and our lives. I could not “hang” with people who did not share that.

I’ve always been that person who looks at something and thinks, “I could do that!” When I was very young, I truly believed I could – with age, I’ve realized that it takes more than just that belief – you actually have to work hard and fail a lot on the way to success. But my natural inclination has led me to try things that I probably had no business attempting. I’m self-taught in just about every creative thing I do, and that includes jewelry making.

I first fell in love with jewelry as a young child, and I can clearly picture myself in class endlessly doodling designs for rings and necklaces on my notebooks. I was utterly convinced that I could make my designs reality, but I was held back by my lack of a rock tumbler. You know, the ones that show rough garden rocks going into the machine and shiny polished beautiful gemstones coming out? Santa never did bring me one. Sigh.

Over time my creative impulses went into other pursuits, like sewing, art, photography, home remodeling, and calligraphy. I still work at all those when I can, which is not nearly as often as I would like. I’ve also got two kids (twelve and nine years old), a husband, and a dog, so life keeps me busy.

The passion for making jewelry reignited in me about five years ago, after I helped a friend make some bracelets for a women’s conference. It was fun, and I figured maybe I could make a few things for myself and that it would be less expensive than buying jewelry. Little did I know! I went to the local bead store intending to get a few supplies, and ran smack into the gorgeousness that is inherent in natural gemstones. My inner five year old came out to play, still bursting with all those ideas from so many years ago, and I dove in. Somehow a few beads turned into many, many into more, and these days I think I could stock a bead store myself with all my supplies. I’ve learned through trial-and-error, a few good books, online tutorials, and the wisdom of other designers.

The funny thing is, I’m not one to wear a lot of jewelry, and I’ve never been into the jewelry you find in the big fancy jewelry stores. It’s all too perfect! I like a stone with some imperfection, something about it that shows its “life experience.” When I create new pieces, I love playing with color combinations and juxtaposing refined stones with more rugged ones. I’m not necessarily married to one style or type of jewelry – I’m just as likely to make a big chunky necklace as something delicate and light – but I do strive for a look that is classic with just a bit of a modern twist.

My inspirations come from everywhere! I’ve traveled all over. I grew up in Germany, and have also lived in Washington DC, Dallas, Portland, Chicago, Paris, and currently Seattle, so there are a multitude of influences in my life from other cultures and locales. I’m an avid reader of many different genres, love a wide variety of music, and am passionate about subjects as diverse as home birth, politics, history, education, and food. I also work as a freelance copyeditor, which gives my brain its workouts. Somehow it all informs my designing, directly or indirectly.

I feel I am always evolving in my work, and lately I find myself wanting to do things that require fire to shape and join metal. I don't think I’ll try the self-taught route on that one! I hope to combine metalsmithing with stringing to bring more of the designs in my head out into the real world. Maybe one of those sketches I drew when I was just a little dreamer.

I hope you enjoy her beautiful work as much as I do!
♥

Sunday Showcase - Hearts Galore

2010-01-31T10:58:00.007-05:00

1.funkydivadesigns	1.TheMayFlower
2.McKenneysKeepsakes	2.mykonos
3.SweetSallysSoaps	3.darlaanduni
4.Che4uDesigns	4.summerscreations
5.paleodeux	5.edyodeco
6.ninarowan	6.Bowwowpet

Normally, each Sunday Showcase features one item from six wonderful shops based on a predetermined theme.

This time around, I had such an array or traditional and non-traditional items that I literally could not choose between the two showcases I made. So you get BOTH! I'll let YOU decide which one you think I thought was traditional and which was not...;)

Want to have a chance to be selected for a Sunday Showcase? It's really simple!

♥ Check out the current Sunday Showcase thread running in Promos on Etsy to find out the theme for the following week♥ Comment in the thread if you feel you meet the criteria (or if you want to bump it up for others...;)♥ Comment on this post and tell me which of the six items is your favorite and why. Don't forget to post your shop URL so I know who is who!♥ ONLY SHOPS WHO COMMENT IN BOTH LOCATIONS WILL BE CONSIDERED!
Here's the current thread!
That's all there is to it! Simple, right?

I cannot stress enough the importance of leaving your shop URL and posting in both locations! I see BEAUTIFUL things that end up left by the wayside because those criteria are not followed!

The thread will be open for participation until the Friday of the given week.

All items will be tweeted on my Twitter page, the link to this blog entry posted on my Facebook Fan Page as well as on my DeviantArt page.
Twitter
Facebook
DeviantArt

Please feel free to follow me/fan me/watch me to keep up with my Features and all I have to offer!

All types of artisan crafts, vintage & supplies are up for consideration (unless stated in the Theme section) so don't be shy!
♥

Mini marvels - WireYourWorld

2010-01-25T08:08:00.004-05:00

It's Mini-Marvel time!

Here's a lady who lives with precision every day. WireYourWorld's beautiful & intricate, yet simple & elegant pieces have long been a source of admiration for me. I keep wondering HOW she does it and keep wanting to learn. She's sweet and so hardworking and has so much talent. I can only strive to achieve what she has with her designs.

I asked her to share a little about herself so we could have a look into HER world.

My interest in rocks started when I was a child. For some reason, I was always fascinated with dinosaurs and the time before man, the creatures that walked the earth, and the death and fossilization of those creatures. This translated over time to the study of how the earth formed, and all the types of pretty rocks created as time passes and the world changes. These interests were helped along by memorable (for me), field trips to the Peabody Museum in CT, and the Museum of Natural History in NYC.

Alongside of my interest in rocks and dinosaurs, around the age of 13, I was developing an interest in the ancient world of humans, King Tut was going on tour so it was all in the media, and talked about in history classes. We lived in CT, my father owned a Dairy Queen, and my mother was a nurse. With four children, money was tight. My mother found that the local Community College was going to have a course about Ancient Egypt, with the field trip at the end of the course, a trip to NYC and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, to see the King Tut Exhibit. This field trip was a much lower cost way to get the both of us to the exhibit. So, there was my mom, convincing College Administrators that a 13 year old should be allowed to enroll in the course. They let me in, I took the course, and passed the test. I suppose I still have a college credit on record somewhere for that! Needless to say, I enjoyed the trip, and the glass cube that enclosed the Mask of King Tut, is still vivid in my head.

How does this relate to the here and now? Lapis, ahhhh lapis. I had never seen such a gorgeous stone and there it was, in the mask, finely wrought in solid gold. I mean, c'mon!

Another thing my mother did for me, though I didn't know it at the time, was instill a love of finely crafted items, to be able to see the work, the craftsmanship in something well done, over something mass produced. This came about by helping my mother sell her "stuff" at flea markets. Lugging boxes and sitting for days on end at her table, and wandering around looking at others' "stuff", I learned to discern antiques from nic nacs, and quality craftsmanship from shoddy or mass produced. Somewhere along the way, there was a wire worker, and I was astounded at the work, but yet, time passed.

Enter late 1990's, and a wire worker at a renaissance fair, a tiny bead ring that I purchased and wore, for two years straight. I wanted to know how to make that ring. At some point it occurred to me there might be something online and in books, an lo and behold there was, and I learned to make that ring, then sold my first one at the local flea market, where I was attempting to sell mass produced jewelry. (Long story short, after being unsuccessful in a myriad of jobs ranging from postal worker to insurance agent and stock broker, I gave up on employers, and started my own little business).

After that ring sold, I search for more information on the basics of wire working and taught myself the basic wire sculpt and border wraps. I became a bit of a cabochon junkie as I decimated my savings to buy supplies. I quit looking at the work of other wrappers, and searched for a style that was uniquely me. As I worked I strove for elegant, because that was what I was taught by my mother, that you wear jewelry for elegance. My customers asked for simple, smaller, items that they could wear to the office, so I strove for sleek yet artistic. And at every bend I worked, and cursed at my fingers (but never at the wire!) to make the perfect coils, the perfect finishing touches, to make sure the ends were tucked neatly, to make sure its sturdy and will last. A common thing I say at shows to people browsing, "go ahead and fondle the merchandise! Don't worry if you drop it, if its harmed it means I didn't make it right, and I made it right!"

But, back to my cabochon obsession. I wanted more and more to work on my own stones. My inner child was coming back! Plus, I was aware I needed something to keep my business going when it wasn't craft show season. They say things show up when you need them the most. In December of 2008 I was searching Craigslist for anything lapidary, and found a mention of a yard sale that had already passed. :-( But, the phone number was posted, so, nothing ventured nothing gained, I called. I found the lapidary equipment was owned by the elderly father of the yard sale host, and had never made it to the sale! It was ALL still available. I met the couple and apparently they liked me and for a VERY good price, I was now the owner of equipment that new, would have run me at least $3000, and a small metal drawer unit of slabs. Wow. So, with no education beyond what I read online and in some old old cabochon cutting books, I began cabbing. I'm still very new at it, and I'm humbled that my creative jewelry peers see fit to purchase my cabochons. I cut and polish stones often while visualizing what I would make with that stone, and I try to bring out the pattern and polish so its something I myself would be unashamed to offer my customers as a finished piece of jewelry. Quality and craftsmanship, the way mom taught me. I get to do what I love, without embarrassing my mother!

I hope you enjoy her beautiful work as much as I do!
♥

Sunday Showcase - Anticipation

2010-01-24T11:58:00.004-05:00

1.ThePinkDillo2.myhandmadecrafts3.AcuteDesigns4.miascloset5.buddingcreations6.flauntdesignsjewelry

Each Sunday Showcase features one item from six wonderful shops based on a predetermined theme.

I so can't wait for spring that I wanted something vibrant and happy and spring-like...:) Not only did I get what I wanted, but you guys made it REALLY tough to choose!

Want to have a chance to be selected for a Sunday Showcase? It's really simple!

♥ Check out the current Sunday Showcase thread running in Promos on Etsy to find out the theme for the following week♥ Comment in the thread if you feel you meet the criteria (or if you want to bump it up for others...;)♥ Comment on this post and tell me which of the six items is your favorite and why. Don't forget to post your shop URL so I know who is who!♥ ONLY SHOPS WHO COMMENT IN BOTH LOCATIONS WILL BE CONSIDERED!
Here's the current thread!
That's all there is to it! Simple, right?

I cannot stress enough the importance of leaving your shop URL and posting in both locations! I see BEAUTIFUL things that end up left by the wayside because those criteria are not followed!

The thread will be open for participation until the Friday of the given week.

All items will be tweeted on my Twitter page, the link to this blog entry posted on my Facebook Fan Page as well as on my DeviantArt page.
Twitter
Facebook
DeviantArt

Please feel free to follow me/fan me/watch me to keep up with my Features and all I have to offer!

All types of artisan crafts, vintage & supplies are up for consideration (unless stated in the Theme section) so don't be shy!
♥

Sunday Showcase - Winter White

2010-01-18T18:32:00.004-05:00

1.ElunaJewelry2.lovestitched3.PixieDustFineries4.theemptynest5.soapdeli6.kittyd
Hi gang! Sorry I'm a day late on this one! I was at home working for my day job and I got all caught up in that!

Each Sunday Showcase features one item from six wonderful shops based on a predetermined theme.

This theme was inspired by a lady I saw walking by me on the street. She had a beautiful white trench coat on and some gorgeous white shades. She was SUPER elegant...:)

Want to have a chance to be selected for a Sunday Showcase? It's really simple!

♥ Check out the current Sunday Showcase thread running in Promos on Etsy to find out the theme for the following week♥ Comment in the thread if you feel you meet the criteria (or if you want to bump it up for others...;)♥ Comment on this post and tell me which of the six items is your favorite and why. Don't forget to post your shop URL so I know who is who!♥ ONLY SHOPS WHO COMMENT IN BOTH LOCATIONS WILL BE CONSIDERED!
Here's the current thread!
That's all there is to it! Simple, right?

I cannot stress enough the importance of leaving your shop URL and posting in both locations! I see BEAUTIFUL things that end up left by the wayside because those criteria are not followed!

The thread will be open for participation until the Friday of the given week.

All items will be tweeted on my Twitter page and the link to this blog entry posted on my Facebook Fan Page.
Twitter
Facebook

Please feel free to follow me/fan me to keep up with my Features and all I have to offer!

All types of artisan crafts, vintage & supplies are up for consideration (unless stated in the Theme section) so don't be shy!
♥

Mini Marvels - Bushkraft

2010-01-13T23:14:00.007-05:00

It's Mini-Marvel time!

Australia is a huge, beautiful place filled with treasures that many a man has yet to see. Pete from Bushkraft has had the pleasure of being able to find some of them for himself and we've been given the pleasure and honor of being able to share in his finds through his shop.

His pieces are stunning and his wife shows off her own talents right alone side him with some gorgeous wire-wrapped pieces. Not only is he one talented lapidary, he's also SUPER sweet and I am glad I had the opportunity to meet him...:) It would be so great for the gang from The Lapidarium to hop across the pond and see the world through his eyes!

I asked him to show us into his world and here's what he had to say!

Well what can I say ..... perhaps I should start with a big hug and a thank you to Sha for inviting me to say a little about myself and my life.

I love my life, I love my planet, I love living in the Western Australian bush and am honoured that other life forms choose to share the experience with me, including of course my wonderful wife, and four gorgeous daughters, I also love kids and old ladies, and just about any thing with skin, fur, feathers or scales, and I also love philosophy (which is a bit like saying that "I love the love of knowledge" which doesn't make sense)

I dislike, bullies, greed, cruelty in any form, the finance industry, corruption in government, pettiness, and people who do not understand why duty, honesty, loyalty, and Integrity are so important, Oh and politicians that think it's OK to tell whopping great lies to the very people that put them in power, and men who use their size or physical strength to intimidate or to give them an unfair advantage.

During my life so far, I have been a soldier, an adventurer, and an explorer, and like most Australians I have traveled extensively overseas, I have no idea if there is a God (sometimes I wish that I did ) but I do believe that life is about learning and passing on that information to others so that they in turn can pass on the knowledge, in this way the accumulated wisdom of experience is passed on down the generations, this is how it has always been and this is how it should be.

I have a tremendous respect for the natural world and greatly admire those indigenous people of this planet who remain connected to the spirit of the land, to me the belief that every creature has equal value makes sense, none should be considered vermin because every species plays its part in ensuring that the planet works, the biggest danger to the planet is man, in many areas we have become an introduced feral species that has reached plague proportions, we have become so obsessed with progress that we missed the chance to learn from the ancient peoples who really knew the ways of nature, and could have taught us things that now we will never know.

I am happiest when I am in my outdoor workshop with a piece of wood or a lump of rock, a dog or two close by, sometimes a cat or a chicken will join us and quite often Tommy our pet goat also will stand watching from his compound, this to me is what makes life worth living, I know that it sounds strange but that piece of wood or rock is somehow able to tell me what it wants to become, sometimes I put the material next to the saw blade or the grinder and it says "no not there" anyway between us we are eventually able to produce stunning pieces that were designed and formed by mother nature sometimes over millions of years, but crafted by man, and I am able to proudly say (to myself of course) "that man was me" !

I am a sentimental but stubborn bugger and I always try to be true to myself, I cry when I see kids in pain or when someone achieves an impossible goal (like the girl staggering towards the finishing line in an Olympic marathon ) I built the house that we live with my own sweat (and the odd drop of blood) helped on occasions by my long suffering wife, I put little value on how folk look I am far more interested in how they think and what they can do.

Take care and thanks for taking the time to read this stuff.

See? What did I tell you...SUPER sweet! I doubt his wife is at all long-suffering with such a wonderful man in her life...;) I'm right about his cabs too so you should run over and check them out before they are all gone!
♥

Shop Featured in Blogs!

2010-01-12T21:30:00.006-05:00

I was lucky enough to be featured twice this month in two great blogs.

Both are super fun to read!

TheEclecticElement had a really fun questionnaire and put my answers together in a really cohesive way. She made me have fun reading about me...*lol*

Check out her interview here!

Secondly, we have the lovely Soul Reader who's fun blog is filled with spiritual insite. What I loved about her feature is that it was unlike any other I have ever done. It wasn't just about who I am and what I do. But about WHY I am who I am and I do what I do. It was very thought-provoking and I am honored to be one of her chosen artisans!

Check out why I tick the way I do here!

Thank you so much to both Ladies for being kind enough to feature me in such fun ways. I truly enjoyed working with you both and I hope I have the opportunity to act in kind...:)
♥

Sunday Showcase - Two for Tea

2010-01-10T12:54:00.005-05:00

1.lightkeeping2.pearlatplay3.nutraj4.gutsche5.KatalinaJewelry6.ptitebaloue
Each Sunday Showcase features one item from six wonderful shops based on a predetermined theme.

Yesterday was my birthday and I'm a twin and today is a double-digit duo day! As a result, I wanted to celebrate things in pairs and the selection I received from amazing artisans had me stumped on a combination for HOURS! Thank you SO much to everyone who participated!

Want to have a chance to be selected for a Sunday Showcase? It's really simple!

♥ Check out the current Sunday Showcase thread running in Promos on Etsy to find out the theme for the following week♥ Comment in the thread if you feel you meet the criteria (or if you want to bump it up for others...;)♥ Comment on this post and tell me which of the six items is your favorite and why. Don't forget to post your shop URL so I know who is who!♥ ONLY SHOPS WHO COMMENT IN BOTH LOCATIONS WILL BE CONSIDERED!
Here's the current thread!
That's all there is to it! Simple, right?

The thread will be open for participation until the Friday of the given week.

All items will be tweeted on my Twitter page and the link to this blog entry posted on my Facebook Fan Page.
Twitter
Facebook

Please feel free to follow me/fan me to keep up with my Features and all I have to offer!

All types of artisan crafts, vintage & supplies are up for consideration (unless stated in the Theme section) so don't be shy!

Artists Exposed Treaury and New Items!

2010-01-08T23:09:00.009-05:00

I'm so excited! I've been trying to take a shot of myself FOREVER for VickiDianeDesigns' fabulous Artists Exposes Treasury Series. This is actually the third time I try! The last two I shot got sold before they even made it to Etsy...*lol*

Because of that, I kept the two beautiful pieces below on the down-low...;)

Here is Vicki's wonderful treasury. Comments and clicks would be awesome while the treasury is still running. I'm hoping for sales and hearts and the chance to meet some wonderful new people...:D

Artists Exposed Treasury
I chose to put up this particular piece because it's so classic. That's how the name Film Noir came about...:) It's a study in contrast and opposites.

Film Noir Necklace for Sale
The contrast is in the colors and textures of the piece...:) Oxidized silver versus shiny silver, silver versus gold, black versus pale pink, large versus small and sharp faceting versus organic, smooth shapes.

Isn't it great that you get all this visual impact in such a simple, elegant necklace? What's also nice about the huge diamond-shaped, faceted Smokey Quartz is that when the light hits them, they have a lovely golden hue...almost like looking into a rich pint of Guinness...:) The Rose Quartz connector provides a much softer light play. To play up those golden tones, I included some lovely faceted rondelles of Pyrite.

Film Noir Earrings for Sale
I chose to continue the idea of contrast by making the earrings a little more elaborate and using more of those lovely, sparkly pyrite rondelles. Again, both shiny and oxidized silver were used and I even used contrasting headpins, some are flat-ended and some are rounded. They catch the light really nicely when you twirl them...:) The last picture should give you a great idea of their scale. They are hanging on a to-scale image I took of myself just for this purpose!

Enjoy! I have a lot of new items coming!
♥

Mini Marvels - AnvilArtshop

2010-01-06T20:14:00.004-05:00

It's Mini-Marvel time!

AnvilArtshop is just one of those shops that delights all the senses and it's run by a super cool lady who also happens to be a fellow Canadian...:) She's so talented and all her pieces have a unique, high quality appeal. Definitely someone who inspires me!

If you love fabrics, she also runs a beautiful shop full of vintage and unusual textiles: TextileJunkies

I asked her to tell us a little about herself:

I wear a lot of hats these days: clothing designer, leatherworker, metalsmith... I love creating something classic, but with an unexpected twist!

My favorite professor taught us that one of the hardest design principles is to keep things simple -- words I try to live by. When you have limited tools to express your design -- whether it's only two seams on a garment, only two pieces of metal, or only two textures of leather and suede -- then each element must be perfect. Precisely what you need, to create precisely what you want.

Sounds a little -- uptight, to put it nicely! -- but it's what I do best, and thankfully my clientele seems to agree. :) Creating custom designs for diplomats, CEOs, and politicians for the past 18 years has definitely been a challenge, as no two pieces could be alike... ever.

I'm always seeking new skills to add to my design work: textile dyeing, leather carving, welding, even blacksmithing fascinates me -- although I doubt I'll be allowed to practice that one in the house! As I believe that the day you stop learning is the day you should just keel over and quit, I hope to be exploring this path for years and years to come... hmmm, pass me that blowtorch, would you?

The texture to be found in her shops is just so fun I wish I could run my fingers over everything to experience it all in person!
♥

Sunday Showcase - 2010

2010-01-03T18:17:00.003-05:00

1.GalleriaDiGiani2.SimpleTastes3.thesaltypeanut4.DesignedByLucinda5.ChrissyAnnCeramics6.DonnaTellerJewelry
Each Sunday Showcase features one item from six wonderful shops based on a predetermined theme.

January represents many things to me. It represents a time for renewal and organization, a celebration and, as a Capricorn, a birthstone. This feature is a combination of all those things. Happy New Year everyone!

Want to have a chance to be selected for a Sunday Showcase? It's really simple!

♥ Check out the current Sunday Showcase thread running in Etc. on Etsy to find out the theme for the following week♥ Comment in the thread if you feel you meet the criteria (or if you want to bump it up for others...;)♥ Comment on this post and tell me which of the six items is your favorite and why. Don't forget to post your shop URL so I know who is who!♥ Only shops who comment in both locations will be considered
Here's the current thread!
That's all there is to it! Simple, right?

The thread will be open for participation until the Friday of the given week.

All items will be tweeted on my Twitter page and the link to this blog entry posted on my Facebook Fan Page.
Twitter
Facebook

Please feel free to follow me/fan me to keep up with my Features and all I have to offer!

All types of artisan crafts, vintage & supplies are up for consideration (unless stated in the Theme section) so don't be shy!

Yay!

2009-12-31T10:12:00.003-05:00

Myspace Happy New Year Comments
I hope you all bring in the New Year with a fresh perspective and that you all have love, joy and success in everything you do.

Thank you SO MUCH for sharing in my journey with me.

Here's to a New Year!
♥

Studio Time

2009-12-30T23:40:00.007-05:00

In my new apartment, I actually have proper space designated for all my arts and crafts as well as my computer...:)

This room will grow right along with me through my journey into the world of jewelry designing.

I thought I could perhaps share with you the humble beginnings and as I add to the room, you could experience it's growth right along with me.

At the same time, I get to show you some works in progress which are always fun!

My desk...:) It's old, it's beat up and I LOVE it...:D

Some of the pieces I've begun to lay out. I'm either waiting for findings to complete them, or they haven't told me yet quite how they want to be finished...;)
The new way I'll be shooting my earrings. The photo is to scale so it should give people an idea of how it'll fit them wihtout the ew factor of a live model!

The beginnings of my storage empire...:D I'm going to be getting more of these as well as shelving, storage containers that are stackable and probably a tool box. I'm only JUST starting to amass the tools I need
My photography area. Pitiful right now, and you'd laugh at the horror of a light-box I just made for myself, but it'll be improved as I go!
I have so many plans. Right now, I've got boxes everywhere from moving, but I have been told I have a locker so those will be going in there. Once that's done, I'll be able to put up my drawing table and maybe, ya know, draw things now and then...;D

I want to get tons of inexpensive plastic storage for ALL my art supplies. Right now, everything is crammed into boxes. I need to seriously go through it all and see if there's anything duplicated that I could give to charity or bring to my old school to see if any of the students there could use a bit of help with free supplies. Especially the Interior Design department. There's a lot of tools I purchased that I just do not use because I changed programs, some of which are very expensive to purchase new and are hard to find used.

I also have plans for the wall my desk is against to inspire me and brighten up the place...:) I come across fabulous photographs of decor, jewelry and art all the time. I fully intend on asking permission of the artists to print out the low res versions of their items and plaster my wall with them. So my whole wall will become a super colorful inspiration board!

Of course, I'll need a printer for that...*lol*

How could I NOT want to work in such a space???

So tell me, what does YOUR work space look like? Feel free to share!
♥

Midnight Magic Treasury

2009-12-30T11:13:00.005-05:00

This treasury has such a ghostly quality to it, it's rather uncanny. I love fanciful and otherworldly things and so I'm really touched that I was included in something to emotive! Thank you Art2ArtColorado!

Comments and clicks would be great so people can see how lovely this is!

Midnight Magic Treasury

Round and Round We Go Treasury!

2009-12-28T09:46:00.002-05:00

I was coming across a lot of really beautiful circular pieces and so I thought why not show them off together!

This lovely treasury is the result. Clicks and comments are always welcome as long as the Treasury is active!

Round and Round We Go...Treasury

Sunday Showcase - Sophistication

2009-12-27T12:42:00.004-05:00

1.redrubyrose2.vineyardcreek3.sleepymoondesign4.brownsco5.heatherkingdesigns6.WeeGardens
Each Sunday Showcase features one item from six wonderful shops based on a predetermined theme.

Want to have a chance to be selected for a Sunday Showcase? It's really simple!

♥ Check out the current Sunday Showcase thread running in Etc. on Etsy to find out the theme for the following week♥ Comment in the thread if you feel you meet the criteria (or if you want to bump it up for others...;)♥ Comment on this post and tell me which of the six items is your favorite and why. Don't forget to post your shop URL so I know who is who!♥ Only shops who comment in both locations will be considered
Here's the current thread!
That's all there is to it! Simple, right?

The thread will be open for participation until the Friday of the given week.

All items will be tweeted on my Twitter page and the link to this blog entry posted on my Facebook Fan Page.
Twitter
Facebook

Please feel free to follow me/fan me to keep up with my Features and all I have to offer!

All types of artisan crafts, vintage & supplies are up for consideration (unless stated in the Theme section) so don't be shy!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2009-12-24T13:35:00.006-05:00

Send this eCard !
I just wanted to send out a little shout out and a little e-card to everyone who follows and subscribes to me. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate the time you take out of your day to share my experiences with me.

I hope to bring you lots of new posts, new pieces, new features and new fun in the New Year!

Be happy, be merry, love and be loved and above all be safe!

Merry Christmas!
♥

Return of the Redheaded Rokali treasury!

2009-12-23T12:25:00.000-05:00

Theeye was super sweet and put me with this amazing group of people. I cannot tell you what an honor it is for me to be included in with such talented and wonderful people...:)

Thank you!

Take a gander for yourselves and feel free to click and comment if the treasury is still active when you see it!

Return of the Redheaded Rokali Treasury

Mini Marvels - MmeMagpie

2009-12-23T08:49:00.003-05:00

Better late than never...;)

It's Mini-Marvel time!

You know that person who you can always count on for sound advice about stuff you're interested in? Well, MmeMagpie is the person many of us over at Mis-named go to when we're in a bind when it comes to stones. She's always there with advice and she makes such beautiful things!

She's also got a fabulous supply shop in MmeMagpieSupply which I'm sure will be filled with treasures again soon. I sort of emptied it out this morning...*lol*

I asked her tell us a little more about who she is:

I have this memory from when I was much shorter of tugging my mom's skirt, looking up at her, and saying as earnestly as only a very small human can, "I'm going to be an artist when I grow up!" Her gift of seed beads and a loom at the age of eight, or so, got me started on this long road that ends, for now, in a small shed in my back yard.

A combination of beads, thread, and creative ingenuity started this adventure. Formal education doesn’t really figure into any of it, just trial and error and a few books. At 21, when a friend asked to buy something I was working on, a light just came on and that’s when I knew jewelry was the path I should take.

Not long after, I moved to Virginia Beach where I wandered into Silver Stream with a briefcase full of glass bead and brass wirework jewelry and walked out with a job (and a briefcase full of brass and glass jewelry). There I learned the joy of having the flame in one hand and tweezers in the other. And hammers. And drill bits…

Well, I learned the joy of working metal in high school. Sometimes I wish Mr Burkholder would have lived a few more years so I could have showed him some of my early, misshapen silver projects. I think he would have been tickled to know his one female student wound up a working metal. I remember him sometimes, especially when I smell hot steel and scorched lubricants.

Ahem. I ramble.

My gem obsession was a simple side effect of falling in love with jewelry. It started with, “Ooooh, that’s pretty” to “What is this, exactly” to “Hmm. That rhodolite looks a little different from the rubellite, but they’re the same color. What gives?” The last question sent me to California and the GIA for six months. I got my GG for Christmas that year. Best present EVER.

Any way you slice it, I’m a gem and jewelry nut through and through. I can’t even imagine retiring. Stop doing this? I can’t think of one reason to give up working with beautiful things and meeting the people who share my joy.

Enjoy her shop and her knowledge!
♥

Wow...I won!

2009-12-22T19:54:00.004-05:00

I'm SO excited!

About a week ago, I put up a blog post about A Little Bit of Pretty. She was having a fun giveaway over at Akane's blog.

Well, I won the prize out of 149 comments! I'm so thrilled. Check out how beautiful my prize is!

Her shop is full of little beauties as lovely as this so go check her out and while you're at it, Akane's got a New Giveaway right now and it's awesome too!
♥

Sunday Showcase - Unconventional

2009-12-20T17:17:00.003-05:00

1.artfulstitches2.sugarplumsweet3.VivaLaViolette4.newhopebeading5.michellebrunner6.Onbendedneedle
Each Sunday Showcase features one item from six wonderful shops based on a predetermined theme. Only two participants followed the rules this week and so I was only able to showcase those 2 and 4 others I picked myself to compliment them.

Want to have a chance to be selected for a Sunday Showcase? It's really simple!

♥ Check out the current Sunday Showcase thread running in Promos on Etsy to find out the theme for the following week♥ Comment in the thread if you feel you meet the criteria (or if you want to bump it up for others...;)♥ Comment on this post and tell me which of the six items is your favorite and why. Don't forget to post your shop URL so I know who is who!♥ Only shops who comment in both locations will be considered
Here's the current thread!
That's all there is to it! Simple, right?

The thread will be open for participation until the Friday of the given week.

All items will be tweeted on my Twitter page and the link to this blog entry posted on my Facebook Fan Page.
Twitter
Facebook

Please feel free to follow me/fan me to keep up with my Features and all I have to offer!

All types of artisan crafts, vintage & supplies are up for consideration (unless stated in the Theme section) so don't be shy!

New items in shop...and some that got away!

2009-12-17T19:19:00.006-05:00

Hello everyone!

I just realized that I completely forgot to share some items I made and sold before they even got to my shop...*lol* Not that I'm complaining AT ALL, of course...:D

I also have one new necklace that's in shop waiting for just the right person...:)

I happened across these beautiful top-shelf sugalite rondelles totally by chance after talking with a good friend of mine in the forums! I was totally shocked to see them and the price made me blanch.

They were SO inexpensive! So I contacted my friend who happens to be in love with this stone and knows just about everything about it and he confirmed that it was indeed what I thought it was and he thought I should nab them quick. And so I did! I ended up making a VERY simple piece for them. I absolutely wanted to showcase the way these gems GLOW. That bright fuchsia is EXACTLY what the stones look like. It's almost eerie how much life they have.

I was also very happy when one of my lovely coworkers chose to bring this beauty home. I'll be lucky to see it every now and then...:)

For my followers who also deign jewelry, do your supplies 'talk' to you? Mine sort of do. I get an immediate idea of how I could sue something either with something existing or something I've seen but not purchased yet.

Well, when I first came across the beautiful Amazonite pendant, it was talking a mile a minute, but when it finally arrived, it went silent and so it took me a long time to figure out what to do with it when I took out some left over Amazonite brios and happened to have the smokey quartz faceted rounds out too. The results are elegant and classic with a touch of pizazz...:)

Again, I am lucky that the necklace and earrings went to another of my coworkers and so I'll get to admire it on her!

Spring Fling necklace for sale
This cutie is up in my shop right now. I don't know about you, but we've had 2 weeks of cold and snow and I'm already longing for spring! This necklace celebrates that longing...:) I used the brads from the same set as my Jessica Earrings and so even though they are not matched, they definitely go, if you're looking for a set!

I just love the way the green and soft grey-blues and turquoises play together in this. There's also great contrast between the texture of the fabric and the shine of the glass beads.

This piece was a challenge to put together because I had to do it so that the mechanisms in the back were hidden from view. I rather think I was successful and all the components on the back are smooth and so won't scratch you skin!

If you're looking forward to the birds' and the bees' return, perhaps this is for you...:)

I'm working on getting the pieces ready to put together my own Light-box. I'll be shooting form home from now on and so I definitely need one. I can't wait to add all my new pieces!
♥

Mini Marvels - Peggyhodge

2009-12-14T13:09:00.005-05:00

It's Mini-Marvel time!

I'm always impressed when people can make an impact while being soft-spoken. Peggyhodge is quiet, but her photography and her stones aren't. They are filled with life and beauty and I feel that they match her well.

I asked her to share a little about herself with us and I was honored that she complied:

My journey into the lapidary world was an unintentional one. My sister won a free year membership in the Oshkosh Earth Science Club and dragged me to her first meeting. There we learned that she could learn to make cabs in the workshop so she dragged me to the class also. The rest was history, or should we say, written in stone. My photography started to take a backseat to making cabochons.
After being trained in making cabs, spending 2 hours on a Saturday wasn't enough time for me. I soon bought my own machines. I took the intarsia class offered at the club. Then in August I went on my first field trip to the kona dolomite quarry in Upper Michigan.

I have been taking photographs since I was a kid, as you can see from my avatar. That's me at 4 years old. I love taking photos of the beauty of nature. Also The EAA Airventure in Oshkosh offers the opportunity to take fantastic photos, both action and abstract shots.

I am so lucky to have been graced with her presence and that she opened up to us all...:)
♥

Giveaway over at Akane's.

2009-12-13T22:38:00.007-05:00

Hey gang! Akane is running a really neat giveaway for a fellow Canadian shop, A little Bit of Pretty. Well, I don't know if that's the right shop name...I think it should be A Whole LOT of Pretty...*lol*

This is my favorite piece in her shop. I really love rough stones. There's just something in them that polished pieces lack. Not to say that polished and faceted pieces aren't beautiful in their own right, but they have a whole different kind of life and light play.

I really recommend checking her out. She's got lovely items!
♥

Sunday Showcase - Traditional

2009-12-13T13:05:00.005-05:00

1.kippyssomature2.PlumpFairy3.glamasaurus4.Gilliauna5.Littletwinklestar6.CrownBindery
Each Sunday Showcase features one item from six wonderful shops based on a predetermined theme. Again, I was provided with absolutely GORGEOUS items and I ended up having about 5 different showcases before choosing this one. Please go and see all the wonderful participants for this week's Showcase in this thread. They so deserve the exposure!

Want to have a chance to be selected for a Sunday Showcase? It's really simple!

♥ Check out the current Sunday Showcase thread running in Promos on Etsy to find out the theme for the following week♥ Comment in the thread if you feel you meet the criteria (or if you want to bump it up for others...;)♥ Comment on this post and tell me which of the six items is your favorite and why. Don't forget to post your shop URL so I know who is who!♥ Only shops who comment in both locations will be considered
Here's the current thread!
That's all there is to it! Simple, right?

The thread will be open for participation until the Friday of the given week. Saturday will be used to go through selections and create the mosaic!

Shops CAN be featured multiple times, but I will do my best to never feature a shop more than once in a 3 months span. I will be keeping records of who is chosen so as to follow through on this promise.

All items will be tweeted on my Twitter page and the link to this blog entry posted on my Facebook Fan Page.
Twitter
Facebook

Please feel free to follow me in any of the locations and here to keep up with my Features and all I have to offer!

All types of artisan crafts, vintage & supplies are up for consideration so don't be shy!

Mini Marvels - Jetflair

2009-12-07T08:15:00.004-05:00

It's Mini-Marvel time!

Jetflair, the designer behind Distinction Jewelry, knows the benefits of showcasing fabulously gorgeous gemstones behind simple, elegant designs. Her shop is FILLED with absolutely amazing set-jewelry and beaded pieces featuring beautifully cut stones as well as funky inspiration pieces. She's definitely a source of inspiration and someday, when I grow up, I want to be able to make beauties the way she does!

I asked her to talk a little about herself and here's what she had to say:

Thanks for doing me the honor of featuring my work on your blog! I am fascinated (or to put it perhaps more honestly, obsessed) by gemstones; in fact sometimes I think I continue to persevere in the hyper-competitive jewelry market simply to have a valid excuse to work with an amazing variety of pretty rocks.

There are two main types of stones you’ll find in my work: faceted gems and gemstone cabochons. Faceted gems are the beautiful sparkly creatures you’re used to seeing in fine jewelry stores, traditionally cut from transparent gems. Cabochons are often cut from those same stones, but more commonly are hand-cut to show off a remarkable variety of patterns and colors occurring in opaque or translucent stones not traditionally seen in jewelry. These are usually one-of-a-kind and collecting them is truly addicting.

I tend towards two broad styles in jewelry design; minimalist presentations that highlight the natural beauty of the stone by allowing it to take center stage, and thematic or graphic designs which use stones as design elements in, for instance, a desert landscape or a star constellation. I have never been able to draw with a pen and ink, but I can do so in gems and metal.

My primary inspirations couldn’t be more different; one is raw reality as found in the naturally occurring art of nature, and the other is fiction. I am drawn to nature’s extremes and natural power. Lightning. Tornadoes. Hurricanes. Deserts. The wonders of outer space. Portraying them using materials created by natural forces seems only too fitting.

Being as I’m a total geek at heart, I also find ample inspiration in the fictional worlds of my favorite characters and stories, especially those from my favorite TV shows like Firefly, Stargate Atlantis, Flashpoint, and Numb3rs. This makes designs like my popular Galaxy Series pendants and bullet shell casing jewelry a natural fit for my work.

One pendant I made recently involved melting down sterling silver in a small crucible and plunging a piece of real iron meteorite into the molten metal. Letting it cool created a unique pendant quite literally forged from the fires of earth and space.

It thrills me to sell my jewelry online; my work is being worn in exotic locations across the world, by celebrities, and in most states in the US. I love writing foreign addresses on envelopes, and one day I’d love to have time to compile a world map showing where my pieces have gone. It’s almost like vicarious travel!

Looking forward to the future, I’m interested in exploring more methods and designs like crushed stone inlay and acid etching. I will also be testing out the idea of using custom-cut stones to increase their usefulness in “drawing with gems.” But more than anything, I’ll be following my obsession with pretty rocks.

It's my honor to have found such fabulous people to be around to learn and grow and laugh with...:)
♥

Sunday Showcase - Royal

2009-12-06T19:12:00.005-05:00

1.Leperqueen2.Sleepyhollowfolkart3.OuterKnits4.HSWTPhotography5.LilyPadLane6.Maked
Each Sunday Showcase features one item from six wonderful shops based on a predetermined theme. I want to stress that this week's choices were VERY difficult to select! Thank you SO much to everyone for giving me such amazing things to look at and enjoy!

Want to have a chance to be selected for a Sunday Showcase? It's really simple!

♥ Check out the current Sunday Showcase thread running in Promos on Etsy to find out the theme for the following week♥ Comment in the thread if you feel you meet the criteria (or if you want to bump it up for others...;)♥ Comment on this post and tell me which of the six items is your favorite and why. Don't forget to post your shop URL so I know who is who!♥ Only shops who comment in both locations will be considered
Here's the current thread!
That's all there is to it! Simple, right?

The thread will be open for participation until the Friday of the given week. Saturday will be used to go through selections and create the mosaic!

Shops CAN be featured multiple times, but I will never feature a shop more than once in a 3 months span. I will be keeping records of who is chosen so as to do my best to follow through on this promise.

All items will be tweeted on my Twitter page and the link to this blog entry posted on my Facebook Fan Page.
Twitter
Facebook

All types of artisan crafts, vintage & supplies are up for consideration so don't be shy!

Extrvaganza Customer Appreciation Giveaway Winner!

2009-12-04T15:36:00.002-05:00

As many of you know, I had one of my bi-yearly sales the weekend of Black-Friday to Cyber Monday.

In appreciation for their continued support, I wanted to do something special for my customers.

For every item purchased, each customer received a ballot towards a special thank you gift worth 30$!

The Pearlessent earrings are a simple and delicate pair featuring thin sterling silver chain, sterling silver accent balls and two tiny, delicate freshwater pearls in a soft, creamy white. Everything was hung from a 3-way connector and a simple ball-tipped french ear-wire. I wanted these to be neutral enough for everyone's tastes...:)

Congratulations go to Linda, who won these earrings and who will also be taking home her purchase of the Heart Breaker earrings.

I hope everyone enjoyed my Holiday Sale and I look forward to those one-day sales I'll be springing on my Facebook Fans now and then as well as my second yearly sale for Mother's Day!

Thank you SO much for making my Holiday Sale a success!
♥

Mini Marvels - HappyTortoiseSupply

2009-11-30T07:26:00.015-05:00

It Mini-Marvel time!

I know it's amazing, but I actually have a SECOND Etsy-Man for you...I know, they are such rare creatures we all think they've become extinct! :)

HappyTortoiseSupply is an absolute sweetheart who has the bizarre knack of being able to hit the 00 count in all our threads. We won't hold that against him though...;) He's a super talented cutter and a super talented designer, as attested by his second shop HappyTortoiseDesigns, with a great sense of humor and a huge Tortoise for a wonderful pet. Sometimes, I picture him smiling when I read what he's written.

I asked him to give us a little taste of his passions and here's what he has to say.

I came into my art through an unlikely source – science. I’ve always been a science nut and math geek. Probably because that’s what I was good at right away, so I went with it. By high school I was doing higher calculus and physics equations in my head, but couldn’t draw a straight line. Unless I was trying to draw a curve. No kidding, that bad.

Which is a shame, because I love art. I’ve studied art, art history, modern art, etc. I can appreciate it in all it’s forms. I always felt left out that I couldn’t participate because what was in my head couldn’t be brought out.

In comes my muse – rocks. When I first started dating my wife, she had some specimens all over her apartment. Geodes, faced pieces of jasper, minerals, etc. I was fascinated by them. I learned their names quickly, and wanted more. That lead me to collect and study minerals. Thousands of them, every type, every formation, every color. Nature is a better artist than any human could ever hope to be. My love of science and art found an unlikely perfect union.

Then at a local rock show I saw someone demonstrating cabbing. I’m good with my hands, familiar with tools and machines, so I thought “I could do that.” I wandered over and watched the guy running through his full routine. I knew I’d want to try my hand at it, but no such luck. The machines were too messy and noisy for an apartment.

Fortunately, we moved into a house (with a good sized garage for studio space) about half a year later, and the odyssey began. Now I cut every chance I get.

I think this background gives me a fairly unique approach to the stones. I can appreciate the patterns, inclusions, colors, and implied images in the slabs I work with. I can look at a slab and see both the minerals and formation as well as the scene. I don’t cut the stone just to make a cab, or try to force a scene. I let the picture come to me and try to free it, accentuate it, and highlight it. The art is already done by the Earth. I just try to translate it for other people. It is a good bridge between my appreciation of others’ work, and finally being able to participate.

Which leads to the metal work. Cutting a stone is all well and good, but then... what to do with them all? Sure, sell them. But all of them? No, I had to do something more.

I enrolled in the jewelry program at North Seattle Community College, and had the honor of working under the tutelage of Lynne Hull. One of the best in the nation, I’m told. And believe.

Again, I found a pleasant melding of art and science. Shaping the metal, soldering, fusing, cutting, casting... hands-on art, no doubt. But also the metallurgy, understanding how the metal reacts, alloys... Oh yeah, I’ve found my art. Rock and metal.

After a few years of limited studio time, I feel I’m just coming out of my artistic infancy. I’m pushing my schedule for more studio time, pushing my skills to expand what I can do, learning how to market and run a business, so I can sell my work. The final goal is to become self supported doing what I most love. But the process of getting there is so enjoyable, that I'm in no particular hurry.

Jason

The joy of lapidary is that the stones are so individualistic so buying from one is NOT like buying from another!
♥

Orange You Glad...Treasury

2009-11-29T23:41:00.005-05:00

Yay! Was wandering around the pounce for fun and noticed that Treasury Main was coming up. All the piece in this treasury are from shops who recently sold something!

Feel free to click and comment if the treasury is still active! Doing so helps to promote all the wonderful pieces in the collection!

Orange You Glad...

Sunday Showcase - Timeworn

2009-11-29T12:54:00.004-05:00

1.thevint2.SuZefashion3.ladyinthetower4.TheGreenHaven5.Vintagefix6.splendidthings
Each Sunday Showcase features one item from six wonderful shops based on a predetermined theme.

Want to have a chance to be selected for a Sunday Showcase? It's really simple!

♥ Check out the current Sunday Showcase thread running in Promos on Etsy to find out the theme for the following week♥ Comment in the thread if you feel you meet the criteria (or if you want to bump it up for others...;)♥ Comment on this post and tell me which of the six items is your favorite and why. Don't forget to post your shop URL so I know who is who!♥ Only shops who comment in both locations will be considered
Here's the current thread!
That's all there is to it! Simple, right?

The thread will be open for participation until the Friday of the given week. Saturday will be used to go through selections and create the mosaic!

Shops CAN be featured multiple times, but I will never feature a shop more than once in a 3 months span. I will be keeping records of who is chosen so as to do my best to follow through on this promise.

All items will be tweeted on my Twitter page and the link to this blog entry posted on my Facebook Fan Page.
Twitter
Facebook

All types of artisan crafts, vintage & supplies are up for consideration so don't be shy!

Black Friday Sale in FULL SWING! Woohoo! UPDATED!

2009-11-27T17:25:00.006-05:00

Finally, after all the prep and all the waiting, The Etsy Black Friday Weekend Extravaganza is FINALLY here!

I can't tell you guys how excited I am about this!

I've already sold/reserved 8 pieces and this was before the sale even officially began! Now added 1 more sale!

I'll try and keep a running tab of the pieces that were sold through-out the weekend...:)

I am offering 10-30% off items in my SALES Selections Section in shop. Prices have already been reduced with the percentages indicated for fast and easy checkout!

I hope to see you all there!
♥

Pieces sold:
Grapeful necklace
Charmony necklace
Creme-Brulee necklace
Quintessence necklace
Quintessence earrings
Waterfall necklace
Waterfall earrings
Paperclip Parade necklace
Heart Breaker earrings

EtsyQ in Color! Treasury

2009-11-27T17:19:00.004-05:00

I hadn't made a treasury in honor of my team mates in a while and so I chose to put one together. I can in JUST in time to catch Treasury West...:)

If the Treasury is still active when you see this, please comment and click to help promote this incredibly bunch of people!

EtsyQ in Color Treasury

Lavender & Lime treasury!

2009-11-26T21:44:00.003-05:00

AbbeysAtticDesigns was kind enough to feature me in her lovely treasury not only as a main placer, but also as an alternate. I really should ask which was the alternate! *lol*

Take a gander for yourselves and feel free to click and comment if the treasury is still active when you see it!

Lavender & Lime Treasury

Mini Marvels - Lapidarious

2009-11-23T07:25:00.005-05:00

It Mini-Marvel time!

Today I have a totally inspiring, absolutely wonderful Etsy Man for your delight to discover...:) There aren't that many of them out there, so it's good to appreciate the ones we have!

Lapidarious is one of the best sources of fine quality cabochons on Etsy. His cuts are not only technically precise but he also seems to find the parts of the stone that just sing...the parts that truly show off Mother Nature's hidden beauty. Aside from cabbing, Lap also has a GORGEOUS collection of high-end gold/silver-worked jewelry at JoyfulCrow which feature his cabs and he's just started a rough slab shop called LapidariousSlabsEtc for other cabbing enthusiasts to be able to continue the lapidary traditions he so loves.

I asked him to talk a little about what he's about and here's what he had to say.

Its always been a thing between me and the Planet.
Just being here,absorbing the surroundings and seeing how it all interplays.
That dance between elements that goes on continually all
through everything including us serves to fascinate and illuminate.
I am so blessed by this world to be able to feel the things I do and
be able to express it in metal and stone.
The very stuff the world I stand on, is.
When the work is in step with that dance, that makes me feel the most peaceful.
Sometimes its an elusive moment, sometimes its an endless summer.
The rock and metal of the Earth is a powerful medium.
I think it has much to say on its own.
And such a sweet dance partner.
If I can just keep in step.

Lapidarious is an extension of JoyfulCrow, where I couldn't get
lapidary the way I wanted or finished to the degree I wanted.
While collecting stones minerals, gems and fine lapidary rough, precedes my
jewelry involvement, cutting and sculpting gems is a fairly recent
thing for me. I have been around lapidaries all my life , but just
didn't have the hands on. Around 6 years ago I started reshaping small
cabs, and bringing up better shines and removing faults in commercial
stones. Pretty much all with my Flexshaft. Went from there to an Ameritool set up and on to a Titan. And A LOT of cutting. The addition of my own stone work to my jewelry is a big plus. But lapidary is so inspiring to its own, I haven't gotten as much bench time in the last few years. But my cutting is getting excellent.
I guess theirs a balance there.

Thanks so much for letting me ramble a bit about Lapidarious
Barney

So much to choose from at whatever level of craftsmanship you are!
♥

Sunday Showcase - Saturated

2009-11-22T11:54:00.013-05:00

1.CLineCreations2.isewcute3.simplyprettyprints4.scrivenerferret5.OnGossamerWings6.flavored
Each Sunday Showcase features one item from six wonderful shops based on a predetermined theme.

Want to have a chance to be selected for a Sunday Showcase? It's really simple!

♥ Check out the current Sunday Showcase thread running in Promos on Etsy to find out the theme for the following week♥ Comment in the thread if you feel you meet the criteria♥ Comment on this post and tell me which of the six items is your favorite and why. Don't forget to post your shop URL!♥ Only shops who comment in both locations will be considered
Here's the current thread!
That's all there is to it! Simple, right?

The thread will be open for participation until the Friday of the given week. Saturday will be used to go through selections and create the mosaic!

Shops CAN be featured multiple times, but I will never feature a shop more than once in a 3 months span. I will be keeping records of who is chosen so as to do my best to follow through on this promise.

All items will be tweeted on my Twitter page and the link to this blog entry posted on my Facebook Fan Page.
Twitter
Facebook

All types of artisan crafts, vintage & supplies are up for consideration so don't be shy!

Mini Marvels - Chrissilynn2

2009-11-16T22:45:00.009-05:00

Hello gang and welcome to the second first installment of this lovely little feature where I get to quickly highlight some of my friends, team mates and personal inspirations. I started this way back in spring and decided to relaunch it because it's a way for me to share those I consider a part of my family with you...:)

Today we have the super sweet Chrissilynn2 who happens to share a passion for nature's treasures with me. I was lucky enough to meet her and a wonderful assortment of friends through my forum explorations on Etsy.

She's also recently started her OWN cab shop: chrissicabs

I asked her to talk a little bit about herself. Meet Chrissi!

My love of gems and jewelry design started at a very early age, and was heavily influenced by my childhood. My Dad was a wonderful craftsmen with wood and I used to frequently help him in his shop growing up. He taught me how to appreciate the natural variations and beauty within the wood, which I naturally translated into stone. I also learned how to handle the tools with ease and think outside of the box when it came to using them too. In addition to Dad's influence, a Rock and Mineral show would set-up every year at the community center right behind our house. I would spend all day, all weekend admiring all the beautiful gems and was facinated by the fossils. Those poor vendors were probably sick to death of this nerdy kid by the end of the show!

As it turns out, and after a long time of denying it, I started my foray into lapidary design this past weekend. It feels like I've been doing lapidary my whole life! I couldn't believe the peace I felt come over me after I started grinding that first stone. Uncovering the beauty within the stones give me such inner joy and I'm so happy and fortunate to be able to share my gifts and passions with others.

Shannon, thank you so much for featuring me and allowing me to talk about my passion!

Christina

Enjoy her gorgeously organic pieces and beautiful cabs!
♥

Gemstone Spotlight - November 09

2009-11-15T20:09:00.014-05:00

As someone who is becoming more and more fascinated by stones, I thought I would share my burgeoning passions with all of you...:)

This feature will hopefully be posted once a month whenever I come across something that compels me to write about it. Of course, many of the stones I will highlight will be some of my favorites, but I would be very happy to take suggestions!

Amazonite is my favorite stone. There's just something about it that makes me love it. Perhaps it is the variety the stone comes in. Perhaps it's the beautiful green/aqua hues and amazing texture. Whatever it is, I fell in love with it at first sight...:)

Gorgeous Amazonite & Smokey Quartz crystals from Colorado
A huge deposit of Amazonite & Smokey Quartz crystals from Colorado
PROPERTIES & INFO
Type: feldspar group (alkali family)
Chemical composition: KalSi3O8...Potassium & Aluminum Silicate. Green coloration comes from Iron impurities.
Hardness (Mohs): 6-6.5...vulnerable to pressure and scratches, but good enough to wear everyday. Best for necklaces and earrings.
Colors: varies from pale yellow-green to saturated blue-green (most desirable). Often seen with other stones included such as smokey quartz, schorl (black tourmaline) and albite.
Clarity: Amazonite is opaque to translucent. It is rarely transparent and has a vitreous luster.
Types of cut: Most Amazonite is cut into cabochons or beads. It is rarely faceted.
Locations: The main ones are USA (Colorado especially), Russia, Ethiopia, Norway, Canada (Ontario & Quebec) & China. (There are many more locations as this mineral is spread throughout the globe)
Other names/Misnomers: Amazon Jade, Amazon Stone
Enhancements: Can be impregnated with colorless wax, paraffin or oil, through high temperature heat treatment. This is to enhance the color of the stone and improve it's appearance.
Care: Amazonite jewelry should be stored in a separate container so that it will not be scratched by other harder stones. Do not clean Amazonite jewelry in an ultrasonic or steam device. A soft cloth, mild soap and warm water should suffice to clean the stone.

A gorgeous piece from Ethiopia...This location is considered hot competition for the Colorado Mines
Though Amazonite can be found pretty much anywhere on the world, not much is known about it and it's still considered rare. This can be attested by the lack of information at Mindat.org.

Many people believe that the stone was named after the Amazon river in Brazil but so far, no one has found any Amazonite there, though the stone IS found in Brazil. Another legend is that the Amazon Warrior Women would give the stone to men who passed through their land. For what exactly...not quite sure!

A lovely piece from Norway displaying Schorl (black tourmaline)
A close-up of the Schorl crystals seen in many Norwegian specimens
What is so wonderful about this stone is that location determines it's color, look and stone mates. Russian Amazonite is probably one of the most distinct with it's deep teal tones and defined white striations. Colorado & Ethiopian Amazonite are a clean, bright aqua with the US specimens often found alongside smokey quartz crystals. Norwegian Amazonite seems to be newest on the market in bead form and is almost always seen with black tourmaline and white/pale gold accents in a gorgeous shade of aqua. Canadian Amazonite is comparably softer in color, but has similar striations to it's Russian cousin. China's version leans much more towards green in color and is often seen with muscovite. So far it has been found only in small, but high quality, quantities.

A lovely example of the most commonly known & recognizable coloration of Amazonite from Russia
A much less known & stunning specimen of translucent Russian Amazonite
As with many stones, Amazonite is believed to have mystical healing properties. Amazonite is used to calm emotions and soothe nerves. It is associated with courage and is said to imbue the wearer. It also enhances creativity and the ability to express oneself and the deeper the color, the more it is said to be effective.

An example of the fine quality the Chinese have been finding
A lovely piece showing a soft coloration and white striations from Ontario, Canada
For me, the healing is in just looking at this fascinating and beautiful stone. How can you not be calm while exploring all the little nooks and crannies in a picture or bead? I will definitely be getting a few specimens from different locations when I start my mineral collection...:)

I have several different kinds of Amazonite beads & cabochons waiting to be used and a couple of finished pieces waiting to be shot and posted. This piece is one of my favorites I've made and is currently in shop. Amusing to realize that I paired Amazonite beads with Smokey Quartz before I ever knew they formed together! And I've done it twice as I have another piece with both not yet listed...*lol*

Kiwi Q-T Necklace - the pale green & aqua briolettes are Amazonite
Hopefully you've enjoyed this little segment and will continue to tune in when I host the next one. As I said above, I'd be very happy to take your suggestions on what you'd like to see next!
♥

Shades of Grey Spiced with Red Treasury

2009-11-14T19:17:00.003-05:00

I've had this treasury designed for a while, but I kept being pulled away from teh computer come treasury time.

Well, finally had the chance to display it. I love pops of color amidst neutrals! These are all great and would be FANTASTIC gifts!

Shades of Grey Spiced with Red

'My Etsy' Tab on Facebook!

2009-11-13T20:13:00.006-05:00

Wow...I CANNOT express how excited I am right now about a new Application you can put on your Facebook Profile or Fan Page.

It's called My Etsy and it creates a clickable tab that shows your shop right there for all to see. So people don't have to leave Facebook until they decide to either buy something or see more of what you have!

It's SO AWESOME!

The tab is TOTALLY unobtrusive...it's just a tab on your profile or page and so you won't be tossing your shop down your friends or fans' faces. It updates on it's own (I know this because I renewed something to see what it does), and it won't clog up your friends' feeds if you renew or list like mad on a daily basis (I know this because I checked my feed when I renewed).

Really, it's just that awesome and you must go get it now...I command you!

Yeah, somehow I doubt that will work...;)

Here's the link to the Application...it's SUPER easy to install. It's well worth the 10 seconds to do!

MY ETSY FACEBOOK APP <----Click me, I am AWESOME-SAUCE!

To see it in action, check out my Fan Page and click the My Etsy Tab!

That is all...:)
♥

Fabulous Gift Guides for shopping quick & easy!

2009-11-10T18:52:00.007-05:00

IndieNorth is an AWESOME Canadian Collective maintained by Beth.

This year, she took on the HUGE task of creating a fabulous Gift Guide for Canadian Artisans to be a part of.

It's really nicely set up and it features some incredible products!

Check it out and you're sure to find something for everyone on your Secret Santa List!

Another Gift Guide I chose to participate in is the IndieSpotting Gift Guide. It'll be going live on November 15th.

Similar to CraftGawker, it's a FABULOUS place to get your items seen and I had the chance to Spot my Kiwi Q-T necklace...:D

I'm sure I'll see you guys shopping about these guides...they make the Holidays SO easy!
♥

50th Annual Gem & Mineral Show 2009

2009-11-08T18:33:00.014-05:00

YAY! My very first Gem Show and MAN was I stoked!

One of my friends once mentioned that her husband laughing calls her love of looking at pretty rocks 'Rock Porn' and I couldn't agree more! I was certainly happy and excited as I browsed the 80 or so dealer stalls.

There was everything there with one exception. I expected people to also have chain and sterling/copper/gold filled findings and there was none, not even in concert with stones. I was surprised by this seeing as everything else used to make jewelry was very evident.

But everything else...hoooo boy...SELECTION was the word of the day!

This show is hosted every year by the Montreal Gem & Mineral Club and the staff of Volunteers was super friendly...:) I have been hemming and hawing over joining because I wasn't sure of how active they were and I was pleasantly surprised to find both young and old rock hounds and to learn that the club is very much alive and kicking. For 20$ annually, I'm looking forward to joining and learning as I move forward on this journey my life has brought me to...:)

So, as I was saying...SELECTION!

I've been collecting found rocks ever since I was a little girl and I swear, I was in Heaven. Mineral specimens EVERYWHERE to feast my eyes one. Alas, I had no cash, but I know that I'll be ready next year to properly start my mineral collecting and what's fun is that once I'm part of the club, I'll be able to participate in the club's excursions and so maybe dig some of my own!

Aside from the minerals, there were also shops with strands and strands of BEAUTIFUL beads. There was one strand of rough citrine brios that was calling my name and it was quite literally painful to leave it there...:( At least I found a few Canadian-based stone bead shops, even if they are mainly in Ottawa. That's going to be fun to try to get to without any ability to just drive there...*lol*

Rainbow Minerals Beading & Jewellery Supply - Ottawa, Ontario
I was surprised at the pricing. I did not find it much different than purchasing on Etsy...if fact, even with the exchange rate and shipping I felt Etsy is often LESS expensive. Mind you, the shops I'm talking about were actually knowledgeable and most of the strands didn't just have a number...they were actually named, unlike in Montreal where most shops are glass and crystal based shops and have no clue what stones they carry.

Also happy to say no 'White Buffalo Turquoise' in site, but plenty of 'Fire Agate'. At least they told me right away it was glass or stone composite!

There were plenty of Jewelry Artisans as well. This lady had STUNNING amber pieces. There was everything for everyone's tastes...:)

I am always surprised by just how nice some people are. I got to meet Mike, a rock hound who was President of the Montreal Club for quite some time. We ended up striking a conversation on some of the pieces he had because I'd never seen them before. Well, one particular slab struck my fancy and, as I said I had no cash, so I was ready to leave it and hope he still had some next year as he doesn't own a shop and doesn't sell other than through the Gem Shows. Well, I guess he knew I really wanted it because he gave it to me along with a lovely little piece of Labradorite he hounded for himself that has a lovely little bit of flash to it. I was so touched by the gesture and it bodes well for my stay with the Club. He even told me once I join that he'd be happy to teach me how to cab it...:)

The beautiful reddish-pink parts are Eudialite. The rest is a mystery though I was told the golden bits are slightly radioactive, which I thought was cool!
Under the light
Labradorite Rough
I managed to capture the schiller!
So basically, I spent a couple of hours in rock heaven...:D I was all by myself and it didn't matter. I had a blast talking to people and seeing specimens I never knew existed. I also surprised myself with just how much I have learned thanks to my Lapidary friends because I was able to impress some of the rock hounds there with my ability to identify many of the pieces they were showing...:) I really wish I would have thought to take a shot of the GORGEOUS Marra Mamba slabs the Club had up for display! I think some of my friends would have enjoyed seeing them!

Off to admire my new finds and finish up some new pieces. I've got about 20 new pieces to shoot and list so you guys will be getting a lot of new posts from me soon on top of everything else I've got planned!

Today was such a GREAT day!
♥

Black Friday Weekend Extravaganza!

2009-11-08T10:35:00.009-05:00

That's right! I will be running a SUPER huge sale the Weekend of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Stay tuned to find out exactly what will be going on in my Shop...;)

What's the best part? I won't be doing it alone! Literally HUNDREDS of shops have banded together to give you the BIGGEST Holiday sale EVER to be run by Etsy Shops.
You'll be able to fulfill every gift wish on your ever important list with quality, handmade goods and you won't have to run around to do it!

I've been lucky enough to offer my graphic services for the event and so I have a wide variety of buttons and banners that you can use to support the event, two of which are gently blinking on your screen to the right...:)

If you'd like to support us by proudly displaying these graphics in your blog, here are the links to the graphics:

Large Animated Button
Small Animated Button
Large Static Button
Small Static Button
Large Banner
Small Banner

We're also lucky to have Sue, head honcho at IndieSmiles.com, support us in our site-wide effort at promoting handmade by offering us directory listings in her super fun Coupon Directory!

If you'd like to support her back, here are two animated buttons to show her your love:

Large Animated Button
Small Animated Button

If you're going to use these in your blog, you need to use the HTML widget to make sure the animations work. This is the code you'll need to put into the widget...just be sure to change the [] to <>, change the link location to the one you want the graphic to point to and make sure the src section says the name of the file you downloaded.

[center][a href="link location" target="_blank"][img border="0" alt="Black Friday Sale" src="graphic name"/][/a][/center]

The static button just needs a Pictures widget and you'll just need to provide the link to where you want it to lead to.

The large graphics are good for inside posts and for blogs that have large side bars. The small graphics are great for Project Wonderful ads and for blogs that have small side bars.

I will be providing every shop with an Etsy Avatar that they will be able to display for the sales event, but I won't reveal that until it's time...;)

I can't wait to see you all there and to be able to provide you with great service and great items!
♥

Craftgawker x 2

2009-10-31T19:55:00.003-04:00

YAY again! My second submission was also accepted! I'll have to remember to do this every month...*lol*

Here's the link: http://craftgawker.com/post/2009/10/30/7274/

Favs and gawkings are appreciated...:D

In other news, I also submitted a piece to Indiespotting and decided to take part in their Gift Guide this year. 5$US is really inexpensive and the more places I am, the bigger it will be.

The IndieNorth Gift Guide should be up and running tomorrow! So excited about that! It should be hugeeee!

A Black Friday to Cyber Monday and maybe even Payday Tuesday sales event is also in the works on Etsy. You can find out more about that and participate here: http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6331957&page=1

There are a LOT of pages, but I highly recommend they all be read if you want to contribute some input into the affair...:)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!
♥

Craftgawker...I'm in!

2009-10-29T12:24:00.005-04:00

Hello lovely people!

I'm so excited!

I recently posted up two pieces to display on Craftgawker.com.

Craftgawker is a ever bigger site that displays handcrafted goods in a gallery type format very similar to Indiespotting (reminds me I gotta go submit there too!). It's gaining a huge amount of popularity as crafters discover it and it's notoriously picky in what it will accept in terms of photographic quality.

Basically, it's an excellent gauge for figuring if your photography is up to scratch...;)

The two items I posted where these:
Rouge Wrap Pendant Necklace
Creme Brulee Necklace

Well, Rouge Wrap is currently on display on the front page of the site!
Here's the individual link:
http://craftgawker.com/post/2009/10/28/7159/

I would LOVE and appreciate it if any of you were inclined to fav the picture...:)

Creme Brulee is still pending, but I'll be sure to tell you guys if it too gets in. I'm hoping for lots of views and hearts from this!
♥

It's new and it's snazzy!

2009-10-25T22:35:00.004-04:00

Hey gang....I've just given my blog a serious face-lift...as I'm sure you can tell...:D

The operation lasted several hours...about 10 to be precise...and the results are fabulous! At least I think so...:)

I would very much appreciate if you could navigate about and see if everything works and loads well for you.

Any feed back would be GREAT!

Just to say, there are two sections that lead to nowhere right now. That would be the 'Gemstone Spotlight' and the 'Gifted Monthly' slots. They are two new features I intend on starting up...:)

So, pretty, pretty ugly, great, not so great...I want to know!
Thanks for all your input!
♥

Oh boy...

2009-10-25T13:44:00.004-04:00

Clutzy me strikes again....

In preparing to start playing with a new design for my blog, I accidentally saved a preexisting blog template over what my blog looked like before.

Bare with me as I try to incorporate a new look to Gifted Designs!

Sorry about the mess!

Oooh La La!

2009-10-24T21:33:00.007-04:00

Yay! Lillyella put up the outfit I sent her for her 'Couture De Jour' section on her wonderful blog.

Check it out!

Here's basically what I said when I emailed it to her because I always have reasons...*lol* So want all of this!

The inspiration for this is sort of a blending in and popping out at the same time. Winter is coming and most people tend to dress in more muted and neutral tones...why not spice that up with some pops of red and teal!

Grey Dress I fully intend of getting this made to my size...it's so classic!
Peony Clutch Love that little pop of blue!
Red Earrings
Calvin Klein Sarika in Lagoon Chose these teal heels because they bring out that little pop of blue on the clutch and because they are not overly fancy for the dress...

There are lots more sets to see and all are gorgeous...have fun looking at the eye candy!
♥

OneTrueMedia Gifted Designs Video

2009-10-24T16:51:00.007-04:00

I can across this video making website completely by chance and I've just spent the past hour playing with all of it's free features. Make your own video highlighting your fabulous handmade products yourself!

I uploaded mine to Youtube and I prefer the Youtube interface, but you can embed the vid from Onetruemedia.com itself to all kinds of different places like your Facebook Fanpage, Myspace, your blog and your personal website.

Enjoy the vid...I had so much fun making it!
♥

Thank you!

2009-10-20T23:43:00.007-04:00

Butter Side Up treasury
Thank you so much to Jubilee for including me in this wonderful collection!

IndieNorth - featured in this great Canadian Collective!

2009-10-18T11:42:00.007-04:00

Imagine my surprise when I was contacted by Beth, the head honcho over at Indie-North, to be featured on her amazing collective. I had just discovered the site myself and so it was totally unexpected!

I was incredibly humbling and flattering to be chosen for one of her spotlight features and I am incredibly thankful. Here's the feature!

If you're a Canadian Artisan, IndieNorth features a great directory for free and you will be listed among a great variety of Canadian shops...:) She's also setting up a HUGE Gift Guide for the Holidays with all the hoopla you could ask for to get it known out there that is sure to be a HUGE hit!

Go check it out!

Lillyella Give-away

2009-10-16T12:29:00.009-04:00

vintage button flower pin in turquoise and black
Oooh...Nicole over at Lillyella is having a fabulous giveaway that I just had to share. You get to choose a name for this week's interviewee JoAnn's gorgeous button broaches. Her shop, Refashioned, is chalk-full of beautifully repurposed accessories which conjure up images of romantic evenings and fancy-free meadows.

Definitely worth the check-out and worth helping her find a name for her pieces!

Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms

2009-10-14T19:08:00.009-04:00

I was at work today and before leaving, my lady-boss was contemplating what to make for supper. I don't even recall what she mentioned (though I do recall it sounding mighty tasty), but it sparked this idea in my head to make myself some stuffed mushrooms. Off I went on a stuffed mushroom recipe hunt and what I found is SO TASTY that I had to share it with you guys...;)

Delicious stuffed-mushrooms

Delicious insides of the stuffed mushrooms

I n g r e d i e n t s:

♥ 1 lb medium fresh mushrooms (I had white buttons but I'm sure other kinds would be just as good!)
♥ 4 Bacon slices well cooked and chopped up into small pieces
♥ 1/2 minced onion (you can use some green onion mixed with regular onion)
♥ 1 tsp salt
♥ 1/8 tsp pepper
♥ 3 oz cream cheese at room temperature
♥ 1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs, plain or Italian blend
♥ 1/4 cup hot water

C o o k i n g:

Gently clean the mushrooms and remove the stems. Chop up the stems finely and set aside.

Fry the bacon strips until they are well done, but not over-cooked. Remove them and place them on a paper towel to drain off. In the bacon droppings, saute the onions and mushroom stems until tender and lightly golden. Drain if there is still a lot of bacon drippings. Add the salt and pepper.

Soften up the cream cheese in a bowl and add the bacon (chopped up) and the mushroom/onion mixture. Blend them all well together. Press a small amount of mixture firmly into each mushroom cap so that it mounds over the top a little bit.

Place the bread crumbs into a small, shallow bowl. Gently press the tops of the mushrooms caps into the bread crumbs so that they are completely coated. Place the caps into a 9" x 13" baking dish and add the hot water to the pan without pouring the water over the tops of the mushroom caps. Bake, uncovered, 20-25 minutes at 325'F. You should have about 30ish mushrooms.

And there you have it. Yummy hors d'oeuvres done quickly with very little mess or a nice side dish. What-have-you, they will be delicious!

Enjoy!
♥

Summer Dreams treasury

2009-10-10T17:06:00.006-04:00

Now that I am getting back into the swing of things, I'll be able to make treasuries again. If you'd possibly like to be featured in my next treasury, simply comment either on the treasury itself or here.

Summer Dreams Treasury Link