Summer Sea Herbs and Its Certified Herbalist Founder

Tracy, the shopkeeper of Summer Sea herbs is a certified Herbalist with over ten years of experience healing with herbs, who makes her herbal products with the finest organically grown and ethically wild-crafted ingredients available. Why Organic? Because she believes that her products are truly better when she uses ingredients which have NOT been irradiated, treated with pesticides or sprays.

When you purchase the Cold and Flu Care Organic Herbal Loose Tea, The entire proceeds of tea sales will be given to the fundraiser to help defray some of the costs of drugs and medical expenses for two friends who are cancer patients.

Organic Valerian Flower EssenceValerian essence is to help relieve stress and nervous irritation. It works to lift your spirits, and is good to help find happiness in common ground for relationships. It may help with insomnia related to stress.

Inspiration Flower Essence Blend helps to remove creative blocks and aids in resolving procrastination! This essence blend helps you to release negative ideas of self-worth, and about the validity of your pursuits! It's especially helpful when dealing with an overwhelming project such as an artistic project, or even declutttering your house or office! It's great to help you focus and get started.

Tracy is the founder of EAST (EarthPath Artisans Street Team), a team of people who walk similar alternative spiritual paths, focusing our beliefs in the world of Nature.

http://summersea.etsy.com/
http://summerseaherbs.blogspot.com/

About Earthcharms

http://earthcharms.etsy.com/
http://www.earth-charms.blogspot.com/

The goal of Earthcharms is to make macrame fashionable. She seeks out natural stones to combine them into jewelry in combinations that are intended to bring luck, health, and prosperity into your life. There is an emphasis on the metaphysical properties of each stone.

In the Smoky Quartz and Carnelian Choker ( left) the qualities imparted by smoky quartz are unblocking the subconscious, repelling negativity, giving ground and focus, while the carnelian promotes success. Each stone has corresponding chakras and significance in numerology.


Go on over to Earthcharms on Etsy to read about the significance of the stones in this pair of Insight earrings (left) and the sleep charm (below).

Earthcharms is in the process of coming out with a new line of necklaces using silver and silver plated chain.

You will find all the descriptions very informative and quite interesting.

90-Day Challenge Feature is Indigo Luna

Rachel Kitterman is a 5th generation Oregonian. She says, "This lush and verdant environment is in my blood. I grew up in a valley surrounded by tree-covered hills and blessed with a great deal of rain. I memorized the names of flowers as a child and picked basketsful of mushrooms in the damp woods and studied moss and built forts inside of blackberry thickets. After traveling the United States, I can’t imagine living anywhere else."

Rachel's work has appeared on the cover of the 2005 Quilting Arts Calender, in Artella Magazine, Art/Quilt Magazine, Fiberarts Design Book 6, as well as many juried shows.

Rachel has so many different and wonderful items in her shop. There are beautiful art quilts, mixed media paintings, colored pencil mandalas, jewelry, knitted and crocheted items and the darling pop-up card cases. Go check it out at http://indigoluna.etsy.com/ .

After reading Rachel's 100 Things About Myself in her blog, Indigo Luna and married to a native Oregonian myself, and having heard throughout my married life from my mother-in-law so many of the same thoughts expressed, I marvel at the fact that she also would never choose to live anywhere else. It is almost like it is its own sub-culture, like motorcycle riders or cowboys or parents or sailors or quilters. Natives somehow absorb Oregon and become uniquely Oregononian. May be something about the color green?

Enter The World of Celtic Goddess Andee Harston

Celtic Goddess Jewelry began in early 2001. From the photographs, it would appear that the time has been well spent: she knows her art. The details of her silver are well-crafted in pieces such as the Tree of Life necklace and the Butterfly Fairy earrings.

African Turquoise Celtic Drop Y Necklace

Upon looking through her shop, you will discover that her artwork is a reflection of her lifestyle, where themes of her Celtic heritage are interwoven with concepts of paganism and Buddhism, healing and divination. Andee says, "Art has always been prevalent in my life. I love to draw, paint, sculpt, make jewelry, and most recently, photography. I am influenced by spiritual learning, nature and goddess and celtic imagery." Celtic Goddess is featuring Astrology sets, of which the first three (Aquarius, Pisces and Taurus)are now shown at Celtic Goddess. These include jewelry, soap with essential oils specifically for each zodiac sign and a vial of personal oils.

The Celtic goddess is alive and living in Orlando creating beautiful jewelry.

http://celticgoddessjewelry.etsy.com
http://buyindie.blogspot.com/

Monday Feature: Alternate Bliss

A Social Worker/Kindergarten Teacher by day and . . . Alternate Bliss the rest of the time, sounds pretty wonderful, and it shows in her work which seems to just emit a joy of life.

Above: Lotus Blossom Fine Silver Necklace, an original design

Below: Pink Jellies, Original Watercolor

Bottom: Rilo the Fox necklace, sculpted and hand-carved
Tanya, owner of Alternate Bliss, is also finishing up her Masters in Education. She says that her passion is directed towards her husband and children (always and forever), teaching, fine silver and just creating stuff in general. A former closet creator, Tanya says, "I was tormented because I felt so creative but never dared to explore it! So my advice is ... go for it...what have you got to lose!"
She is a Mixed Media Artist. In her shop you will find original art including watercolor art, ACEO's, art prints, and hand made silver jewelry.
Below are links to Tanya's shop and blog, Alternate Bliss!

http://alternatebliss.etsy.com/
http://www.alternatebliss.blogspot.com/

Cards and Notes With A Personal Touch Simply Said By Sarah

Simply Said By Sarah
SimplySaidBySarah's Blog



Sarah Orton is a graphic design student at The School of Communication Arts in North Carolina who loves to use bright colors because she thinks it puts people in a "happier" mood! She is a compulsive note taker/list maker who loves cute things, so that's where the ideas for the notepads and sticky notes came from. She used them all the time before, but they weren't cute enough, so she had to fix that. The notepads and notecards shown in her Etsy shop have beautifully altered or embellished covers, and sometimes she crafts handsewn cases to put her cards in. That's cute, really cute!

Sarah says that she has a fascination (...obsession ?) with cute papers, patterns, & textures (Keep reading this blog, and you will find a clue to who else might have a little thing about paper.)

Sarah says she loves participating in arts & craft shows, and has a cat that just might enjoy the ribbon she uses more than she does. (Note: Does everyone I've featured so far have at least one cat? That's fine by me. I'd still have cats too if I hadn't become allergic. Bummer!)


Here's something else: ****ALL PROFITS FROM http://simplysaidbysarah.etsy.com/WILL BE DONATED TO THE NEDA****
"NEDA is dedicated to expanding public understanding and prevention of eating disorders and promoting access to quality treatment for those affected along with support for their families through education, advocacy and research."For more information, contact the National Eating Disorders Association at
603 Stewart St., Suite 803, Seattle, WA 98101
Business Office: (206) 382-3587
Toll-free Information and Referral Helpline: (800) 931-2237
info@NationalEatingDisorders.org

90 Day Challenge: Now, Knuckletoes!

http://knuckletoes.etsy.com
http://revinylized.etsy.com
http://knuckletoes.blogspot.com



Katie says:"I'm a smalltime, jewelry, clothing and purse maker who wants to share her style with the world! I'm from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, and every year I try to make it out to the surrounding Folk Festivals to sell my product. I've gone the last two years and really hope to make it out again in 2008!I try to make my clothing and purses out of recycled materials. Anything from tablecloths, to pillowcases, to reused LP record covers. This not only gives my items a vintage feel, but it helps the environment, and what more do you need?"

Mary says: "What fun things in Knuckletoes you will find! Really unique clothing and quirky jewelry and the funniest PMS cards (What girl hasn't had one of these moments?). At the same time her items are earth friendly, because she recycles -- everything. You will find tote bags made from placemats and in Revinylized you will find funky CD holders and sketchbooks made from vintage album covers. Be sure to check it out. Soon."

Jewelry Creations From Berry Patch Designs and Silver Shadow

Lucky Chinese Charms (left) Autumn Leaf Convertible Necklace/Bracelet (right)
It has been fun learning about Berry Patch Designs because its designer and I share a a few common interests. She has a great appreciation for the natural beauty of the world we live in and a love of cats. She has 5, two of whom love to babysit her while she's working on jewelry (parked on her feet). She's a motorcycle owner with a bike named "Psyche" (white Suzuki Boulevard S40), for the goddess of change and reincarnation, "psycho" for being a rider in the first place and "cycle" for "motor-cycle". However, her car is just the "Green Lady" - she's too dignified for silly names. Her day job is in Information Technology (card-carrying member of the Geek Squad!). (I also worked in IT for too many years before finding my way home to art. )

Berry Patch Designs loves the beauty and variety of stones and the wonderful wealth of combinations with metals, especially silver and copper. She hopes to learn more silversmith skills in 2008, and possibly some glasswork skills. Currently, she mostly uses high quality gemstones, high quality glass beads and hand-wrapped wire techniques.
She loves to see and hear that people enjoy the jewelry she creates. (Who doesn't?)Her favorite event was being tagged to do the jewelry for a friends' wedding and hearing the compliments from people who didn't know that she had made it. (Much better to hear "on the sly" because that way you know it's sincere.)
Tiger Eye Stealth Triple Goddess necklace from Silver Shadow shop.




http://berrypatchdesigns.etsy.com/
http://silvershadow.etsy.com/
http://strainsasylum.blogspot.com/

90-Day Challenge Feature of the Day

Today's featured Etsy Shop comes with a fabric-covered assortment of fiber-filled fluff over wire armatures. Introducing Backwoods Creations. MaryAnn has been a crafter since childhood and is always coming up with bright new ideas. Check out the shop and her blog which are filled with cute things.

As I look at the adorable Feral Feline Series of art dolls belonging to MaryAnn Anderson of Backwoods Creations , I am trying to figure out if I’ve been totally spoofed and if Hortense Beignet, founder of Friends of Feral Felines of Central Maine is a real person, or if she is a “filament” of the seamstress’ imagination along with the kitties. (Each one of the kitties has a story on its description page that you have to read.)

So, being literal led me to google the Feral Felines thing. There is a real organization based in Portland which has the following quote on it’s website, “In January 1993, a dozen people met at a restaurant and formed the "Friends of Feral Felines." The stated goals were to aid feral cats by neutering and returning them to established colonies, taming kittens for placement, and finding barns of other sanctuary for unadoptable adults who had to be relocated. In the past fourteen years we have fulfilled these goals and come to the aid of approximately 300 feral cats each year throughout southern Maine.”

At any rate, MaryAnn, who has 2 dogs and 2 cats in real life, qualifies as a passionate animal lover, belonging to Etsy For Animals which donates a percentage of the sales of selected items to charities. Her creations are described as small and intimate, speaking to the emotional attachments that give everyday life meaning. Her materials of choice are fabric and collage mixed media (anything she can get her hands on). Sometimes the simplest concepts are the most elegant. However there is a tongue in cheek quality that comes out in her fabric sculptures. You can find these creations at http://backwoodscreations.etsy.com or on http://backwoodscreations.blogspot.com

Featuring Darjeeling Paper, Ltd.

Wow! I'm still on my paper trip! I couldn't believe it when I looked up Darjeeling Paper. I must have been dreaming when I thought I left the paper store yesterday. Now I know I have been wandering around there for two days in places I've never been before. What a treat!

Michael Gresh, a self-proclaimed paper fanatic, is the proprietor of this interesting shop which features brightly-colored notecards which come in a 4-pack, soft and hard-covered journals, an address book, and even paint-chip holders for your biz cards! Very clever.

The address book features acid-free paper, and each lettered section has room for about 40 entries and was designed from scratch. The front has an interchangeable nameplate and an India postage stamp. The book's handbound.

What a cute idea - the paint-chip business card holders are. Imagine pulling the fun, pulling this case out of your bright-colored designer bag.

Michael started Darjeeling Paper, Ltd. as a way to fine-tune his skills and try out new techniques, all while getting out there and presenting his works to the world. From the looks of his shop and blog, he's a Pro. To find Darjeeling Paper, Ltd., just look for http://darjeelingpaper.etsy.com and http://darjeelingpaper.com/blog.

Vanessa Kimball Is Highlighted Etsy Shop

Today, I am featuring the Etsy shop of Vanessa Kimball .

Funny thing, I just got home from the paper store, and began looking at Vanessa's shop and her blog ( http://vanessakimball.blogspot.com ) to get background information. (In a few seconds you will see why I bother to talk about the paper store.) Now I could easily spend an hour in a paper store, walking up and down the aisles looking, touching, perusing, etc. So today when I was there, an employee asked me if he could help me find anything, so I said that I was looking for A2 envelopes. He went right over and picked up the box, and said, "Anything else?" I actually was feeling a bit cheated from the fact that I now had no excuse to wander the aisles and drool over the papers. Darn!

So I'm home now and looking at Vanessa's shop. Lo and behold, this girl knows about paper!!!!

She has some of the most fabulous color combinations of inks on cards and envelopes that I ever saw. The envelopes compliment the cards to a "tee." But that's just the start, because her designs rock, and in addition to her holiday line, she has some Etsy banner designs that are ready to be customized for some lucky user.

She has wonderfully unique cards for the season that make you wonder what kind of cool stuff she'll have after Christmas in her shop.

So check it out for yourself.

Ulixis Crafts Featured Etsy Shop Today

Amanda, a 21 year-old student from Verner in northern Ontario, is the proprietor of Ulixis Crafts. She is in her 5th year at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, majoring in Honours Biology and Pharmacology. In addition, she says that she has enjoyed crafting all of her life.
In her Etsy shop, Ulixis Crafts , she sells her unique hand-crafted jewelry. One of her favorites is the tip-toe through the tulips bracelet. This multi-strand bracelet is so stunning, it is sure to be a show stopper!! Shiny silvery chain links together light green beads and barrel-shaped purple-pink cloisonne beads.
Amanda was inspired by a friend’s necklace to make button bracelets. This red beauty is a fine example of one of her designs.
She also makes notebooks, an idea she got from a Wiki tutorial.


Visit Amanda at Ulixis Crafts , her Etsy shop, or at Ulixis Crafts (Blog)

Etsy Feature Shop For Today: Signature Sterling

Signature Sterling The jewelry here looks first-rate, plus you will help the Susan G. Komen for the Cure by purchasing their "HOPE" bracelet . Also featured is the Deep Forest bracelet which is quite lovely, but is there any doubt from this team player that she would have jewelry for sale to support her fave, Ohio State Buckeyes???

I get the impression from Sue of Signature Sterling that she is gives 100 percent effort to the things she is involved in. Look at her blog Signature Sterling - Untie the Ribbons, and you see that she is an avid Ohio State fan, a big supporter of her kids soccer program, and devoted Etsian. She is the consumate team member. At Etsy she is involved in at least five, from what I’ve been able to determine. You go girl! Rah, Rah, Rah!

Etsy 90 Features In 90 Days - Crafty Moose

Crafty Moose says that she has been crafting for as long as she can remember. She is self-taught and has enjoyed painting, needlework, quilting, polymer clay and jewelry making. The shop is currently promoting a new line of one-of-a-kind polymer clay beaded art dolls and suncatchers. Custom requests are welcome. All of their items are lovingly created in a smoke-free, pet-free environment.The name Craftymoose came about because of a genuine love of crafts and her husband's love of moose.

Stripes is approximately 6" tall and 2 1/2" wide. His head, neck, arms, legs & paws are all made from polymer clay. Crafty Moose did not use any molds or instructions. She liked the look of haphazard stripes on his arms & legs. His paws even have hot pink paw pads! His body was created with all glass seed beads, appropriately orange & black stripes. Down his tummy are a line of mixed shape yellow glass beads, including a heart which she give all my art dolls!Like most of her art dolls, Stripes can be pinned on a coat or curtain, worn as a pendant or hung in a window

Etsy Challenge: 90 Features In 90 Days
Spotlight on Lazy Cat Gifts

When looking at Lazy Cats blog, you will see lots of kitties. It has been said that they’re lazy. Who knows? One thing is for sure, their owners are not.

Their “mommies” are three friends who each remembers watching their grandmothers crochet. The long-ago learned skill resurfaced and was relearned when the girls met at the University of Michigan. Kelly’s skills outpaced the others, and she became their teacher. After a few years of receiving rave reviews from family members and friends, they sought to sell their crocheted items to the public. Etsy offers them a terrific venue with a great on-line community, plus the ability to stay connected to one another, since Kelly has now moved to Philadelphia.


This month, Lazy Cat Gifts is putting the spotlight on their Crocheted Boutique Jewelry. In the upper frame is their lovely Madrid Necklace and Earrings Set-- Flame Jasper Pendant, Red Jasper, Black Agate, Swarovski Crystal. This lovely set features flame jasper, red jasper, bloodstone, black agate, and Swarovski crystals. Hand-crocheted on copper jewelry wire and finished with a lobster claw clasp and matching 1 1/2 inch, gold-plated drop earrings complete the set.

Next is the very cute little lamb that I just wanted to squeeze. Also in Lazy Cat's Etsy Shop is a variety of beautiful crocheted scarves, hats and bags. Pictured is the Whistler Scarf and Hat set.

Items From My Etsy Shop

One thing I can say from my (only recently begun) attempt at putting my artwork online is that I am learning a whole lot of new and exciting things. That is one benefit I had not even begun to project when I started the adventure. Also with the advent of my blog, I have become a journalist. Oh, my mother-in-law would be so proud of me (if she had a computer and knew how to turn it on). This is because she has been faithfully keeping a diary since she was 12 years old. One day we will know exactly what she thought about all of us -- good or bad.

Today, as part of my learning experience in dragging myself kicking and screaming into present day computer technology, I am going to see if I can accomplish showing items from my Etsy shop in the blog. So hear goes. You're along for the ride, but please don't laugh so loud I can hear. OK?

Clues About Tipped Martini Glasses

Martini glass overturned on black metal table. So what happened? Did Miss Scarlett do it in the Library or was Mr. Plum responsible? What other clues are there? Manilla envelopes, a pile of papers with folders and brochures. Was someone going on a trip? Leaving the country?

Today, I guess was do a still-life day. I feel like I have been standing still all day. I had plans to spend two hours on a small painting, spend two hours on a craft for a Holiday sale, and spend two hours on an unfinished larger painting about poppies. It's getting dark, and I've just completed the small painting. Yay!

Martini glass empty. This acrylic painting is 6 x 8. More nformation about the painting can be found on my Etsy site, http://dreamon.etsy.com/ .

Please vote in the survey. Five more days.

November 11, 2007

Friday night, we went on an art walk on Anna Maria Island, Florida. As usual, the consensus was that there are a lot of talented people in this world. Judy Strom is the featured artist at the Artists Guild Gallery in Holmes Beach. Her artwork in the front window is stunning. If you have a chance check it out. Also, Sue Johnson, a potter there has a nice body of work in this shop including her beautiful teapot.

This morning I got up thinking, I've got to paint. It's about time I made some nice art, but all I made was a great cup of coffee.