Multi-Faceted Kalicat Creates Varied Gems

Kalicat (Catherine Marche) is the designer of jewelry created to be "stunning and elegant." This multi-faceted lady has achieved success in both left-brained and right-brained activities. Early on she graduated in Mathematics and Physics from the University of Orléans in France and Beaux-Arts d'Orléans, Conservatoire National de Musique and later from the University of Vermillion in the USA in Computer Science and Music. From there she branched out into Photoshop, etching and web design at Central St. Martins where she also studied jewelry design. But we're not done until we also learn that she is also an accomplished fashion illustrator, having studied at the London College of Fashion. I found her web site http://www.catherinemarche.com/ most interesting and wondered if there is anything she doesn't do well. Her paintings are also wonderful.

> The Eleni sterling silver ring shown above is completely adjustable and will fit any of your fingers. The three spheres can be seen as symbols of friendship.

After Catherine had worked in the Information Technology field for 10 years, and at the same time drawing, painting and exhibiting her work, the tug became stronger, and the right side of her brain more demanding as she "took the plunge into freelance illustrating.

> The Nefertiti massive turquoise necklace shown here with authentic turquoise nuggets which measure 1/2" to 1 inch each are believed to be lucky in Egypt and Arabic countries and was highly regarded by the Incas and Aztecs as well. Who wouldn't adore this beautiful piece with the added gemstones spilling down the back?

Catherine's artwork can be seen in public collections at Museo municipal de Ourense (Spain), Museum Tayali (Zambia), and paintings in Hospitals in the UK. She also has work in private collections in France, UK, USA, West Indies, Netherlands, and Spain as well as in several galleries: a very talented lady who also plays the saxophone, skis, does whitewater rafting and dances. (This makes me think that Catherine is actually 8 people! How can just one person find the time?)

> Isn't this purple rhapsody bracelet a beauty? It's a selection of fine gemstones: amethyst, rose quartz, smokey quartz and citrine dangling and jiggling away on a sterling silver belchior chain. (length: 6.5 inches).

I hope you will make time to visit Catherine's Etsy shop and her blog, but be sure to look also at her website. You can click the link mentioned above.

http://kalicat.etsy.com/
http://honeyandsweets.blogspot.com/

Personality Plus Boutique Features Clothing With Character

Personality Plus Boutique is my featured Etsy shop today. It doesn't take long to determine that faith, love and family are central in the lives of the owners (Charlotte, the mom and Adrienne, the daughter). In fact they offer personalized items such as the adorably titled "I Love My Wombmate" maternity top with 3/4 sleeves that can be layered or worn alone. Charlotte is the mom to four and grandmother to 18 and Adrienne is the mother of four and stepmother to three or five (read her blog to figure this one out) who also teaches pre-school out of her home. Charlotte has worked as a seamstress and done embroidery commercially for 15 years.

With dimensions of 14"w x 12"h x 6.5"d, this handy tote is useful for carrying all sorts of stuff, whether for church or any number of other uses, and it declares its owner is a Daughter of God. The buyer of one of these bags can choose its color and color of embroidery from a number of color choices.

Says Adrienne, "This beautiful Ladybug bracelet set is especially made for The Lady and one for The Lady-to be. Little girls LOVE to match their moms! What a fun and unique way to stay close to the younger lady in your life, be it a daughter, close friend, niece, or grand daughter.

Both bracelets are made out of lampwork ladybug beads and spacers, cut glass beads and silver spacers. The larger has a silver toggle clasp and on the girls bracelet a lobster clasp, to ensure that these little ladybugs don't every fly away."

Making jewelry with her new passion, lampwork beads is the latest interest for Adrienne. All of her lampwork beads are made out of the home studio of another Etsy artist, LaneysBeads, using soft glass like Moretti (Effetre),Vetrofond and Lauscha. Adrienne says that each bead is carefully kiln annealed for durability and then cleaned. Great way to help one another on Etsy!!!!

Personality Plus Boutique can be found at:
http://AdrienneN.etsy.com
http://personalityplusboutique2.blogspot.com

Featuring Mineral Magic Cosmetics

Kellie, the owner of Mineral Magic on Etsy says, "I take great pride in my makeup line and guarantee 100% satisfaction. Mineral makeup is pure, crushed minerals from the earth, that improves your skin condition. it provides an SPF (sun protection factor) of up to 20, depending on how much you apply. It is an anti- inflamatory for your skin, as well. My makeup does NOT contain bismuth oxychloride, which is kin to arsenic, and is most likely the reason for skin irritation. Since these minerals are 100% pure, bacteria cannot be supported. Therefore, there is no expiration date. There is virtually no allergy risk.

You can use mineral makeup as a foundation, eye shadow, custom lip color and even nail color!For eyes: Use ANY color mineral and apply with a good quality bristle brush.For Lips: Use any color that compliments your skin. Mix and match your colors if you wish. Take a lip balm and dip it into the minerals and apply it to your lips for your own custom lip color.For nails: Mix the color of your choosing and mix well with your favorite clear top coat and apply!"

This is cool. You get to custom order your own portable makeup kit (as shown in the above photo). This is a handy purse-sized mini travel case for your makeup. It will hold your jars of makeup and brushes. The material is a microfiber that is easily washable. You will receive this case FULL of four, 3 Gram Jar size vegan mineral colors. AND brushes!

Kellie is married with one child and living in Pennsylvania. She is a graduate of Rutgers University and also holds a license in cosmetology. Close to her heart is the condition of Autism, as her son, Timmy, age 9, is autistic. Timmy is working now to help mom in her shop and has a few products of his own.

A scented soap on a rope that comes with a scrubbee and a pink or orange colored bowl (you select). The fragrance of the soap is Creme Brulee, scented and hand colored by Timmy.

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), "Autism is characterized by three distinctive behaviors. Autistic children have difficulties with social interaction, display problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and exhibit repetitive behaviors or narrow, obsessive interests. These behaviors can range in impact from mild to disabling. Autism varies widely in its severity and symptoms and may go unrecognized, especially in mildly affected children or when more debilitating handicaps mask it. Scientists aren’t certain what causes autism, but it’s likely that both genetics and environment play a role.
Is there any treatment?

There is no cure for autism. Therapies and behavioral interventions are designed to remedy specific symptoms and can bring about substantial improvement. The ideal treatment plan coordinates therapies and interventions that target the core symptoms of autism: impaired social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and obsessive or repetitive routines and interests. Most professionals agree that the earlier the intervention, the better. . . The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) conducts research in its laboratories at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and also supports additional research through grants to major medical institutions across the country."

You will have your choice of any mineral colors that you would wear as blush to try before you move up to the larger sizes!

The picture shown is just an idea of some of the many muti-use colors that can be used as eye shadow/blush/lip and nail polish. 3 color choices in 3 gram jar size, NOT sprinkles in baggies. Mini Kabuki Brush! Dual applicator! 1 goof-proof instruction sheet!

I love that this makeup can actually be beneficial to your skin. I also love the idea of making your own kit just to suit yourself.

I also love that Kellie is so devoted to the cause of increasing Autism awareness and helping and encouraging Timmie to achieve his very best.

You can find more about Mineral Magic at:

http://mineralmagic.etsy.com/

http://kelliesmineralmagic.ning.com/

http://mineralmagic.blogspot.com/

Phyllis Mufson, A Personal Treasure

On the blog today, I am featuring Phyllis Mufson of Personal Treasures who is a jewelry artisan and a creative career and small business coach. One of the things I discovered about Phyllis is that she pays careful attention to how her jewelry drapes. This is because earlier in her life, she worked as a textile designer and knew that the way clothing hung or draped on a figure could make or break a garment.

I recently received a very attractive necklace for a gift which probably will need to be re-strung because it doesn't hang right. As a buyer one should really appreciate this attention to detail that is found in Phyllis' jewelry.

The example shown above, her Red Coral and Gold Necklace, as you can see drapes elegantly. The following description is from Personal Treasures. "Four softly draping strands of polished coin-shaped red coral beads are punctuated by tiny glass beads coated with 24 carat gold. The necklace's focal point is a vermeil (sterling silver coated with 22k gold) ring with a woven pattern that slides easily on the necklace. The necklace is finished with vermeil cones and hook clasp. The vermeil accents are all handmade in Bali." Just lovely! A very powerful piece.

Switching to a far more delicate mood, these rare Phrenite beads speak much more softly. Phyllis' interesting background in career development as director of Career Services at Moore College of Art and Design, and as a marketing and public relations executive might just show through into her jewelry. The same person who would wear the dynamic red coral necklace might be too bold to wear the soft, watery phrenite earrings. That has to be smart marketing: appealing to different buyers. Everything in this shop radiates a quality of success.

Phyllis also is a certified Life Coach with the Coach Training Institute and a graduate of their Co-Active Leadership program, and serves on the U.S. board of the Association of Career Professionals International. Her life-coaching business helps people find out how to see what potential they have and guides them into developing it. Phyllis says, "How about you? How might your life be different if you had faith in your creativity, in your ability to venture into the unknown and persist until you reached success? What would you begin if you had that confidence?"

This lovely pink morganite necklace has a soft, feminine color but still to me speaks of strength.

"Morganite (Pink Aquamarine) Necklace - Substantial Morganite beads in lovely shades of soft pink are simply strung with faceted vermeil beads as spacers and a gold-filled toggle clasp. Morganite is a member of the Beryl family. "

All of the items in Personal Treasures are one of a kind and handmade by Phyllis. You must go and see for yourself.
http://personaltreasures.etsy.com/ http://personaltreasures.blogspot.com/

Creative Sundries Offers Vintage & Much More

Creative Sundries is a creative blend of old and new. Vintage items such as jello advertisements or playing cards, Mexican Ioteria items, etc. to create another item. The example at left is based on a Ioteria card collaged onto a blue notecard and making use of sparkly vinyl.

The principals of Creative Sundries are a mother(Carol) and daughter (Sarah) who are proud members of the Etsy Minnesota Team. Says Sarah, "They love to create jewelry, collages, crocheted items, and fun things with paper. Their newest projects include needlefelting--Sarah is making coin purses and small animals--and soapmaking. They are inspired by children's natural creativity; nature; hedgehogs; panda bears; old games; vintage papers; antique photographs; art supplies; fellow artists and crafters... so many things! "

This item is a repurposed American Airlines tray with a decoupaged Milles Bourne card as a background inserted with a coin as the background. So, is American Airlines still looking for their trays in order to provide food to their passengers. I always wondered why we just get pretzels now!!!!!!!!

To the right is a pair of earrings made from fuses, yes fuses!!!! Who ever would have thought of that? Very Clever!

Check out all the vintage and vintage transformations at Creative Sundries. They can be found at : http://creativesundries.etsy.com/ and http://creativesundries.blogspot.com/

Benefit For Imago Artists December 19th

A benefit for the Imago artists is being held December 19th at Dunedin Fine Art Center in Dunedin, FL, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Bring any art supplies you wish to donate to the Imago group who suffered the loss of the contents of their studios and shops from a fire which destroyed their building last Sunday or contact P.A.V.A. at (727) 539-8901.

This is an opportunity where we can help these artists in their time of need. If you cannot attend and want to make a donation, please make your checks payable to P.A.V.A., (Professional Association of Visual Artists) P.O. Box 2665, Dunedin, FL 34697. In the memo section of your check, if you write "Donation for Imago" you will receive a receipt for your donation and an accounting will be kept. You can read more about this on PAVA's blog at
http://pava-artists.org/blog/?p=60

Mommy and Me Boutique

Today's featured Etsy shop is the Mommy and Me Boutique which specializes in fashionable aprons for both adults and children. Corline, the shop owner is always searching for new designer fabrics based on the latest fashion trends and colors. These are no ordinary aprons; they are one of a kind and made with lots of attention to detail. Out of 150 aprons made by Mommy and Me, only one apron has ever been duplicated, and that was by special custom order. Her aprons are so cute! And they just fly off the shelves of a local boutique, Twigs, as well as her Etsy shop.

The pink on pink polkadot one (at left) is a fun apron, with extra long ties that can tie in front or in back, which can't help but add to Christmas merriment.

This adorable little girl's apron (on the right) is reversable for a different look. There's red checked gingham on the back. Makes me want to snap it up, and I would if I thought red could compete with pink and lavender, but those being the child's favorites I'm shopping for, I will resist, barely.

I had no idea my son was so smart when he was little! Apparently minky is a name for a type of velvet. This baby blanket is made from pink and chocolate minky velvet on one side and pink satin on the other side. How lush! Your baby can't help but love the feel of these two fabrics. Why is my son so very clever? Because he called the blanket he carried around a "minky." (If he's reading this now he'll know for sure I'm off my rocker, digging up that old stuff.) But I digress!

You will just love the great stuff in this shop, and go check out the Etsy shop and Mommy and Me Boutique's blog too. Corline's a part of the 90-day challenge, so you will see why you need to spend some time there.

http://mommyandmeboutique.etsy.com/

http://themommyandmeboutique.blogspot.com/

Focus: Elle Belle on Etsy

This shirt just did it for me. I had to order it. I hear constant comments like, "Are you Etsying again?" and, it never fails, I've just logged in when he (supportive husband friend, man) appears out of nowhere. This is just perfect. Actually I think my daughter needs one too. They both seem "jealous." Don't you just love it?

Stacey, one of the collaborators of shop EllebelleonEtsy describes this item as, "The embroidered Etsy Widower shirt for all those neglected but supportive husbands. I'll personalize it with your shop's site on the back and can do the "Etsy" in Etsy orange (an idea I had after I made this one) if you'd like. Men, I wouldn't leave you out... I can make an Etsy Widow shirt for your neglected one as well." As it turns out Stacey has Ann, Tressie, Jenniferc and Karie as co-coolaborators in this shop. Each has a few items they make to contribute to the success of the shop.

According to Stacey, "Elle Belle is the place to find handmade, boutique quality baby items that make being a Mom easier and more fun!"
This is great! Wish I had had one of these. Your adorable little baby would never come in contact with all the grossness the last little germbag left behind. This crafty cover is reversible and expandable to fit the largest shopping carts or the nasty, sticky highchairs provided by restaurants.


Elle Belle says "their rings sling are different than most slings you'll find on the market." They are made with less bulky material which makes them more baby and mom friendly. The pleated shoulder helps the fabric spread out across your shoulder and back which distributes baby's weight more evenly, and the light weight aluminum rings are made specifically for slings, they've been tested to hold up to 200 lbs (makes me wonder what kind of "baby" she wore around her neck to check this out. Sorry. ). Included is a sheet of instructions which describes the five different positions you can use to wrap your little one securely in the Elle Belle sling. Stacey provides her email address if you need some one-on-one help."

Great products. Check Elle Belle out at these sites.
http://ellebelleonetsy.etsy.com/
http://ellebelleblog.blogspot.com/

W.O.W. WyredOnWire

Alicia Weeks is the owner of Wyred on Wyre . She is from St. Stephen, New Brunswick in Canada. Alicia was given a beading kit at age 8, and in that moment, she began discovering her passion. She was born in April, and traditionally the birthstone for April has always been diamonds, but on her blog, I got the impression she decided that she didn't like that so much and liked more color. I know the feeling; the birthstone for my November birthday is topaz, and I always thought it was the ugliest one. Then smoky topaz and blue topaz started showing up. Those, I think, are much more attractive.

Shown above is the pendant for a necklace called "My Crazy, Kaotic Life" which is made of sterling silver and rose quartz, kiwi, purple jasper, cherry quartz, and some other pink and purple stones in the 20-inch chain.

Here's pretty one called "Blue Twisted Love." (Hmmm, wonder if there's a movie by that title. Doesn't sound probable they would rate it a PG movie. But then I jumped the track. )Back on course, the necklace is made with green and blue beads and has a large faceted glass heart.

Now this is different! It's a bracelet called "Uncolored Bracelet." (Don't let the kids see anything called uncolored. You'd be amazed just how quickly those crayolas would get used here!) This bracelet is made with sterling silver, Swarovski crystal, and handmade paper beads coated for durability.

Each piece designed in her shop is unique and original. Alicia, who is a mother of two, is a member of Etsy Moms Street Team and Etsy Bags.

You can find Alicia's shop and blog at these links:





http://wyredonwire.etsy.com/
http://wyredonwire.blogspot.com/

StaciRose Unique Jewelry

Staci Rose is an artist who is lucky to live in the San Francisco Bay area, a metropolitan area abounding in creativity. You can find her things in galleries and boutiques there. I saw something in her shop that I fully believe in. It was "support living artists."

(Me, stepping up on my soapbox) I bought an artists' apron with the slogan "Support Living Artists, The Dead Ones Don't Care!" It doesn't benefit Pablo Picasso or Renoir or Degas or Salvador Dali or even Vincent Van Gogh one whit to buy a print of their work, or if you're on higher plane than most of us, to buy an original. Why? Elvis has left the building, the continent and the planet, and so have these guys! (OK, I'm down now, off the soapbox.)

This beautiful pair of earrings is made from Crazy Horse stone and Jasper. Says Staci, "All pieces are original, hand-made, and one of a kind! I search high and low for unique gemstone beads for wearable works of art. I make jewelry to look good and feel good while you wear it."

< On the right is a butterfly mirror, another StaciRose original, entitled

"Butterfly Garden." And by the way, she uses no stickers which fall off down the road anyway. Materials used in this creative project are pine wood, acrylic paint, glass and mixed media.

Look at the versatility here in Fruit Salad (left). These very cute original wine charms are made from glass and plastic!

She also does many lovely Judaica items and also oil paintings of nudes.

Staci is a member of Worldwide Women Artists, (WWAO) an international collective of women artists showing and selling their work online and a certified Member of EBSQ Self-Representing Artists. All of Staci's work is original and one of a kind.

Be sure to visit stacirose at Etsy and on her blog at:

http://stacirose.etsy.com/

http://stacirose.blogspot.com/

Fire Destroys Imago Gallery In Dunedin, Florida

We woke up Sunday morning to discover that a local art gallery and art studio space for 15 artists (two of whom are my friends and were at my home just the day before) had been completely destroyed overnight. Our hearts go out to the Imago group who lost prize-winning art, framing equipment and art supplies, but also were devastated in terms of their livelihood and disrupting their lives and their sense of community.

The following article came from Bay News 9.

Dunedin business fire
Sunday, December 9, 2007
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An overnight fire destroyed a Dunedin business. Damage was listed at $500,000. (slideshow)
DUNEDIN (Bay News 9) -- Detectives investigating a suspicious fire at a Dunedin business now suspect arson as the cause of the fire.
Firefighters battled what authorities called a suspicious blaze in Dunedin that started about 3 a.m. Sunday.
The fire was at the Imago Art Gallery, an art cooperative store, in the 400 block of Douglas Avenue.
15 artists, many of them award winners, had been a part of the art co-op, which was six years old.
More Information
Arson fire
Artists react

One by one artists came to the scene to see the damage and couldn't believe their eyes. Hugs and tears were the only way they could react.
"The community will suffer of the loss of this," said artist Carole Rosefelt. "This was an established art institution here in our little community."
"See, this was family. This was family," said artist Toni Young. "We're just numb right now because this will be far reaching."
"Family of artists that support each other and function as a unit and represent themselves in this community," Rosefelt said. "And it's over."
The business is being called a total loss, valued at approximately $500,000. The value of the artwork that was inside hasn't been determined yet.
Two people were in the store when the fire started but escaped safely. Nearby apartments had to be evacuated, but there was no damage and no one was hurt.
Firefighters from Dunedin, Clearwater and Largo worked to subdue the blaze.
After the fire was extinguished the building was deemed a public safety hazard and was therefore razed, according to detectives.

Press Start to Begin, Lost Mitten

Introducing Lost Mitten, an immensely popular Etsy shop in which you can find these Kawaii Cute Lucky Cat and Seal - Maneki Neko (at left) and not to leave out Afro Ken Dog San-X Buttons - Set of 4 Pinback One Inch Buttons from Japanese Kawaii. "Since the 1970s, cuteness (可愛さ, kawais a?) has become a prominent aspect of Japanese popular culture, entertainment, clothing, food, toys, personal appearance, behavior, and mannerisms." (From Wikipedia.)Cuteness is extremely popular in Japan, and obviously Lost Mitten's Kawaii pinback buttons are certainly adorable.

I have found reference in earlier blogs in the 90-Day Challenge to the perler bead items, of which there were portable notepads, coaster sets, cassette card holders, blocks featuring Nintendo's Super Mario characters, and more. However, sales have been brisk and these have all flown out of Lost Mitten's shop. I can imagine Lauren, the owner, is hard at work creating more of these unique and delightful creations.


Lauren and her fiance, Paul (lucky for them) are both enthusiastic gamers living in Ontario, Canada, and her shop reflects this passion with themed items from the various games everywhere. Whether it's anime or Wii or DS, the characters are reflected in original designs by Lauren in this shop. There are also buttons made in Chiyogami Yuzen and Japanese Washi Paper to wear on your sweaters and scarves. Chiyogami comes from the Japanese root words Chio which means thousand generations and gami which is paper. These designs were created in the Edo period as woodblock prints reflecting the beautiful kimono patterns in Japanese culture. And, how cute is it that these buttons, and all the others in the shop are attached to a card shaped like a mitten!

It's a natural that there are also crocheted and knitted items in this shop. There are nifty, long scarves and a warm looking poncho. Lost Mitten can be found at http://lostmitten.etsy.com/ or on her website and blog at http://blog.lostmitten.org/

In a shop called Lost Mitten, there are no mittens. I don't know what the story behind this is. Maybe their mittens are, afterall, actually lost?

Anyway I hope you will browse Lauren's shop and check out her blog, and enjoy what you discover about games and buttons and while you're there sometime, look for the lost mittens.

SweetIrie 90-Day Challenge Feature

Today's Etsy shop is SweetIrie which has been in business since 2005. SweetIrie, the shop is named for the owner's kitten, Irie, who brings her owner much joy.

Super cute
1 3/4 inch dangle earrings made with genuine Swarovski Caribbean blue opal crystals with light blue shell disc beads on all gun metal parts. Very nice! Available in SweetIrie for just $20.


Merlot
necklace $35

This one of a kind necklace is stunning and sophisticated! Would be a great addition to wear with jeans during the week or that cute dress going out on the weekends!

All For Me Bookmark $25

20 inch Wire bead bookmark. Made with Toho teal glass beads, floral encased lampwork, purple mother of pearl hearts, Czech amethyst picasso glass, and silver plated parts.


Visit SweetIrie soon.







http://sweetirie.etsy.com/
http://www.sweetirieoriginals.blogspot.com/

Capture the Essence of Brazil

http://contasbrasil.etsy.com/
http://contascoeln.etsy.com/
http://contaskoeln.blogspot.com/

Brazilian sisters now living in Germany, Suzy Wortberg and Bebê de Soares, are the owners of ContasBrasil and ContasKoeln.
The ContasKoeln Etsy shop offers beautiful beads and supplies, and ContasBrasil is the source for their luscious jewelry. Suzy’s best friend Ana Paula Vilas Boas who lives in Brazil, adds an additional pair of jewelrymaking hands to the enterprise, and just recently Sandra Fukelmann has added her unique doll bags. In 2007 they opened a shop in Cologne which became the only place in Germany to sell ContasBrasil jewelry and Sandra's doll bags.

The following statement in their Etsy storefront gives the viewer a feel for the mood produced by their products. "To be BrazilianLiving in a tropical paradise surrounded by stimulating colors and brightness. Keeping alive the joy and spontaneity of a child. CONTASBRASIL wants to bring the unique feeling of living in Brazil to every corner of the world.Exotic, joyful and irresistible. Impossible not to be enchanted by the colors and shapes of Brazil." Makes me want to see what Brazil is all about! Love the jewelry! Go and visit their shops.

Planet Liz Staley (Etsy Shop of the Day)

This is where it begins when you enter Liz Staley's Etsy shop. "Come in to my realm - where the nerds and geeks reign!"

Now, in my own realm, I've been fighting a sinus thing all day, so I already feel like I'm on another planet or something. Then I visit Liz Staley's world, start shop-surfing, begin blog-digging, and now I'm really convinced. . . Or is it commonplace on Planet Earth to find a wallet made out of circuit sheets from inside a computer keyboard that's lined with duct tape?

At this point, I think I want to introduce you to Sarah-- Sarah is Liz's shop mascot/logo. She appears on her banner, her icon, her tags, her thank you cards, and her paper toppers for her buttons. And probably lots of other places. Great branding!
Says Liz, "Well, why Sarah? What does this red-headed goth looking chick with the glasses and the choker have to do with my shop? I'll tell you! I designed Sarah first for a role-play that my Husband and I started in January/February 2007 that was based off an old anime called "Grandizer" (Grendizer, Goldorak, Goldrake, whatever you wanna call it). Sarah is the daughter of the two main characters, and in addition to being a bookworm, motor-cycle racer, and owning her own tuner shop...
... she was my first reason in a LONG time to get back into crocheting. See, I designed her with these awesome fishnet gloves that went over her middle finger and went under her sleeves. Simple, short, fishnet gloves. Gloves that I *wanted*. Well, after a few weeks of doing concept sketches and studies, I remembered 'Hey! I can crochet! I have hooks and yarn around here somewhere!' "

Very cool! Not only does Liz crochet, but she also writes! She has been writing a story that she publishes to the web -- and has since she was in high school. In her spare time she is found watching anime, playing tabletop role-playing games (Dungeons and Dragons; Big Eyes, Small Mouth; D20 Modern, West End Games' D6 System, etc), building web-pages, and playing on GaiaOnline[dot]com. She also has a gallery on DeviantArt and Flickr, both of which you can find with the user name lizstaley as well.

In addition, buttonhunters, you can find buttons of a gazillion sorts in this shop. Stop in soon!

http://lizstaley.etsy.com/

http://livewirechick.blogspot.com/

Kreative Mindz Run Wild in Ohio

Aly was born and raised in a home of artists. She says, "My mother a painter, and my father a photographer. As kids we always were doing some sort of "project". This has continued for me thoughout my life, dipping my hands in all sorts of creative "projects". I found my nitch in sewing. I LOVE creating different things. I picture it in my mind and then it becomes...it is my "gift" I suppose. And I enjoy working with the different fibers to see what can be done with them."

Look at the creativity run wild in these funky purple capris! They are fully lined and have four pockets and this incredible blue, green and purple swirly batik fabric used for the cuffs, side panels, waist and pockets.

Before our son lived in the Cincinnati area, I had an entirely different picture of the area, primarily due to an old Neil Simon movie about this hokie, quite naive couple from Ohio who got robbed and had all kinds of bad experiences once they got to the big city (New York). After exploring the area a little bit, however, I know there are many "uniquenesses" to appreciate, not the least of which are the many opportunities that the area offers young families with kids. Yes, there are ladybugs and cicadas and Queen Anne's Lace and lush green lawns that seem to cover acres, but Cincinnati itself is a diverse, interesting city with lots of things to discover. And. . .this picture brings back memories of exploring Cincinnati/Dayton territory.

If you've ever owned a hot pack that you can pop into the microwave and use to soothe a spot that's hurting, you know just how wonderful that can be. Kreative Mindz has gone a step further and provides theirs with a removable cover

How cool is that? Now, when the thing gets dirty, you don't have shudder when you use it that one last time before you toss it out. You just wash it! Smart thinking KreativeMindz.

KreativeMindz started a few years ago (a dream Aly says she's had forever). Aly and Beau are a husband and wife team, supporting each other through love, laughter and creativity, working with their two children ages 9 and 2 alongside. An-G is one of Aly's best friends, who is a wonderful seamstress and enjoys sewing in her free time, when she isn't being a vet :). An-G is living in Columbus, where she just graduated from vet school(WHOOHOOO!!!). She is currently engaged to be married next summer! :) She has been sewing a long time as well, learning some from her mother and some from herself. Beau makes wooden keepsake boxes for storing jewelry and all kinds of treasures.
One other thing, Kreative Mindz has a hair accessory they call a goddess wrap™. Goddess Hair wraps are one of the favorite things that they make, says Aly. "Named because that is the way you will feel when your hair is all wrapped up in a beautiful fabric! (At least that is how I feel!) Plus it keeps your hair up and out of the way, and is stylish too!Whether you have short thin hair or big phat dreadlocks, this wrap is so versatile anyone could wear it!"

Check out their sites:
http://kreativemindz.etsy.com/
http://kreativemindzthreadz.blogspot.com/