Berry Beads Brings Badge Bling

The owner of Berry Beads on Etsy, Rosi, a native of Long Island, NY, says "I have always enjoyed crafts and was encouraged as a child to make gifts and things by hand whether it was crochet, embroidery, drawing, what have you. My latest passion has been designing jewelry, specifically Badge Lanyards. They are fun to make and also functional. My other hobbies are drawing, digital art, photography to name a few."

Shown on the right is the Wearing of the Green Badge Lanyard. The term lanyard sounded familiar to me, but I had no idea what it was; however, I have seen people wearing cords and such with keys and badges hanging from them. I just didn't know they had a name. I've learned a new word today. This is such an attractive lanyard, as lanyards go. (There now I've used it three times. That's supposed to mean "It's mine," as in "Use a word three times and it's yours." Or so "they" say.

Here are some really cute and different earrings. They are called, Fishy Earrings. Rosi says, "They are totally formed by hand using silver artistic wire so each one is slightly different. But that adds to the primitive look."

This item is a zipper pull which is a very attractive way of dressing up your zip-up sweaters, hoodies and things. It is called, Butterly Bling Zipper Pull Charm.


To find Rosie and her bling and things go to:

http://berrybeads.etsy.com/
http://blog.berrybeady.com/

CSerpent Comes Into The Blog!

Susan Estrada, from San Diego, is the owner of cserpent Designs where you can find uniquely designed and created watches, bracelets, earrings, necklaces and other beaded items like bookmarks, cell phone straps, sun catchers, spiders and as she says, "whatever else looks interesting." Susan has some of her jewelry available at Gili Anna, a brick and mortar shop in La Jolla, CA.

The photo above is of a gorgeous bracelet that looks good enough to eat and is named Hot Cha Cha.
The photo below is a Blue Raku and Gold Letter Opener. (As in Miss Scarlett did it in the Library with the Blue Raku and Gold letter opener.) However I must say I don't think anyone would want to do any sort of nasty deed with this attractive piece. It's hard to imagine using it for anything but decorating a desktop that I am also imagining has beautiful stationery sitting on it in attractive boxes. I will have to imagine that desktop, because in the real world, mine has an assortment of piles, phone, monitor and keyboard, and stuff -- lots of stuff!


Susan says that the name for her business and Etsy shop came about because, "my husband nicknamed me Sea Serpent during our scuba diving days (picture a tall person in a purple and black drysuit with a pink flotation vest coming out of the water with big black fins on her feet ... yep sea serpent fits!). He even got me a sea serpent stamp to use for my "signature" on my hand made cards. Since I couldn't fit seaserpent on a license plate I changed it to cserpent and I've been using that for my business name ever since."

That brings us to "Tilly" the multi-purpose turquoise spider shown in the next photo. Apparently she can be worn in various manners. Susan says, "I will attach her to either the barrette or pin or will add a split ring so you can hang her from a chain as a pendant. . . Let me know how you want to wear her and I'll fix her up before shipping."


Living on a lake, I can vouch for the realism involved, as the real ones seem to propagate really fast, and webs mask things which were actually vehicles the evening before. The little culprits are there waiting in the morning just hanging out, smiling as if to say, "Look what I just did." I wish our arachnids were pretty and turquoise, then I would have to admire them, bless their little hearts.


Please visit Susan to see more of her beautiful jewelry and unique items at:

http://cserpent.etsy.com
http://cserpentDesigns.blogspot.com

Giftbearer, Pippit Carlington, Setting Trends in 2008

Giftbearer, Pippit Carlington says, "The name of my business really is a way of life for me. I wanted to choose a name that summed up in a nutshell what I'm about and described the purpose behind the jewelry I make. For me making jewelry is more than art-for-art's-sake, it's a way for me to contribute something to others on a level that connects as a call-to-action. I believe that every action we make in the world has a ripple effect for better or worse."

Pippit has been making jewelry seriously since her now 24 year-old son was born. She says she had never really thought making jewelry could be her career until that time. She has progressed through working in wood to using copper and soft solder, then to beadweaving, and several years later went on to study at the Atlanta Jeweler's School and Studios to learn traditional metalworking techniques. In 2000 she became officially licensed, and since that time as worked at jewelrymaking full-time. Her work has consistently been sold in stores in Atlanta and at juried and non-juried shows.

The Hint At Something Deeper necklace, above, "is very special and one-of-a-kind. It took many hours to complete. You are sure to be noticed from across the room with it on. Watch for it in Ornament Magazine!"

The Leafhearted-Fine Silver Violet Leaf Earrings are set with beautiful amber cabochons. Such a wonderful contrast would look good with almost any coloring.

Pippit says, " I see myself as an ambassador and tend to act in that capacity in everything I do whether it is serving on a board for some political or social issue such as disability rights or in touching the heart with certain types of art to gain the acceptance of certain styles, materials, and techniques, and to promote a living wage for artists who seek to make their living through their art."


We, who have been a part of the 90-day Challenge, have Pippit to thank for instigating and shepherding this effort in order for the participating artists, and Etsy indirectly, to have the opportunity to benefit from the enhanced publicity, and to make contacts and friendships with others, hopefully resulting in increased sales. Thank you for all you have done in this regard, Pippit.

Here Pippit tells us how she found out about Etsy, and gives us another reason to admire her and to regard Etsy more highly. "I heard about Etsy soon after Hurricane Katrina when I was looking for some way to contribute proceeds to the survivors when I came across something on Google about Crafters United and what they were doing to organize artists to contribute to the fund to benefit those who were displaced and needed help. I contacted them and found that they were selling the items that had been donated on Etsy. Several things of mine sold right away, so then I opened up an Etsy store of my own."

Giftbearer can be found at these locations:
http://giftbearer.etsy.com/
http://giftbearersupply.etsy.com/
http://artlifenewsblog.blogspot.com/
http://en.dawanda.com/shop/Giftbearer
http://www.smashingdarling.com/store/1882
Mindt (items available in this store soon)http://www.mintd.com/stores/show/148-Giftbearer

Pay Pippit a visit soon to see more beautiful jewelry. Also she is announcing a new promotion:

"The first 3 people to purchase $40.00 or more in an order from me will receive a FREE pair of earrings in their package. I will begin making an assortment of different styles and colors now and then post pictures on Flickr so that buyers can choose the pair they want. They will be described beneath each picture as "90/90 special offer". To receive this special, buyers must include the promo code 90/90 DreamON. I will also start doing this with selected other blog features, and each of those will have the store name (or an abbeviation) after 90/90 pertaining to the blog in which the offer appears. Only one offer to a customer please. Happy shopping, readers! You won't be disappointed!"

that's Headley!

One of the most important concerns when you are buying online is in regards to quality. So when the shop owner addresses this concern it gives you peace regarding the purchase. Ginny Headley Maserang, owner of Etsy Shop, thats Headley, states, "I am absolutely committed to crafting jewelry pieces of the highest quality and beauty that will bring you great pleasure when you wear them."

I have recently discovered there are some quite interesting stories behind the choice of Etsy shop names, and this is definitely the case for thats Headley. Ginny gives us the background.
"It's a bit of silliness left over from high school. You see, the movie "Blazing Saddles" came out during that time, and the character played by Harvey Korman was named "Hedley Lamar". A running gag in the movie was that people kept calling him "Heddy" Lamar - which ticked him off (Heddy Lamar being a woman) and caused him to state emphatically "That's 'Hedley'!". My friends in high school thought this quite funny, and their greeting for me quickly became "that's Headley!" When I was thinking about a name for my shop, I thought it would be great if some day my work was so recognizable that someone might exclaim when they saw a piece of my work "that's Headley!" It seemed very fitting for branding, and it has the added beneift of reminding me of all my great friends from my youth. "

These pretty green pearl and wrapped sterling silver wire earrings are not just pretty on the outside, but they have the added benefit of benefitting the Fisher House™ Foundation. A portion of the sale of each item in thats Headley's "Hope for Whirled Peas" collection goes to benefit this very worthwhile organization. They are providing support to our military men and women by building "comfort homes" on the grounds of major military and VA medical centers. These homes enable family members to be close to a loved one at the most stressful times - during the hospitalization for an unexpected illness, disease, or injury. No family pays to stay at any Fisher House!



Thats Headley is a member of the following Etsy Street Teams:
Self Representing Artist Jewelry Designer (SRAJD) #231
Member Art Jewelry Collective
Member Etsy Texas Crafters (ETC)


Be sure to visit Ginny's shop and blog at:
http://thatsheadley.etsy.com/
http://thatsheadley.blogspot.com/

Adornments By BJ

Today's featured Etsy shop is Adornments by BJ's. BJ says, "The name of my shop just came to me since jewelry, as well as other items, are adornments to make a woman feel good, jazz up her wardrobe or simply to show their individuality."

BJ has a lovely family of whom she is very proud. Being the grandmother of 3 granddaughters and 3 grandsons; three daughters and a wonderful husband keeps her quite busy. In addition she just purchased a grand piano, which she has dreamed of getting for quite some time now. It was time to make some of her dreams come true, but she admits that enjoying it thoroughly, steals some of her Etsy time.

She says about her jewelry, "Jewelry Sets are my specialty; all quality made with the finest of materials to fit any budget, style, or special occasion whether it be casual or formal or somewhere in-between. Adornments to reflect your persona. It’s interesting to discover the metaphysical attributes of different stones and how they interact with our mood, physical being and personality."

The necklace pictured above "has it all," says BJ, "The design is sophisticated and yet glitters from the many Swarovski crystals. It is extremely versatile and would complement many of your wardrobe outfits. The colors will lend itself well to all seasons and unlimited possibilities.The necklace measures 19 1/2", including clasp. The earrings have three Swarovski crystal bicones, same colors as are in the necklace, and drop from gold-filled french earwires."

BJ is a member of the following groups: S.R.A.J.D. (Self-Representing Artist Jewelry Designer #0517), AJC (Art Jewelry Collective) and JET (Jewelry on Etsy Team). Photos of my jewelry are listed on Tribe.net, MySpace.com, Flickr.com, TalentDatabase.com, and many other sites as well.

Visit BJ at the following locations:

http://adornmentsbybj.etsy.com/

http://bjadornments-bj.blogspot.com/

A Rose By Name

This beautiful antique-looking bracelet was created by weaving individual verdigris colored Japanese triangle beads into a band and then embellishing them with galvanized yellow gold Delicas and copper/iris Japanese seed beads that were woven into a lacy net pattern along the edges. The toggle is a handmade beaded bead using the same three styles of beads that are within the bracelet.


Anna, the owner of A Rose By Name , says that her Etsy shop got its name because first of all, she was one of those kids who actually enjoyed studying Shakespeare and one of her favorite quotes is, "That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet." from Romeo and Juliet. She says, "The other reason is that it was my mom's favorite flower as well as a variation of her name and it's in her memory."

Anna began beading with her two daughters years ago, and has continued, and although her daughters no longer do any beading, they do enjoy wearing her creations. As she's gotten more experienced, the beads have gotten smaller and the designs more intricate.

Anna says, "The colors truly glow in this 2 1/2" votive candle holder which is surrounded in peyote stitched Delica beads in cherry red, emerald green, midnight blue and royal purple with accents in cream and gold and gold seed beads top and bottom. These votive holders take many days to create as every bead is individually stitched into my own original patterns. There are well over 4,000 beads in each piece."
"This gorgeous necklace was created by stitching individual links using the peyote beadweaving technique and then meticulously linking them together. The colors are a range of sea colors from deep blue green to stormy gray Delicas. Each link consists of 64 beads woven together and there are 110 links for a total of 7,040 beads! This necklace was truly a labor of love! "

Anna belongs to several Etsy Street Teams:
Etsy BeadWeavers Street Team: etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com
Cleveland Rocks Etsy Street Team: clevelandrocksetsy.blogspot.com
BBEST - Boomers & Beyond Etsy Street Team: boomersandbeyond.blogspot.com

Please view Anna's beautiful and unique work at the following sites:
http://arosebyname.etsy.com
http://arosebyname.blogspot.com

Announcing The Entyqua Collection

Entyqua is my featured Etsy shop today, and its owner Becki Rasmussen makes pretty jewels with a flavor of yesteryear. She describes this pink faux pearl and Heishi bead necklace (right)as edgy,trendy,elegant and classy. Becki states that she has been creating jewelry for the last five years or so, beginning with earrings and moving eventually into making all kinds of jewelry, cards, jewelry boxes, hair accessories and now a line of clothing. She will be selling the jewelry boxes and cards in a new Etsy shop called delightfuldeceits .

Shown at above left are some wire wrapped cobalt blue glass flower bells made into a pair of earrings called Dresden Bells.



This is a beautiful and elegant Faceted Copper Beaded Necklace It is three stranded with a beautiful Vintage Button as the focal point! With a very dainty bracelet to match!

Entyqua can be found at:

http://entyqua.etsy.com/
http://beckisdesigns.blogspot.com/

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/

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/

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/