Awesome Customers!

Just wanted to show this great pair of earrings made by one of my customers who bought some lampwork beads from me.  I love to see what people make from my beads, its usually very different than what I would think of, so its really fun to see the different interpretations people make.  And these are gorgeous!  You can find this pretty pair of earrings in her shop on Artfire.  Just click on the link or on the picture of the earrings.
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   From ShadowDogDesigns

 These are the beads.  If you are interested in beads just click on my etsy bead shop on the right

Christmas in July Sale

Just a head's up for everyone there are a group of people on etsy that will be doing a Christmas in July sale. Starting July 20th to July 31st everyone on the list will be doing some kind of a special for the sale. I will include the link to the forum post that has everyone that will be participating. You can also type in Christmas in July in the tags and that will also pull up everyone who is participating. I have about 15 items tagged at the moment but everything in my store will be 10% off for those dates. Make sure that you mention Christmas in July in the comments to seller section to get your discount. The shipping price is not included in the discount. Happy shopping everyone and I hope you all get a good head start on your Christmas shopping.

Here is the link
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5653719

An Etsy Seller and Fellow Blogger

I know that I usually do a post on an etsy seller and link to the blog on the sidebar but I am going to do this one a bit differently. There are lots of sellers on etsy who also have wonderful blogs and it would take years to post everyone of them.

BUTTERFLISLM
This particular etsian has added to her blog a very long list of beautiful shops that you can find on etsy. If you want to check some of them out you can go here http://butterflidesign.blogspot.com/
I am guessing that you can spend several days checking out her list alone. And it is a chance to see some really talented artists. So I was browsing thru her shop and came across this very cute and practical crocheted scrubby. Now my sister's, husband's grandma makes me a couple of crocheted scrubbies every year for Christmas and I love them. They work really well and they wash easily in the washer. However Stacy has gone one step further and has crocheted hemp yarn in the middle of hers. This means MORE POWER to clean my stove and countertops. (My teenagers can leave a horrendous mess and walk away. Three hours later when I come home from work I practically need a flamethrower to get the dried on gook off the stove). So I suggest you check out her blog for lots of cool etsy artists and check out her store for some great crocheted items. (She does more than scrubbies lol!).

Next Round of Etsy Artists

Sorry it took so long, it has been really nuts around my house. (See previous post to see why!). Everyone comes to my house for Thanksgiving also so I need to clean and cook and ..... I have called my daughter off of school tomorrow to help ( she is fourteen). She asked to stay home and help cook and since she is a 4.0 student and has only missed one day I said yes. (and I really need the help). So anyway here are two more of my favorite Etsy artists with some really unique and fun things.

HIPHOSTAGE

Donna has some really cool vintage items in her shop. I don't know a whole lot about vintage but I keep going back to check and see if she has made any other great finds! Donna has done some selling on the other e site (whose name shall not be mentioned lol!) and has decided that Etsy has some unique features and that she would give it a try. She is also a member of the CASTTEAM (Christian Artist Street Team) and Etsy Believers. Not only does she have super cool items in her shop, she is a great person too. I have never seen a negative post from her in the forums (mind you this can be difficult to do some days!) and she is always encouraging. Check out her shop for some great items!

STEREOETTE

Joi is originally from Texas and currently in New York with some really unique things. She makes jewelry, sews clothing, makes bags, fuses glass and screen prints cards and fabric. In her spare time. I found her items to be unique and interesting and I have never seen anyone meld acrylic with metal in the way that she does. Very cool! If you are looking for something unique and different and just a little bit quirky then her shop is the one you want to check out!
I also have to mention that she is one of the people who generously shared some information on beginning metal smithing with me that was very helpful and saved me a good bit of time and money in my search for what I needed to get started. Not everyone is willing to take the extra time to help out a beginner. So thanks Joi!

Round Four of my Favorite Etsy Artists

Okay so this week I am featuring two artists. One is a jewelry designer and one makes the most incredible bags... Anyway I chose these two not just for the items that they make (although they are well worth checking out) but also because of the way they respond to people in the forums. Always helpful and kind (and honest in a nice way when needed) they just really stand out as good people.

DesignedbyLucinda

Lucinda makes some really awesome jewelry ( I struggle with posting other jewelry designers on this blog , let's face it, it is competition for me so when I do decide to post a jewelry designer it will be someone I truly admire.) She has some really beautiful designs and quite reasonable prices. She stands out in the forums as well, always willing to help out the new people with good advice and is generally always patient and kind.

I have it on good authority that she has a ton more stuff that she hasn't gotten around to listing yet (although I know she is working hard on it lol) so if you are looking for something in particular just ask her she could very well have it. And if she doesn't I bet she can make it.

HerRoyalMajestyBags

What can I say? She has the most awesome collection of bags and I can't wait until I get some spending money. Veronica is from Maine and says that her husband is awesome! That alone gets kudos my book lol. Her bags are fabulous and very well made. They come in a wide variety of colors and styles so there really is no excuse not to buy something from this lovely shop. Vibrant colors and patterns that quite frankly make me drool.

She also has a lovely sense of humor and has posed quite a few thought provoking questions on our etsy forums, always geared at having people take a good look at how to improve their shops to get the most out of what they are selling. I always look forward to hearing what she has to say, I usually learn something that is to my benefit.

Well that 's it for this week. I really hope that you will check these two talented ladies out. You can find the link to their stores on the right under etsy artists.

Edition Three of My Favorite Etsy Artists

Well it's time to check out some more great Etsy artists. The more time I spend in the forums and browsing the treasury, showcase and time machine, the more wonderful work I see. I have a feeling that there are going to many more editions featuring Etsy artists. Here is this weeks list.

FujiiroFae
Cassandra makes the most beautiful hair ornaments using a Japanese technique called TSUMAMI KANZASHI. Tsumami is the technique of using squares of silk to make flowers, birds or butterflies and is apparently a very old technique. I think the bright colors of the silk and the delicate petals are very unique and charming. These would make a wonderful gift for the holidays so go check her out.

JaredArt

Jared In Kansas

Jared is a multi-talented guy. Not only does he do original drawings and paintings he also takes beautiful photos. (more on those in a minute). I am totally drawn to the simplicity <---and passion and the use of color in these pieces of art. Then there is the photo side of the equation ha ha(read his profile you'll get it) which also rocks. Two sides of the same coin equal some really great talent in both the paint and pencil arena and the photography arena. Definitely worth the look.

Those are my two artists for this week. You can check out there shops by following the links on the right side of my blog. I think I will keep this to two or three artists a week instead of aiming for four or five due to the holidays rapidly approaching. I will have an update on the puppies in the next couple of days.

More of My Favorite Etsy Artists

More Etsy Artists!

HellloCrafty

I ordered a bar of doggy soap from HelloCraftya couple of weeks ago and

LOVED it! Not only was the soap really easy to apply (way better than the liquid shampoo) it smelled great, was really easyto rinse out (I have dogs that have a heavy undercoat so this is a real plus!), but our oldest has skin issues and after using this on him he didn't scratch for a couple of days. (miracles DO happen lol). It also left their coats super soft. I was really pleased with this product and will most definitely purchase more. I will also be purchasing some soap for myself!

SimplicityInteriors

I found this shop while I was in the forums (I actually find a lot of really cool shops and people in the forums). I just loved the color and pattern choices that Christie chooses for her pillow covers. Particularly the one on the left. I really like the idea of pillow covers. They are washable and easy to change if you decide to switch color schemes or if you change things out for the holidays.

Begurple

Lauren makes the most beautiful, elegant and fun hairpieces that I have seen in a long time. Anyone have a wedding coming up? Talk to Lauren, I bet you'll have the most beautiful hair pieces in town. Mardi Gras or Halloween or maybe just a fancy piece for going to the opera or out on the town this is the shop to check out.

YadaYadaYada

Hilary and her husband Asher make the cutest embroidered

t-shirts and onesies for little ones. I believe Asher is responsible for the original artwork and Hilary is responsible for converting the design into the finished, embroidered piece.They have a large selection to choose from and every time I check out their shop I wish mine were still little enough to let me dress them lol! I guess I will just have to wait for grandkids although I have them marked if I need a baby shower gift.