Copper Frog Studios: The Woman Behind the Work

You'll be drawn in on first look at the serene sophistication of Copper Frog Studio's sterling silver jewelry pieces. From the online studio's profile:

"I am Lori Owens and my passion is creating jewelry. As an artist, I love to create in all sorts of media, but my true love is the art of metalsmithing. My jewelry is made with a fun, rustic and whimsical flare. I find inspiration in metal (especially sterling silver and patinated metals), nature, the ordinary and the unusual. All of these inspirations come together in my imagination to form anything from simple everyday wear to timeless classics.

I enjoy doing custom work. If you see something you like that has been sold or even if you want something that is an original—designed just for you, I would be happy to discuss it with you."

Now, we know that Lori's had some color theory training, since her latest "Balance...between opposites" treasury (a collection of images of items for sale on Etsy, your place to buy and sell all things handmade) features complementary colors blue & orange. Blue & orange really bring out the best in one another because they're opposite one another on the color wheel. The combo really pops! Thank you, Lori, for including my Terra Cotta Skies Blue Rust Copper Orange Handknit Scarf in your Balance treasury! You're welcome anytime here in the Golden Circle of Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon & Zion National Park. I know you'd love the interplay of the red cliffs with the blue skies. :)

VintageVogue is Stylish Roque!

Would you like an entire vintage wardrobe for $100 or less? Do you demand spotless quality, professional quality photographs & only the best that the past has to offer?

Then by all means, rush on over to VintageVogue, "Your place for that chic, unique item you've been searching for!"

Want more? Here are VintageVogue's Sister Shops on Etsy, "Your place to buy & sell all things handmade":

TheVintageCloset
TheVINTAGEdress
VINTAGE luggage with GetReadySetGO
handprinted VINTAGE bags & purses with PixiePrints

Mehran's Bags Are Must-Haves!

Catchy title, right? You'll be agreeing with me after checking out Mehran's online, handbag boutique. Just look at these pictures in this post, all of Mehran's bags. Great talent, great colors, great presentation.

And as a specialist myself (I focus on handknit fashion scarves). I appreciate a fellow artist who makes one thing, very well.

With 99 online sales, Mehran is on the cusp of a benchmark sale--will you be her 100th customer??

'Lissa is so Lush!

Okay, so y'all know that one of the four, animal-friendly teams I belong to on Etsy is EtsyforAnimals, right? It's a really neat advocacy group where every month Etsy artists' donations go to a different charity, please check it out!

One of my fave EFA members is Melissa (affectionately known as 'Lissa) of LissaLush (all images in this post are from Lissa's online shop to help animals). She's also one of our longest-standing members, having joined Etsy in 2005!

Lissa is generous, fun, friendly & gifted! I love how she has such a variety of colorful, affordable items in her two shops, LissaLush and LissaLushHelpingCats (where 100% of the proceeds assist the kitties of a local cat shelter).

Lissa, thanks for being you, an inspiration and a beacon for others. :)

Petronella: A Treasure Trove in Germany

I don't usually tell folks that I was born in a tiny town in Northern Germany, called Soegel, near Bremen. I don't like mentioning it because it's not as exotic as it sounds & I don't want to disappoint. Because my dad was stationed there with the U.S. Army at the time, I was a U.S. citizen born abroad. I don't have German descent, nor do I speak the language, nor do I remember the experience (we moved back to the states when I was 10 months old).

What does this have to do with Petronella Luiting of P8 Button Art?

I was introduced to Petronella when I happened upon her absolutely outstanding treasury of slate colored items. I really hope her Slate treasury makes Etsy's front page, as it's classy, distinquished, sophisticated & stands out from the rest with its clean, grey lines. Besides, *wink*, she included my brand new Man Scarf, Slate Silver Grey and Blue-Grey Boucle, Handknit with Hints of Walnut and Caramel Browns!

When I clicked to her store, I read with excitement that her location is listed as, "A tiny village of 20 homes in the most northern part of Germany, Europe." She's living in the same part of the country where I was born!

So, what does P8 mean and what is Petronella all about? I've included images from her shop in this post, and here is an explanation from her Profile on Etsy (your place to buy and sell all things handmade):

"My name is Petronella Luiting and my shop is called P8 Button Art. "P8" is "peight" and that is exactly the Dutch way of pronouncing the first syllable of "Petronella". I am from Holland and live at the moment with my husband and a little dog in the North German countryside."

Where else to find P8:

Her funky accessory line with bags & hats: P8 Accessories

Her unique clothing line for brave & plus size women: Petronella Fashion

Men Need Nurturing, Too

They're tough, they're manly...and sometimes they need pampering and tender care just as women do. :) I have a very special man in my life, Nicholas (I get to call him Nicky). In fact, Nicky is my muse, my inspiration & the very reason I started designing and selling my scarf designs. I made my very first scarf for him, he helped me pick out the colors (see a picture of it here). And when he saw it, he loved it so much that he encouraged me, saying, "You could totally sell these and people would love 'em!" Over 350 scarves sold later, I guess he was right. ;)

Besides being my inspiration, Nicky is my constant companion, my best friend and my biggest cheerleader. So, I try to pamper him whenever possible, too. And that's where jewelry designer SilentWhispers comes in. Happily married with three, teenaged boys, the subject of this feature is also a Brit living in Texas who practices Reiki and is a breast cancer survivor.

As if to prove the point that one secret to a truly rewarding relationship is to give as well as receive, SilentWhispers has recently brought her insight and wit to her latest "Treasure He" collection of items that one might purchase for a cherished man (whether husband, father, brother or other, tee hee). The subtitle is, "After all, isn't he special?"

I thought that was really nice, and as a thank you for including my brand new Taupe Mushroom Boucle, Handknit Man Scarf with Hints of Walnut and Caramel Browns, I've highlighted this very wonderful lady in today's blog post. SilentWhispers, thanks for a very important reminder!

Discover Adorn by Amy Singley!

adornbyamysingley's Shop Announcement Says it All:

Welcome! I hope you truly enjoy my creations! I take pride in my work and it shows. Everything that I create comes from my heart.

It was just over 5 years ago that I learned to bead. I had been diagnosed with Breast Cancer, had endured several surgeries and was undergoing chemo. My body was being poisoned but my mind and spirit were as creative as ever! I found that even though I was incredibly weak, I could bead for hours. I'd found a true calling.

My Breast Cancer Survivor ~ Awareness bracelet was the first design I ever created. It is still one of my most popular. I call it a "Survivor's" bracelet for many reasons. One is that when you are undergoing treatment, you are so wrapped up in the day to day yuck... that you forget that you are truly SURVIVING! My thought is that when you are wearing it, it will remind you of the strength, courage and hope you sometimes forget you have deep down inside.

My designs have become more intricate and I love working with one of a kind materials like artisan lampwork and boro beads.

I use the best materials I can find so that you purchase a piece of jewelry that is not only beautiful; it will stand the test of time. I also offer FREE SHIPPING in the US! Yay! Again, enjoy my shop and come back often! Thanks! ~amy

P.S. ~WEAR IT WITH PRIDE!~

I can't wait to see more of this talented artist; way to go, Amy!

Tan Elegancia de VintageFiligree

I'm always looking for an excuse to use the phrase "tan elegancia" from one of my favorite movies, Como Aqua Para Chocolat (Like Water for Chocolate). It's such fun to say and so old fashioned in a romantic way.

And now, VintageFiligree has given me that excuse with her new, ornate, treasury collection reminiscent of victoriana, called, simply, Elegance.

As a thank you for including my See Through Hot Pink Sparkle Handknit Scarf, I've featured just a few of her gorgeous pieces here today. But, please, go ahead, feel free to examine every intricate, captivating piece in her online jewelry boutique. I assure you, each is of the same remarkable quality as the next. Mmmmmmm.....

Hurray for Shay!

So, yesterday I noticed that among my hearts on Etsy was a SimplyShay.

Curious, I clicked on SimplyShay's icon, which opened her profile. I read that SimplyShay will be opening soon, and that Shay's other shop is SimplyDoodles. Okay, cool, interesting.

And then, this morning, I'm perusing the treasuries and find this gorgeous Chocolate Mint collection by ShayDaun. Curious again, I click to open her profile, where she encourages visitors to check out her mom's store, Designing It jewelry. It's the same Shay! (Please ignore the corny joke I almost just made about Six Degrees of Shay) That family that sells together, stays together, right?

Where else to find Shay (this woman is everywhere!):

flickr group
flickr profile
blog

All pictures in this blog are from Shay's SimplyDoodles shop, except for my Chocolate Mint Handknit Green n Brown Scarf. It's at the bottom of this page (thanks, Shay, for including it in your Chocolate Mint treasury).

Big News for Animals & How You Can Help!

Many of you know that my "real job" is with Best Friends Animal Society. For the curious, here in my Best Friends blog is a post called "What exactly do I do here at Best Friends?"

I'm so excited to announce that I'll be at the No More Homeless Pets conference in October, helping people sign up for the Best Friends Network, an animal-friendly online social networking community (like MySpace for animal people)! Here's some more information:

Is achieving a country with No More Homeless Pets possible? You bet it is! Every day, more progress is being made, more lives are being saved. But there is still work to be done, and each of us has a part to play.

Don’t miss the No More Homeless Pets Conference, presented by Best Friends Animal Society. The conference will take place October 24 – 26, 2008 at the Alexis Park Resort Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

With topics like using Facebook and MySpace to grow your support base, and putting puppy mills out of business, this conference is anything but old-school! You’ll leave all fired up and ready to save homeless pets in your own community.

Register before September 15th for early-bird pricing! Visit here for more information and to register online.

A Woman of Exquisite Taste

Do you know someone who, like Jackie O. or Audrey Hepburn, approaches each moment with style & grace? I do! My "sophisticated someone" is Funda, the woman behind DasheDesigns and DaliM



Case in point, get a load of her two current visual collections (called treasuries):

Best Rustic Browns
Blood Orange!


All of the beautiful jewelry shown in this post was designed by Funda and can be purchased in the links above to DaliM and DasheDesigns.

Runnin' to RunAliceRun!

So, you like magnets, eh? Or you know someone who collects magnets, yes?

Oh, but not just any magnet--you need something SPECIAL! Perhaps a particular image, something personalized or with an obscure theme?

Come to....


RunAliceRun, Magnets for Any Occasion!



And, you can bet yer bottom dollar, custom orders are welcome at RunAliceRun!


Here's where else to find RunAliceRun:

Blog
Flickr
runalicerun2.etsy.com>Another shop

A Fetish Confession

Those who know me well will concur that I adore nature, being outdoors, simple living, responsible choices, etc.

Those who know me really, really well could also tell you (but they won't because those who are allowed into my inner circle keep my secrets so well!) that I adore plastic. Especially the types of plastics that I remember from being a little girl...colorful, or fun, or with a "little world" inside them.

So, it is with absolute delight that today I feature the resin (aka plastic) designs of EverythingsBlue! Like me, this designer is a jumble of enthusiasm for both the synthetic and the unprocessed (from her artist profile on Etsy, your place to buy & sell all things handmade):

"*About Me*
I love music, yoga, running, road trips, camping, almost anything outdoors!...I love to shop on Etsy too! I love nautical themed items, starfish, shells, sand, beachy stuff and anything to do with water or the ocean!...

...I make resin jewelry. It's my instant gratification craft that I adore to no end. I love that I can embed just about anything into a piece of plastic and there it stays forever! I'm learning more about resin every time I make a new batch of jewelry!"

Resin...ah...It's like nearly instant amber...anything can be quickly ensconsed forever, untouchably nostalgic, ethereal, so close, yet just out of reach...can ya blame me? ;) And EverythingsBlue's pieces are just perfect for reminding me of all that I find magical about plastic. Thanks for sharing your world with us!