My favorite Etsy Shops.

Today for our EART Blog ring is discussing what Etsy shops are our favorites. I am so excited to be writing this post, because there are so many great shops out there that it is hard to see them all. Hopefully you can brows by my favorites and make them some of your favorites too!

Here we go!

1. SMDstudio.etsy.com - Steve Drew is a super talented artist who has found his niche in the art world creating realistic landscapes, birds and much more on canvas.

2. Luxbeads.etsy.com

I have gotten some of my favorite gemstones from this shop, and have always have a great experience! Love the fact that I can but small amounts of many stones. This way I can get more diverse design work done for the same amount as a strand of one type and cut of gem.




3. EclecticArtisansTeam.etsy.com

Of course this in one of my favorites. So many great artists in one place! What a great mix of talent. Come check it out.




Want to see some more favorite picks from EART artists? Follow the blog ring around starting here at the team blog and read through some other great posts!

November Scavenger Hunt!

I am proud to be a contributing member of the The Eclectic Artisans Team's new team shop. Check it out! To celebrate our new shop and the beginning of the holiday season, we're having a scavenger hunt, and everyone is invited to participate!

Here's how to play:

Visit the participating etsy shops (scroll down for the list of shops) and search their items for this photo:



When you find it, send the shop owner an etsy convo letting them know you found it. You can search and enter in each participating shop. You can only win once (we want to share the love as much as possible), but the more shops you enter, the more chances you have to be a winner! Each shop owner will randomly draw one winner at the end of the hunt.

That's all you have to do. The scavenger hunt runs from Friday, 11/13, 2009, to midnight EST on Friday, 11/20/09. Check the EART website on Monday, 11/23/09 to see the winners. Enjoy the hunt!

(Please note: EART members are not eligible to win prizes.)

Here's a list of participating EART shops and their fabulous prizes:

MichellesCharmWorld
Prize: Pair of Lego Earrings & Lego

EDCCollective
Prize: Set of four photographic art note cards with envelopes, your choice of images.

DivaDea
Prize: set of four handmade christmas cards

IndigoOrchid
Prize: Platinum Freshwater Pearl Drop Earrings

Pnkgeeni
Prize: set of six handmade embossed christmas cards

AWEshop
Prize: Hammered Copper Adjustable Spiral Ring

Purple Sparkle Crafts
Prize: Sugar Pink Marshmallow Cupcake Candle

MouserkinsMagic
Prize: Choice of 2 Bookmarks

InspirationRecycled
Prize: Peacock and Brown Felt Pendant

Punkynmunky
Prize: Animal print no slip hair clip trio

BeautifulSchlopp
Prize: $25 gift certificate

Hair Bows Wonderworld
Prize: red velour rose pin-on corsage/buttonhole

EclecticArtisansTeam
Prize: sparrow earrings from MichellesCharmWorld

Christmas in October

I here people laughing about it all the time, but it seems to be more true every year. This week for the EART team Blog Ring we were asked how early we start preparing for the holidays in our shops. Well, seeing as this is my first year at this I have had hard time gauging when to start "hanging the holly" in my shop, as it were.

I have been working on some holiday designs since mid-October, and am planning on listing them by the end of this week. I guess we will see if it was too late or too early once I get that done.

I hope that Halloween was not an indicator of how my Christmas/ Holiday items will do. I only sold one pair of Dia de Los Muertos earrings, but I think I may have listed everything too late. Hopefully things will be a little more productive this go around.

Want to find out how the other EART team members are getting their shops ready for the Holidays? Head on over to the Eclectic Artisans Team Blog and work your way around the ring. Who knows, you may be able to fill out your Christmas wish list while you read!

My Favorite Thing

As a jewelry designer and artist, it is really hard for me to pick out just one piece that I have made and call it my "favorite". I love all of my creations because they all cam from my heart. That being said, there are some pieces that I have made that really grabbed hold of me so to speak, and led me by the hand through the creative process.

This is one of those pieces. It is named "Inspiration" because it inspired me to use different items as focal pieces in my jewelry.

The focal piece of this necklace is a Czech Pressed Glass Button. The button itself is new, but it was molded using the original antique molds, and was crafted in the exact manner that this company originally did more that 80 years ago. I was impressed with the craftmanship of the button as well as how easy it was to use it just as I would a precious stone.

Inspiration - it is found in the strangest places! That is why this is the favorite item I have in my shop.


Want to find out what the other artists in the Eclectic Artisans Team treasure the most in their shops? Stop on by the EART Team Blog and follow the ring around. I'm sure that you will enjoy the stories that they have to share with you!

Happy Thursday Everyone!

The Eclectic Artisans Team is Open for Business!!

I am proud to say that the Eclectic Artisans Team, an Etsy Street team, has now opening up a team shop. This is a great place to go and brows through the great variety of what the EART team has to offer.
This week we will be running a Promo where all of the participating members will be offering a free gift with a purchase from the team shop! I am extending this offer to my home shop, and will be sending a free gift with every purchase over $20.00.
Take a moment and go visit the new team shop to see what my great team members have offered there. Who knows what you might find!

I need to go shopping!!

I mean it! I NEED to go shopping, just not for me personally- for my shop. The one thing that will stop an artist dead in their tracks is running out of their medium of choice. Well I am fast approaching the point where I hit a brick wall.

My favorite wire to work with currently is 20 gauge, dead soft sterling silver. Well... I a am running very low! So I guess a trip to www.Monsterslayer.com is in the near future for me. They have such an amazing variety of metals, chains, and beads. I could spend hours looking around online. I know, I know... it is a sad state of affairs when a girl is more interested in her next silver wire purchase than the next pair of shoes she will buy.


So, as much as I would like to say that my next shop purchase will be these FANTASTIC set of Wubbers pliers, it won't be ( maybe next time...). But that doesn't mean that I will have anyless fun with the purchase that I will be making!

Want to read about what other EART team members are shopping for to complete their shop? Stop by Diva Dea's blog and find out whether her next purchase will be a "need" or a "want". Who knows, maybe she is in the market for a little from both catagories...