NanjoDogz Pandora Beads

Nancy, of NanjoDogz, is the most talented polymer clay Pandora bead artist that I've seen on Etsy. Her shop is full of handmade beads, mostly of dogs, and also carries a few sculptures, ornaments, and plaques.

It is amazing how realistic she can make her Pandora beads look. Check out her Beagle Puppy "Toes with Calla Lily" Pandora bead! She makes beads of many more breeds of dogs, and she accepts custom orders.



She also carries beads that are not dog-themed, such as this Bookworm Polymer Clay Pandora Bead.



How cute is this Boston Terrier Polymer Clay Plaque with Art Print?!


Take a peak at her beautiful blog.

Featured Artist: Mystic Wynd

Karen of MysticWynd has something for everyone in her shop. Her shop offers items appropriate for work, that appeal to a fashionista, and more exotic jewelry for a trend setter. There is even something for a bride and her bridal party. If you are a nature girl like myself, you will definitely find something you like. She incorporates natural material, like wood and stones, and several of her pieces were designed with a natural subject in mind, using colorful beads and creative titles.


Her Saddle Up cuff was designed organizing the beads to look like a horse and saddle saddle, with saddle horns, stirrups and the briddle.



Perhaps someone special would like this Heaven's Rose Rosary in their Easter Basket this year. It is made with malachite and agate beads with a wood and silver crucifix.



Get excited for spring with Karen's Gardener's Copper Charm Bracelet with Flowers. The beads are made of polymer clay, lucite, and glass. The copper charms are of gardener's tools and butterflies.



Follow her blog here

Celebrate the New Year with Etsy

Everyone has their own way of celebrating the New Year - with friends at a party, a low key evening with someone special, watching the ball drop on TV or in person, or maybe just making a New Year's Resolution or two. Most people could agree that no matter how it's celebrated, there is usually a feeling of renewal and a hope for a year that is better than the previous one. However you plan on spending the holiday this year, the members of the EtsyBloggers Team have many ways to make your New Year's holiday special.

Are you attending a New Year's Party this year? If so, you'll want to look your best, so check out the Abalone Paua Shell Necklace by Lizswares. This necklace combines glass pearls with shell beads and a toggle clasp. She also has a matching bracelet and pair of earrings to offer!

Abalone Paua Shell Necklace


New Year's Day can feel like a chance for a new beginning and a fresh start, so just let go of last year's problems and look forward to new opportunities. Just crack open a jar of SpottedCowSoaps' Champagne Whipped Sugar Scrub, toast to a new year, and scrub 2010 away!

Champagne Whipped Sugar Scrub

If your New Year's Eve festivities include a fireworks display, keep warm with this New Year's Firecracker Handmade Knit Scarf, made by SusanNeedleHands. It features a mix of festive colors, including furry tinsel trim.

Handmade Knit Scarf - New Year's Firecracker


Share a smooch with your sweetie at midnight, or give them this Kisses and Hugs Pink Plush Heart by MadeByMelissa. If you are spending the evening alone this plushy will let you squeeze it tight.

Kisses and Hugs Pink Plush Heart


Remember your resolutions beyond January 1st with PruittDesigns' Reminder Necklace - Hope and Love. This cute necklace will help keep you in touch with what really matters. I've shown the necklace that is made with pink cube beads, but there is also a green one in stock too.

Reminder Necklace - Hope and Love


Support peace on earth and goodwill to all with JoeyandAleethea's Peace Ring of Cuteness. This sturdy ring is appropriate for any occasion but why not ring in the New Year with the cutest fingers in town?

Ring of Cuteness - Peace

Stay in contact with your friends and family, and wish them a happy and healthy New Year with these New Years Cheers Note Cards by Creative Lily. A simple way to send Cheers to your loved ones even if you can't spend the holiday with them.

New Years Cheers Note Card Set

How will you celebrate the New Year?

Christmas Etsy Wishlist

The EtsyBloggers team is writing about what they would like for the holidays from Etsy. I don't really want or need much this year, but I searched around and found some cool things. Before I share them, I'd like to inform shoppers about a cool Etsy App that could come in handy this holiday season, Gift Ideas for Facebook Friends. Etsy promises to "be cool" and not post to your wall without permission, contact your friends, or share your personal data. It searches for gifts for your friends based on what they "Like" on Facebook. I haven't found it to be completely accurate, but its a fun time suck and maybe you'll stumble upon something accurate!

I came across this bangle, by ValleGirlDesigns, and it cracked me up. It features Laurel Thatcher Ulrich's quote, "Well Behaved Women Rarely Make History." The lettering was burned, and then the bangle was stained and sprayed with several acrylic coats. Just a wearable warning for the well behaved women out there!


Sometimes in Pilates I get frustrated with the zipper hoodie that I wear, which can get in the way of my moves. The fitness room is kept too cool to go without one until I'm warmed up, so it's a necessary evil. How about this Hanuman Black Tube Sleeve by Kayayogawear?! It looks like it would keep the arms warm without getting in the way.


As a hiker, I can appreciate these bear bells/hiking bells by CaliforniaCollarCo. Though they are most likely intended for a four-legged hiking companion, as the name of the business indicates, they can also be hooked onto a belt loop or hiking pack!


I already make glass tile pendants, Scrabble tile pendants, and bottle cap pendants, so I'm not interested in taking on any more of those projects, but I wouldn't mind owning some domino pendants made by TaylorRain1, like this "Make someone happy. Mind your own business" extraordinary domino pendant. Her pendants are collaged, stamped, and have fun and sassy quotes. They are sealed with a high quality scratch free resin.

Devine Designs

Cindy, of Devine Designs, is a very talented jewelry artist. She has always been crafty, sewing swimming suits and dance costumes, and now working with with metal. Creativity comes naturally to her, stating that she has some talented family, but she has also studied under other talented artists and learned a lot of the art on her own. She only uses high quality components and each piece is unique.

You can see her talents meticulously put to work on this amazing piece, Goddess Spirals.

I love how she boldly mixes metals in pieces, like in these Western Style Earrings.




She also has some items that are more beads than metal, like this Fiesta Necklace.


You can also find Devine Designs Jewelry on her blog and on Facebook:

http://www.devinedesignsjewelry.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/DevineDesignsJewelry

Splendid Little Stars and Sparkly Park

Margaret of Splendid Little Stars and Sparkly Park has a lot of creative talents. She hand dyes and hand paints clothing, and has been doing so for over 18 years now. Like myself, she enjoys being outdoors and finds inspiration in nature. She makes really cute infant and toddler clothing as well as beautiful jewelry.

This cute bubble suit was hand-dyed and hand-painted by Margaret and is called Dreaming in Pink. It features pink roses and green vines painted with dye on a light pink dyed bubble suit.

She has matching knotted hats available on 100% soft cotton jersey. These hats feature the same hand painted pattern. There are also several different patterned bubble suits and hats available.


If you're shopping for an adult, she has plenty of jewelry available in her shop Sparkly Park. I particularly liked the vintage blue grass and fresh water pearl earrings.



Margaret has a very interesting blog that I recommend following!

All Time Favorite Halloween Costumes

Halloween is definitely one of my favorite days of the year. Not only do you get to be creative and be someone other than yourself for a little while, but it comes with candy and parties without your typical holiday stress.

My mom always made my costume when I was a kid, which typically would involve a sewing machine or large cardboard box. I wasn't allowed to go trick-or-treating like the other kids because she feared that I would get hurt, so we'd jump in the station wagon and visit local family members. All my chocolate bars would be traded for white chocolate because I didn't react well to caffeine, but most of the family knew that and would give me non-chocolate candy or cans of olives which was one of my favorite foods. (And yes, despite our unconventional traditions I still loved Halloween).

The first costume that I can remember wearing was a nurse costume which was a white dress with white stockings and a nurse hat. I carried a first aid kit with my trick-or-treat bag.



My nun costume was recycled from the Pilgrim outfit I had to wear on Thanksgiving. My mom sewed a habit and I wore a large crucifix.


Despite my fear of bees, I got the idea for a bee costume from my mom's wardrobe. She had a yellow and black striped sweater that I wore with black leggings and wings made of tulle. She covered a cone shaped piece of craft foam with a black sock for a stinger and made my antennas with a headband, pipe cleaners, and painted yellow foam balls.


In fourth grade I was a die in a dot covered cardboard box. I wore polka dots underneath and accessorized with dice earrings.


I was almost 20 the first (and only) time I went real trick-or-treating. My college suitemates pitied me for missing out on one of the coolest childhood activities and took me to Hyde Park into some nice looking neighborhoods. They let me ring the doorbell but explained that typically its a race to who gets to ring the doorbell first. I was a baby doll because I didn't want to look too old, and I was on a college budget. We didn't get too much hassle for our age, but when we did we just explained that it was my first time and in some cases that got me extra candy!


One fun adult costume was when a friend and I were Joe Six-Pack and Joe the Plumber. I made us jewelry out of soda can pop-tops and ironed on some graphic t-shirts.



My absolute favorite adult costume was when my husband and I went as Peter Griffin and the Yellow Chicken from family guy. I did a whole write up on that last year.

This year, though, is up in the air. There is talk amongst fellow bridal party veterans that we recycle an old bridesmaid dress into a costume. I'm thinking my husband and I could do a Peter Pan or Captain hook and Tinker Bell theme, or perhaps Patty O'Green and another cartoon character from the 1980s using this dress:



If that idea falls through we were thinking about being David Bowie personas such as Ziggy Stardust and Thin White Duke.

For the Bride and Her Ladies

I try to keep a variety of jewelry in my shop to suit different styles and occasions. Some pieces are more appropriate for a night on the town, while others are better for work or a special occasion. Some are more versatile, dressing up a simple outfit or accenting something more elegant.

The Blog Carnival topic for the EtsyBloggers this month is weddings. I actually carry items in my shop that would be perfect for the bride's special day or as a gift to her bridesmaids. My crocheted pearl necklaces are popular for weddings. I don't mass produce them, but I do accept custom orders. It's helpful to me if you send me a picture of the color you are trying to match or a link to the beads you'd like me to purchase to use.

I offer a couple styles of crocheted pearl necklaces. My favorite style is the single crochet pearl necklace of either the same color pearl or of alternating colors. This works well with fresh water pearls or glass pearls.


Another style I can make is the single crochet strand that simulates a double stranded necklace. This requires two colors of pearls.



The third type is the braided crochet necklace. This uses only a few pearls and many tiny seed beads. It is similar to this necklace (without the starfish pendant).



Don't forget about jewelry for the bachelorette! I can make matching bracelets for the divas or a Bridezilla whistle lanyard.

Missie from Sykin and NWWonder

Browsing through Missie's two (yes two!) Etsy shops, it's hard to believe that she has time for her creative talents, being a mother full time working 26-year-old mother of two! He creative outlets include jewelry, photography, and paper crafts, not to mention her expansion into sewing clothing and other items.

Sykin is her shop which exclusively features items related to the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. If you can't find what you're looking for, she takes custom orders as well. Here is beautiful pair of Twilight Inspired Pine Tree Earrings.



Her Breaking Dawn Spoiler Topaz Bracelet represents each member of the Cullen Family.


Missie takes advantage of her geographic location in her second shop, NWWonder. All items are from the Pacific Northwest. Her photography in this shop is stunning, capturing her local natural wonders. That being said, the jewelry in this shop is gorgeous as well! This is a sample of her work, Burnt Driftwood.

Ruby Red

The Ruby is the birthstone of July and the subject for this week's EtsyBloggers Team Carnival. I struggled to find a related topic to discuss or items in my own shop to feature, as most of my reds are Christmas and Valentine's Day themed. Much like Dorothy who had access to what she needed to get home, her ruby shoes, all along, I realized that I too had access to my goal - a ruby themed blog post. I ended up doing a search on Etsy for fellow teammates who had some ruby red items that I could show off, that's what being part of a team is all about!
"... To Oz?"


Juicy Cherries by MoonMystic features a genuine ruby rondelle, sterling silver, and pearls. What a beautiful pair of earrings!



Ebogie invites you to show off what a strong woman you are in this Sparkling Ruby Elegance Bracelet made of czech glass and gold tone spacers on a sturdy stretch cord.



Ruby in the Sky With Pearls is a lovely necklace by ArtsyTartsyJewels - a chain with pearls and a ruby red flower button.

Featured Etsy Seller: Beaded Tail

"Making tails wag one bead at a time"

Sharla, of Beaded Tail, combines her love of jewelry making and animals into a great business. In 2007, Sharla found inspiration in news reports of animal hardships. Her mom went into business with her and they began to make animal themed jewelry for animal lovers, donating a portion of all sales to various animal awareness causes.

Beaded Tail offers a lot of animal themed jewelry like the earrings and bracelet below:

Ruby Red Cat Face Earrings



Royal Blue Cats Eye Bracelet With Awareness Ribbon (Sale)


Jazz up your pet's collar with these collar covers! This one has a patriotic theme.

Freedom Cat or Dog Collar Cover


The causes that they support include:
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Humane Society for the United States
Dogs for the Deaf
Alley Cat Allies
Chintimini Wildlife Rescue


They have raised about $1100 in 2008 and 2009!

Read about her crafts and pets on her blog.

Glass

I've gone through several phases in my Etsy shop. I've done beading, wire crochet, wire wrapping, ceiling fan pulls, fly fishing lanyards, decoupage, glass tile, bottle cap upcycling, I have even made my own polymer clay beads. As far as beading, I've used glass beads, natural stone, clay, and pearls. After all of this, I must say that my favorite material to work with are glass beads and large, bulky pendants.

The great thing about glass beads is that there is such a variety to chose from. I have made many items with Czech glass and particularly like the looks of fire polish, faceted, and table cut Czech glass.

This bracelet, Margarita, has some beautiful table cut Czech glass beads in it, as well as fresh water pearls, probably a close second in the line up of my favorite types of beads.

Margarita

Box of Crayons is another favorite of mine. How cool are those table cut beads?!

Box of Crayons

It's a little late for jelly beans, but these Green and Gold Jelly Bean earrings have small faceted green and gold colored faceted Czech glass beads. The different cuts of the bead reflect light nicely.

Green and Gold Jelly Bean Earrings

These Lily Pad Earrings are made with lampwork beads. These came from a craft store, however, there are many sellers on Etsy that make really cool lampwork beads. Lampwork glass has a really interesting look to it as well, and you only need a couple beads in your piece to give it enough flare.

Lily Pad Earrings

I love a big whopping pendant in the center of a necklace. Murano style glass pendants are probably my favorite, but the right design on a resin pendant can make a piece look great as well.

Glamorous is made with a wire wrapped Murano style glass pendant. The pendant on Metallic Twist is pretty wild, and it's currently on sale in my shop, though the Foil Coil is my favorite, by far.


Glamorous


Metallic Twist


Foil Coil Choker Necklace

What do you like working with the most?