Nature Inspired

Be sure to visit AllureByU's etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/AllureByU where you will find her beautiful nature inspired jewelry. A great selection of modern and vintage jewelry.

by AllureByU

My name is Sue and I am from Singapore, a little beautiful island in South East Asia.  I have a belief. Life is short. Live to your fullest. If you have a dream, live it and make it happen. I hope my belief will also extend to my jewelry creations.

 

Everyone starts off differently! I got started in the jewelry designing and making business by accident. I got inspired by all the other crafters and artists while shopping and browsing through the internet. When I saw their creations on their websites and in their shops, I thought to myself how beautiful their creations are and how nice if I could create some of these myself. That train of thought ended with the determination to make my own beautiful creations! I stumbled upon Etsy by accident to begin with, but ended up being the best accident because AllureByU was born!

In learning this art, I am basically self taught. I read a lot of books on jewelry making and later bought basic tools and supplies for my creations. The basic tools are pliers, cutters and not to mention lots of patience and passion. How delicate your craftsmanship comes with experience. There are marvelous sources of inspiration, know-how, and tips-n-tricks out there. Many are available online as e-books or e-course, books & magazines.

As this is not my full time job, I do not have a proper workplace. All I need is a space for me to lay out my tools and materials and I start creating.

You find lots of variety in my shop. Most of my items are inspired by the things around me. I love nature and life. I love new exciting ideas and trying them. I do not like sticking to the same old concepts. Thus I use all kinds of themes and all kinds of different materials in my creations. I love to get inspirations from all of them. Sometimes something seemingly boring, when combine with another material, will create a beautiful piece. Let your creativity juices flow.

I love every single piece of my items because they are created with lots of love, efforts and time. I use quality materials for my creations.

 

AllureByU.
http://allurebyu.etsy.com/
http://twitter.com/allurebvu

Feminine and Oh So Pretty

Be sure to drop by this new etsy shop Blushing Dove Boutique  http://www.etsy.com/shop/BlushingDoveBoutique

where you are sure to discover lovely little pretties including very cute handmade jewelry and accessories.

by Blushing Dove Boutique
My name is Amy Lilley, and I live in Newark-on-Trent (UK). I have always loved art and making things, but had very little time to pursue this interest whilst studying an English degree at university. In my final year of university I was fortunate to meet my best friend, and love of my life, and we married soon after I graduated (last August). Being out of uni, out of work, and living in a new place, I had mixed emotions.

On the one hand I found myself overjoyed at the excitement of our starting out our new life together, yet I also felt a bit down and isolated because of all of the changes. It was the need to occupy myself whilst I was looking for a job that really sparked my creative side. At university I had dressed a bit wacky, and was often mistaken for an art student. Now married, I had ‘toned’ it down a bit in relation to my dress sense, and I think making headbands and jewellery became my more hands-on creative outlet.

My favourite place to work is at my kitchen table! I spend so much time in the kitchen, and love all of the hubbub that goes on in this part of the house. To me it is a place of productivity, play, relaxation, fellowship, family, and inspiration. I can't think of a better place to be creative!

I love all things cute and girlie, and consider my pieces fun and playful, yet pretty and elegant. I want women of all ages to look and feel every bit as beautiful as they are in my pieces, and hope to grow my ‘Blushing Dove Boutique’ into a small business.

Here are a few favourite quotes:

'The real act of discovery consists, not in finding new lands, but in seeing with new eyes'-Marcel Proust

'You can't find a value under a microscope'- Captain Corelli (Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres)

'There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is.'-Albert Einstein

‘Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have’ - Ecclesiastes 6:9
 
 

Here is Amy in her 'work space',( her kitchen) and her happy little helper/ companion, Dolly.

 
Visit Amy's blog www.facebook.com/BlushingDoveBoutique
She is a member of 'Team Imagination':

http://willcreate4adollar.com/
http://officialhouseofimagination.blogspot.com/

Celebrating 200 Followers ~ My Favourite Way

How am I celebrating you ask? By sharing with my fabulous readers and featuring a fabulous Etsian and her creative space of course!

Thank you for reading and thank you for all of your support! Enjoy!

Welcome to Rachel's new ceramic art works boutique.  You can find many different kind of items - Ceramic tiles,Ceramic Pendants,Ceramic Pins, Magnets and much more in her beautiful Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/rachelcart . Every item is one-of-a kind & made by Rachel Cohen,in her home studio in Israel (wouldn't you just love creating in her beautiful studio).

by Rachel Cohen

I live in Israel in a small village and have been married to a wonderful husband for 33 years. I have 4 grown up children and in about few months I am going to be a grand-mother...so excited.-:))))

Every morning I go to the beach & jog along the shore.The good air,the sand, the water & the waves inspire me.

I make lampwork glass beads - jewelry & ceramic items. During the years I have tried all kinds of things. I keep my hands busy all the time. Eventually I have found out that that glass & ceramic are the most fascinating for me. I  fall in love with each of my creations, every one them has is own beauty.

Be sure to visit Rachel's shops and enjoy the discounts she has to offer - if the customer purchases at least two items, I offer %10 discount and one of my shops has free shipping.

For more information about me & my art - work, you are invited to see my site:
http://www.mosaicart-beads.com
You are most welcome to visit my other glass beads boutique
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Rachelcartglass

"Well Behaved Women Seldom Make History "

Enjoy a visit to Golden Pond Studio http://www.etsy.com/shop/GoldenPondStudio

where you will find unique hancrafted jewelry just for you!

by Golden Pond Studio
I have always loved jewelry for as long I as I can remember. I have always wanted to be a volcanologist... well since 3rd grade... before that I wanted to be a marine biologist; needless to say I was a very odd child. I was always picking up rocks and toting them home. Instead of playing at the playground I would look in the gravel they had on it for hidden "treasures". Starting around Jr. year of high school I found a great little shop in the town where I worked at the time. It was a bead supply and jewelry shop. You can imagine what happened next.. yup thats right I found out that I can make great jewelry with my amazing little "treasures" that I had collected over the years. Ever since that day I have never been able to get enough of it.. I love all types of designs and all types of mediums. My personal favorite is of course stones and natural items but I am really starting to expand my wirework.

I got my business name because of the pond at my moms house. The neighbor boy saw that some feeder goldfish got thrown out to die and he tried to save them by putting them in our pond. Well save them he did. It just so happens feeder goldfish are a low oxygen carp and guess what kind of pond we have, thats right a low oxygen pond. My family is now the proud owers of hundreds of feeder goldfish is all colors and sizes.

I started my business by making jewelry for the people I worked with and it grew from there. What was once a way to make money on the side is now my full fledged business trying to make it out in the big wide world. I recently just started to sell on etsy after a lot of prodding for my wonderful and understanding man, Wes. He always believes in my talent and that I really do offer a great and unique quality of work that isn't often seen. (he even helps with designs sometimes)

I have been making jewelry now for aobut 4 years. I am always trying new techniqes. I love to learn whether its a new wire work skill or my love of useless trivia (for example.... the fastest flying bird in level flight is the Swift yet the fastest diving bird is the Perrigin Falcon :O)
Right now my favorite things to work with would be copper and pearls I just love the color combinations.

Im constantly asked, how do you make that , or where do you come up with that... and the answers really suprise most people. I draw my inspiration for new designs from literally everything. My dog .. tv shows, movies, sayings, pictures.. you name it...but a great fail safe for me is my dog Gudio. See photo .. he never lacks any excitement or energy... you can thank him for quite a few of my designs :O)

I hopefully will be in business still when I am 90 because I truly do love to design and make unique pieces for others to enjoy. I find my inspiration for many of my desings from everyday things... while on a walk or playing with my dog, or just hanging out with my family or my guy. The world is endless when it comes to new ideas to design into jewelry.

I'm not the one to ask for organization ideas... my beading space is where ever I am :O) But I know a fun one for packing bracelets for travel... is using a paint roller pad because its soft and helps protect them from moving around.Well that is enough about me I will leave you with my favorite quote " well behaved women seldom make history ". Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

Stitching New Beginnings from the Past

Enjoy a visit to Kim's wonderful Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/NeedlesAndKims

 where you are sure to find something you love. In today's feature Kim shares "since I was old enough to sew on a button, I’ve always dabbled in some kind of needle arts—crewel embroidery, cross stitch, sewing for the home, smocking, piecing quilts, needle felting or knitting. I’ve been working exclusively with felted wool for the past year." Enjoy reading about Kim's lovely Etsy shop and having a peek into her creative space.

by Needles and Kims

My name is Kim and I live in Louisville, Kentucky with my husband. Although Kentucky is my home state, my husband, my three sons and I have lived in many states over the years, coming back to Kentucky thirteen years ago. It was so good to finally come home!

My purses and home accessories are created from repurposed wool sweaters that I first felt in hot water in the washing machine. I embellish my items with vintage buttons, yarn, fibers, beads, repurposed and vintage jewelry—just about anything that jumps out and wants to be used! I especially like to reuse things that have already served another purpose. I also use every part of each sweater that I can. I come from generations of women who didn’t waste a thing, so naturally my thinking is similar. I use the biggest pieces for purses or larger bags, smaller pieces for baskets and other small items. Even the little scraps get used for making dryer balls. My creations are all one of a kind. I don’t use patterns, I just let the amount and shape of the wool determine how a bag or other item will be constructed.

Since I was old enough to sew on a button, I’ve always dabbled in some kind of needle arts—crewel embroidery, cross stitch, sewing for the home, smocking, piecing quilts, needle felting and knitting. My husband bought my current Bernina sewing machine for me in 1983 after our second son was born. I wanted a sturdy, dependable machine that was capable of mending boys’ jeans and also up to other heavy duty tasks. It continues to serve me well in stitching together several thickness of felt, handles or trims. I started working almost exclusively with felted wool in January 2009 and opened my Etsy shop in October 2009. My shop motto is “Stitching New Beginnings from the Past”.

I love nature and the outdoors, and spend a lot of time gardening and walking. I’m continually inspired by movement, shapes, shadows, light, and the juxtaposition of objects. Many of these inspirations come from nature. However, I can even be sitting in traffic, just looking around and come up with a new design from the interplay between objects.

I Can Do That! I Want To Do That!

Lizzy was inspired to start making jewelry after a visit with her Aunt and admiring the beautiful pieces she was creating. Seeing these beautiful things made her think "I can do that"..."I want to do that". Inspiration seems to find us in the most unusual ways and places, sometimes when we least expect it...and it is wonderful! Have a look at LizzyB Designs~beautifully designed, exceptionally handcrafted, unique & wearable jewelry http://www.lizzybdesigns.etsy.com/.

by LizzyBdesigns

I have always loved beautiful things, especially jewelry. Growing up I loved anything art: drawing, painting, pottery, photography..beading. As I got older however, I soon became distracted with 'real world' responsibilities & forgot my passion. I went away to college & decided that I needed a real career and never thought I could make money as an 'Artist'.

I continued to work through college and finally graduated with a B.A. in Psychology, deciding I wanted to be a therapist when I grew up:)

After my college days I worked with adults with developmental disabilities & now as an addictions counselor for the state. Needless to say my creative, carefree self was quickly slipping away from me. I have been working in the field now for almost 5 years and really do enjoy counseling. I am pursuing my Master's degree and working two jobs. Although, something was missing, and part of me just wasn't satisfied until January of this year when I decided to take a trip down to South Carolina to visit with some family there.

My Aunt has always always been an inspiration to me as she never lost her love for the art's, she practiced as a teacher for many years & has her own studio where she makes her lovely creations. When I went to visit with her a few months ago, it really got my creative blood flowing again. Seeing the items she was working on and visiting beautiful galleries in Asheville, NC just made me think "I can do that"..."I want to do that".

So when I got home that is what I did, and I have been enjoying the art of making jewelry ever since (only a few months now). I have taught myself little by little & have so much more to learn, but that is the fun of it...the possibilities are endless!! Artist Elizabeth Bohaker designs her handmade pieces using natural gemstones & other materials. As a lifelong resident of the Eastern Shore of Maryland, nature has always played an important part in her life.She is able to create one of a kind pieces by implementing her independent style & meticulous attention to detail. Every piece is unique & different as the stones used naturally come in different shade variations, shapes & sizes.

Come and visit! Here are my links :

http://www.lizzybdesigns.etsy.com/

http://twitter.com/lizzyb_designs

http://www.lizzybdesigns.blogspot.com/

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=1704434536&ref=profilehttp://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=761863932&ref=profile#/group.php?gid=70819831600&ref=mf

The Little Fox

The Little Fox

I love featuring Etsy artists and artisans and am always interested in finding out more about their creative inspirations. It is my pleasure to introduce you to The Little Fox. Here is a little bit about her.

Little Fox has 3 degrees in Architecture, History of Art and Interior Design.
Her favourite thing to do as a child was to draw her own graphic novels ( which her mom still keeps somewhere!)
She still owns her very first plush toy. It was a gift from her dad the day she was born, and although it lost its nose and tongue many-a-years ago, she still can't find anything as adorable as him. She named him The Sad One when she was 3.

Her list of favourite (famous) people include Neil Gaiman, Tim Burton, Alan Rickman, and Robert Plant.

http://www.thelittlefox.etsy.com/

The Little Fox
Check out her blog at www.onelittlefox@blogspot.com

I grew up as an only child, and since both my parents worked pretty long hours, and very often brought work back home, I guess I became adept to using my imagination a lot and always fabricating quirky little scenarios in my head. I started painting very early during my childhood, and I especially loved (and still do) Andersen's tales and Carroll's Alice books.
I enjoy painting girls of unspecified age, that look girly and serious at the same time. I was always fascinated with what may be hiding behind a phenomenally simple expression, what story might that person tell if he/she was given the chance...I like making up quirky scenarios about their life, but in the end it's always them that make me go one way or another.
My influences consist mostly of graphic novel artists, such as Michael Zulli, Simon Bisley, and John Bolton in particular.Neil Gaiman's The Sandman Series, (actually anything by the man is inspiring), Blythe dolls, Tim Burton's movies, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Cure, Lewis Carroll's and Andersen's book, the Grimm Brothers. Anything sweet and enigmatic at the same time. But really, if an image swims around my head for days, the inspiration for it could be anything...sometimes it's a dream I just had and that's why I always keep a sketchbook by my bed!"

The Big "O"... for Organization!

Organization...can be a saving grace or an albatross depending on the degree of organization you have and how you feel about being organized or unorganized. When my studio is clean and organized I feel happy to walk into my space and ready to create. I make such a mess when I am in my creating frenzy and often times I use whatever time I have to create, not to clean. Every once and awhile my space gets so crazy messy that I have to clean up before I can find a teeny bit of space to create. This part can be as much fun, especially when you find long lost treasures that inspire something new.

Is organization your saving grace or albatross?

Morgan offers some of her favourite organizational tips and tricks. Check out her blog for more great tips and her wonderful creations ... http://www.morganmelim.blogspot.com/.

Morgan Melimblab...Organization…ha!

Kidding, for the most part I try to keep things organized so I don’t loose my mind.

I work mostly with Felt and Cotton fabrics, so there is an endless supply of scraps and thread all over my art room. When we first moved to this place I promised my boyfriend we could split the spare room, well I lied and took over everything! I’m lucky that the room oddly enough had no door on the closet and a full set of wire shelves installed. This has helped me immensely what with the one million Rubbermaid storage totes I have. Yup, that’s my organization: Ziploc bags and a rubber bin for every teensy tiny scrap of fabric. I also love a wire basket for things like tape and glue and paint. My feeling is the more containers the better! One thing that has really helped is having two desks in my work space, one to sew and one to list, email, edit photos and things of that nature for my Etsy shop.

I read Domino Magazine religiously and drool over all of Martha Stewarts work spaces. Recently purchasing a ribbon organizer and a large floppy tote for fabric by the yard, I’m constantly on the look out for another bin to put things in. I feel if each thing has its own container your less likely to forget about some really cool fabric, or loose ANOTHER pair of good scissors. I also have tiny containers with handles that I take small amounts of product to work on the couch while watching TV. Its all about finding out what works for you, and accepting that it will probably always be kind of a mess, but hey at least you know your being productive!

Visit her etsy shop http://www.morganmelim.etsy.com/

Inspiration

Finding inspiration happens in about as many ways as there are people who experience it.
Often inspiration is an "aha" moment when you least expected it. It is an inspiration that often leads us to reflect on what exactly inspired us- whether it was a new way of looking at something like a colour that we have never really noticed before or a way of creating that seems so unique. We are inspired by people, places and things. Often these inspirations challenge us to find new ways of being and doing. Where do you find your inspiration?

Read on to find out what inspires Lyndsey...

My name is Lyndsey and I am an artist, a photographer, and I make handmade funky camera strapsThose are my big things, but the reality is, I'm always crafting something new, or finding some new creative outlet to become obsessive about!I live in a small one bedroom apartment with not a lot of space, so it's very important for me to stay organized and have a place for everything, and everything in it's place! I use lots of crates and boxes to store things in and labeling is key! If I don't, my mess spirals out of control, taking over my living room and bedroom in no time!!

Although my space is small, and I would love to move into something bigger this year, I love my wall to wall windows and the view! I also think it's important to have sources of inspiration displayed within your creative space. I don't have a lot of room for too much or things will get too cluttered but I do have a few. One of the photos I have included are small cut-out drawings that were giving to me about 5 years ago by a girl who has an intellectual disability. I had written a newspaper article about her and her art, and she gave me these character drawings as a thank you. They are very special to me and will always be a source of inspiration for me!

my link are:

http://tanybug.etsy.com/

http://lynseandfancy.etsy.com/

http://inspiredbyhand.blogspot.com/