Obsessed With Lumps & Bumps

Enjoy a visit to Fiberpuppy Designs http://www.etsy.com/shop/fiberpuppy/ ,

 a wonderful etsy shop where they specialize in unique handmade natural fiber items. Fiberpuppy Designs carry a number of different felted and non-felted wool accessories that would be sure to keep you warm on those cold winter days, or even spice up that special outfit.

Fiberpuppy is currently donating 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the black cat hat to Doctors without Borders to help the earthquake victims in Haiti.

by fiberpuppy

I seem to be obsessed with texture lately, lumps and bumps or smooth clean surfaces. Most of my pieces are created by first knitting then fulling (or creating felt) using hot water and agitation in the washing machine. One of the ways that I can create texture is by tying a small object into the knitted piece before it’s fulled. This method among others is known as shibori felting.

Because of my love of shibori, I seem to have turned into a pack rat collecting all kinds of small objects of various shapes and sizes. I use nuts, bottle caps even hair curlers. This combined with the fact that I usually have between 30-50 balls of yarn and finished products floating around has created a bit of a storage nightmare for my one room office/guest room/studio.

One of the solutions I’ve found is to use one of those back of a door clear shoe holders. I can see all the little bits and pieces I might use without digging. Then I can close the door et voila it’s gone.

My actual work space is made up of two tables. One for the sewing and one for needlefelting or drawing or whatever else I might need. I guess I should also count the garage as part of my workspace. We actually have 2 washing machines there; one for regular washing and one for felting. I do spend a bit of time in there as well.

It Feels Like More of A Hobby Than A Business

Pam loves to walk on beaches for hours in search of unique pieces! All the beach glass pieces she uses in her jewelry have been naturally tumbled in the lake for many years, made smooth by the water, sand and stones!
Pam enjoys making her jewelry and likes to think of it more of a hobby than a business, a business is too much like work! Enjoy a visit to her wonderful Etsy shop http://www.lakeeriecreations.etsy.com/.

by Lake Erie Creations
My name is Pam and I live in North East Ohio with my husband and son, who will be leaving in August to attend college. I have lived in North East Ohio my entire life. We have many accessible Lake Erie beaches in my area that I walk often. To hear the water meeting the shore is the most relaxing sound to me. I pick up pretty much every interesting thing on the beach including beach glass, shells, ceramic pieces and metal pieces. I am thrilled to find a cobalt blue, red or purple piece of beach glass to add to my collection as these colors are very rare to find.

About 3 years ago I merged my two passions: jewelry and beach glass into my business. It is very exciting to walk along the beach and find a unique piece. I immediately think of what I can make with it! I design necklaces, bracelets, earrings, wine glass charms, rings and wind chimes.

All my beach glass is the real thing! I pick it up off the beach, wash it with soap and water, sort it by color and either drill it or wire wrap it. I do not alter the pieces in other way; I let Mother Nature condition the beach glass for me. The rough water washes it against sand and stone to form it into its shape and gives it a very smooth finish.

Lake Erie Creations just seemed like the perfect business name for me. I love to create and Lake Erie helps me do that!

My studio is a bedroom in my house which I have many shelves, a large cabinet and table to work at. This room is the most organized room in my house! I usually have several projects I am working on at a time. It is nice to have this space dedicated to my craft so I can leave it for a few days and come back to work on it when I have time without it being disturbed. My beach glass is organized by color in glass jars; these are displayed throughout my house. My beads and findings are organized by color in clear containers. I have learned that being organized saves a lot of time.

Hope to see you at www.lakeeriecreations.etsy.com/

All Natural

by Ebelegy

The etsy shop Ebelegy http://www.ebelegy.etsy.com/ was started by a mom who wanted to heal her daughter's broken skin due to eczema. Most of the doctors she took her daughter to said that there wasn't a cure for it and they could prescribe an anti-itch cream and allergy medicine. Nothing ever worked. She spent most of their money on treatments with no outcome.

The creator of Ebelegy, Lynne Holloman, started using only the best ingredients that would help her daughter. She is honest in saying that the shampoo is not a cure, but an aid at soothing her daughters eczema. She stated that there are plenty of reasons why people get eczema and her daughters skin issues are not a result of Atopic eczema, a skin condition due to harsh soaps or detergents.

Their shampoo is made with Decyl Polyglucose as a co-surfactant. It's mild and 100% natural made from Coconut, Corn, and Palm Oils. Their main ingredient Soap Nuts which are again 100% natural made from the Sapindus Musko tree that has been used by Native Americans and Chinese Ayurvedic Medicine. It's list of benefits are long. Starting with soothing eczema, psoriasis, hair loss, excessive saliva, epilepsy, migraines, used to remove tarnish from silver, effective at treating lice, and removing freckles. After achieving the base for their shampoo, they added water, vegetable glycerin, jojoba, pro-vitamin b5, apple cider vinegar, xanthum gum, potassium sorbate and citric acid.

Ebelegy does not use parabens or sulfates and is perfect for vegans. Never tested on animals.We make shampoo with soapnuts and decyl polyglucose (a natural surfactant made from sugar and oils) It's perfect for those with eczema, psoriasis, or anyone needing a mild soap that doesn't dry out skin. It's natural, vegan, paraben free and sulfate free. Follow Ebelegy's Blog at http://www.ebelegy.com/ .