My Distinct Designs

Featured Shop
My Distinct Designs

Enjoy a visit to My Distinct Designs http://www.etsy.com/shop/MyDistinctDesigns where you will find beautiful handmade sterling silver jewelry featuring swarovski crystals, unique beautiful beads and charms.

by Sherry
I have been designing and making jewelry for over 15 years. This all started for me when I owned an upscale ladies boutique. I owned my boutique for 15 years and it was very hard at times to find the perfect pieces of jewelry to put with the items I sold in my boutique. I started creating my own pieces. In 2006 I decided that I needed a change so I closed my boutique but still had the desire to create jewelry. I sold my pieces to a handful of shops. I saw an article in Woman's Day in 2007 (I think that was the year) about Etsy. I didn't decide until 2011 to take the leap to on line selling. To say on line selling was a learning curve for me is an understatement. I had and still have so much to learn. The designing part is the easy part for me. I go to sleep at night with ideas spinning in my head. Each day I try to balance my day between working on my business and taking care of the day to day demands of life in general.  I have a spare bedroom in my home that I have turned into my studio. I sit at my work table and "get lost" in my jewelry.


My favorite material to work with is sterling silver. I do use other pieces that go with sterling like swarovski crystals and a few other materials. That way I can have color and diversity. I love to wear my own pieces. It is very rewarding when I get compliments on my jewelry and inquiries about my business. I still have a few shops where I sell my jewelry and I do a few shows. I have to be selective about the # of shows I do because of time. It can become very consuming.


My favorite things to do when I am not working is spending time with my family and playing tennis.
In closing I would like to say that I love what I do. I love designing and making jewelry. It is a great feeling when someone picks my jewelry out of the thousands of pieces of jewelry on Etsy.

Something for Your Little One

If you have a little one, you will want to check out Hip Pad's shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/HIPpadBaby .

It all started for Hip Pad Baby "when I needed a handy under-the-butt pad and all of the products out there had some drawback, I started inventing my own, and that was the beginning of this journey. Before I knew it, I was making them for friends and baby showers, and everyone who tried them wanted to pass them on to their friends, too."

 

by HIPpadBaby

Hi, I’m the inventor and maker of HIP Pads, in innovative changing pads for newborns up to the potty training years. HIP Pads are a great little parent’s helper and problem solver, invented out of need and effectively replacing all those bulky, stain-prone, rough and scratchy or plastic-y other things you find out there.

I’m foremost an artist, designer and inventor. I’m a bit of a renaissance woman, as I do so many arts and crafts, and like to think I excel at most of them. I’ve worked professionally as a graphic designer for the past 16 years, and love that my work lets me experience the creative process every day. Design is more than a passion for me, it’s more of an innate drive; almost everything I see around me, I think of how I could make it, or make it better, and beautiful. I have designs for textiles, furniture, jewelry, art objects, housewares, utility items, you name it!

I learn how to do what I need to produce the designs that I create in my mind, which is really how HIP Pads began. I had just a little experience with sewing before my daughter was born. When I needed a handy under-the-butt pad and all of the products out there had some drawback, I started inventing my own, and that was the beginning of this journey. Before I knew it, I was making them for friends and baby showers, and everyone who tried them wanted to pass them on to their friends, too.

The thing I enjoy most about the creative process is probably working out a problem. Every design is a puzzle, to make something visually pleasing, or perfectly functional, and hopefully both. It’s the part where you sweat just a bit, wondering how you’re going to pull it off, if you have the expertise to create what you envisioned, if you can balance all the aspects of the given equation. For me it’s usually equally challenging, stimulating, frustrating and satisfying.

With HIP Pads, it wasn’t so much of a thought process than a natural conclusion; the challenge was solving all the problems with the other things out there: the soft flannel is double-sided, and has natural absorbency – there’s no need for the bulky layer of terry cloth that most of the things made for babies have – and the most innovative part of HIP Pads is the leak-proof inner layer. It’s the first product of it’s kind that’s both soft & comforting AND stops leaks. Those big changing table covers are too hard to remove from underneath the baby, and they just make too much laundry. In reality, you’re only going to have maybe two of those, and anyone with a new baby has learned you can go through at least double that in a day with a little “squirt.” HIP Pads are easy to put under and remove without moving the baby. And even if you go through a bunch, you create a minimal amount of laundry. Most of the baby things made are light pastel colors, and after one or two uses, they look gross. Most of the fabrics I select for HIP Pads are purposely dark/bright, camouflaging patterns. Not only are they cool and fun, but they conceal the stains, which means you spend less time scrubbing laundry; no chemical stain-removers near the baby!

I’m very lucky that I get to work at my home studio, and be with my daughter daily. My workroom has four large glass sliding doors, and I love the abundance of natural light and views of our cape honeysuckle trees, which attract a bevy of hummingbirds. I usually work with either music (love the itunes shuffle, no decision making!) or some interesting movie for company (later nights has been Weeds lately, I enjoy the dichotomy of ‘adult’ content and my kid product work!). I’m very excited about getting HIP Pads out to the world, and I’ll happily be introducing some more products to the line soon.

Don't Have to Break the Bank to Have Something Fun

Enjoy a visit to http://www.etsy.com/shop/Hannarr where you will find many little Kawaii treaures that are sure to make you smile. Kawaii means Cute in Japanese ♥

by Hannarr
In everything i do, i try to do to the best of my ability, and with every item i create goes all the determination, love and care, to give to someone some enjoyment out of. I really love art and crafts, it all started with my nan, she loved drawing and painting and so she taught me.

Using different paints, clay and fabrics has really inspired me to create every peice i create different from the last, which is what i love about Handmade items, everything is created with such enthusiasm and care.

My workspace is small compared to others workspaces, i'm a tidy person so i try to keep my workspace tidy,i love that i have my fish to keep me company during times when i'm busy painting or rolling out clay. Other needed objects such as paints, brushes, clay etc is all neatly put away in several boxes just waiting to be used.

I love everything i create, and i wear a few items myself that i've made especially for me. My Friends especially enjoy my hobby as they get free cute little gifts to wear. I try to provide real prices for everyone, you shouldn't have to break the bank to have something cute and fun.

I really hope i'll be continuing this for a long time.

"No One Sold What I Wanted To Wear"

Enjoy Electric Penguin's story about how she got started creating her unique pieces of art and stop by and check out her Etsy shop!! http://www.electricpenguin.etsy.com/ .

"I started the way many people have – no one sold what I wanted to wear! I’ve always been the crafty type, as in I can paint/modify/improve that. Drives my family crazy!! So when the necklace I was looking for didn’t exist, I headed off to the craft store, bought the supplies and made it myself. One necklace led to two, then some simple earrings, stretchy bracelets, how-to websites, jewelry design books, etc., etc., etc. And here I am now, sharing my creations with the world!"

by Electric Penguin
I try to be totally unique, creative, and cool, and create pieces that I would wear. And I am NOT a sparkly kind of girl, so my creations are more earthy and natural. Inspiration strikes at the oddest times - walking through the mall, brushing my teeth, and especially boring work meetings. I always come out of them with many little drawings of ideas!

My workspace is my kitchen counter, with the overflow taking over the dining room table. Supplies are stored in the china cabinet. Plastic organizer boxes hold beads sorted by type and color. Findings are similarly separated. The storage system has gone through quite a few changes, but this is working best for me... at the moment. My organization suggestion is be flexible! Experiment with what suits your design needs best and don't be surprised when you have to change it to make that happen.

Stop by and check out Electric Penguin!! http://www.electricpenguin.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/ .