Pages

Facebook Send

Pinterest

Follow Me on Pinterest

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Happy Halloween From Indie Junction!!

Happy Halloween Everyone!  We are going to take a departure from our usual Indie Junction Featured Artisans Series and take a look at what kinds of Halloween type items pop up when we do a search of our Indie Junction Community!!
Let's start with this wonderful Felted Soap in Sage Lemongrass by RawOlive, a shop that features natural bath and beauty products made with olive oil! This moisturizing, hand-crafted soap wrapped in naturally anti-fungal wool to create an exfoliating, fragrantly lathering, bath bar that lasts much longer than a regular bar of soap. When done, reuse the pouf by making a small slit and slipping your own bar inside.

Earthy and herbal at its best. The sage in this soap mellows out the bright lemongrass to create a beautiful foodie soap blend. Perfect for the kitchen sink.

And it looks like a pumpkin!!

This Big Black Bat Stained Glass Halloween Decoration by Ogden Arthaus made the rounds in treasuries this Halloween season and with good reason!  He's not only beautifully made...he's got an adorable face, don't you think?  "This bat is ghoulishly adorable. With an imposing wing span of nearly 8 inches and a 4 1/2 inch body from ear to tummy, he's got fright he hasn't even used yet! Watch out!  Created in the traditional Tiffany Style of stained glass, I have cut, ground, foiled and soldered him in my dark and creepy home laboratory. His little face was created with glass paint. How utterly Frankensteinien of me."

Our very own Plump Fairy came up with some Ghostly Tatted Jewelry for the Halloween season.  "BOO!! Express your Halloween spirit with lacey tatted earrings and necklace. The earrings hang from sterling silver wires. The Ghost motif necklace hangs from rings attached to satin ribbon with adjusting chain and lobster clasp. Both are tatted with fine cotton thread. The necklace is approximately 21 in/53.34 cm in diameter adjustable down to 18 in/45.72 cm. The earrings hang approximately 2 in/5.08 cm from wires." Talk about beautiful and scary at the same time!!

Here is one of several Halloween themed soap sets by Creativexpressions76...it's a Set of 12 White Mini Skull Sets where you can choose your own fragrance! What a wonderful gift! "What does 1 plastic Halloween cup, 4 Halloween rings and 12 skull soaps have in common? They're all to DIE for and are included in our mini skull soap set!! The 12 soaps weighs approx 8.5 oz. and you get to choose your fall fragrances from 9 different fragrances.  Each bar of soap is individually wrapped in biodegradable shrinkwrap.  Glycerin is a humectant and draws moisture to your skin, allowing it to remain hydrated and soft. It is especially good for sensitive skin. Glycerin soap does not contain synthetic ingredients that will cause skin irritations. It keeps your skin looking and feeling healthy and soft."

Here is an Original Oil Painting of Funny Cat Ornament by A F Studio!  "This tiny painting is full of personality and wit. Original oil painting by Andie Freeman of one of my favorite quirky items. I got this Halloween ornament about 15 years ago at a craft fair. It is creepy and goofy and kind of cute at the same time. So, this painting on a 5 inch square linen canvas can grace your home with the same quirky personality. It is 1.5 inches deep and requires no frame. The beautiful linen canvas is exposed on the sides and parts of the front. It comes with a hanging wire attached, and a bio. It is signed on the front and titled, dated and signed on the back."

Indie Junction's Resonates made this great Going Batty Necklace! "From our Repurposed Collection :: We love finding fun, spooky Halloween decorations, like this silly black bat flying on our repurposed necklace."

And I could go on and on...this is just a small sampling from all the wonderful and creative work you will find from our Indie Junction Artisans!!

Hope you enjoyed our tribute to Halloween this week!  If you'd like to know more about our Indie Junction Artisan Community, just go here!

Zur Designs--The Ring Collection




Many Thanks To The Handmade Gift Guide For Featuring My Treasury!!


A Treasury
by
Zur Designs




Monday, October 25, 2010

Indie Junction Featured Artisans for the Week of October 24th!!


Let's finish off October strong with these three wonderful artists: Elizabeth from The Elizabeth Bayu Store, Suzy from Suzy B. Designs and Vintage, and Tatiana of Teddysaur!!

Let's start with The Elizabeth Bayu Store where you will find handcrafted jewelry using 14 karat gold fill and silver metals and highlights gorgeous gemstones.  Elizabeth, born in Ethiopia, discovered her sense of style from her very sophisticated and fashionable mother, Zina. A ballerina and actress in Russia, Zina brought elegance and European worldliness to the African town where they lived, dressing in the finest Italian couture of the time. Zina was naturally the inspiration for her daughter's designs.  Elizabeth's inherited flare for style, fashion and theater lead her to follow in her mother's footsteps to a career as a model and actress. Capturing titles on her way towards the Miss USA pageant, she designed all of her competition evening gowns and wardrobe. Jewelry and handbags, however, remained a personal favorite.  In the artist's own words: "I love working with stones that have a special meaning like good health, good luck and serenity. Many of my designs are one-of-a-kind so you can enjoy being the owner of an exclusive piece."  Elizabeth also has a line of handbags which can be found on her website!!  Follow her on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook!

And now let's take a look at some of the wonderful jewelry you will find in her Etsy shop!!  And don't forget to check her website for her beautiful line of handbags!!
Our next Indie Junction Featured Artisan is Suzy Berry a clothing shop where you will find a hand picked retro selection of quality Vintage and Fully Custom Made To Fit You Pinup and Vintage Inspired Dresses, Skirts, Tops, Shorts and Two Pieces! All Vintage can be re-produced in exactly your size, so don't hesitate to ask! In the artist's own words: "I have been hand sewing myself dresses since I was thirteen. I always got tons of compliments when I was wearing them out and so I bought myself a sewing machine and began to sew for others.  Every one of my pieces is totally unique. I never make exactly the same piece and I never use patterns. Each item is hand cut and constructed for a specific individual. I can make clothing in any size and I welcome your design ideas should you lie to have a custom dress from your own imagination."
Places to find Suzy Berry:

Now let's take a look at some of the wonderful things you will find in her shop!!
Our third Indie Junction Featured Artisan is Tatiana Kim owner of the Etsy shop Teddysaur where you will find artwork straight out of her imaginative little head!!  Tatiana once told me she wishes she could sit and draw and make crafts all day!  And if you ever are in Indie Junction chat when she is...you will get to appreciate the quick clever mind of a true artist!  Follow Tatiana's blog, check out her profile on DeviantArt, and become a friend on Facebook!
Now let's take a look at some of the work you will find in her Etsy Shop and on Deviant Art!!
We hope you have enjoyed this week's Indie Junction Featured Artisans!  We are so proud to have these talented artisans as part of our Indie Junction community! Indie Junction is a wonderful community that brings together artisans from across all mediums in the spirit of collaboration, support and growth.  For more information about Indie Junction, please go here!  We'll be waiting for you!!

Indie Junction is having a community-wide contest!  It's called Bannerama where we are asking members to stretch their creativity and design a new banner for our site!  It is open to all those who join our community!  Check out the details here!

Have a great week everyone!!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Golden Gifts--A Treasury by Raw Olive!

Golden Gifts

A Treasury by Raw Olive

Thanks so much for including my Mad Money Necklace in this wonderful treasury!!

Wednesday Window Shopping on Etsy!

This week on Wednesday Window Shopping on Etsy, let's plan a Halloween Party Handmade Style!!  So let's start with the invitations:


Set of 20 Halloween Party Invitations To Die For by Simply Inviting Cards

A lovely special occasion invitation inspired by the classic antique damask pattern is perfect for a Halloween soiree or the bride-to-be with an October wedding. This single-panel invitation is printed on bright white, acid-free cardstock, adorned with satin edge sheer black ribbon, and mounted on a shimmering metallic black cardstock panel.

This listing is for a set of twenty size A6 panel invitations - 4.25 inches by 6.625 inches (10.8 cm x 16.8 cm). Worldwide shipping is complementary with this listing. Please allow up to two weeks for delivery of this item.
*****Better hurry! You want them in time to mail 
out!!*****
And for decorations!
This adorable owl garland is the perfect decoration for Halloween!! How cute would this be hanging in your house!!!
There are 6 adorable hoots in all. They all hang from ribbon which is then sewn into the bias tape. They each have wool felt eyes and beaks. At each end of the bias tape there are 2 ribbons to tie this adorable banner to whatever you may wish:)  Measures 55" long (about 4 and a half feet) this does not include the ribbons on the ends.  *****How cute are these?*****
This bat is ghoulishly adorable. With an imposing wing span of nearly 8 inches and a 4 1/2 inch body from ear to tummy, he's got fright he hasn't even used yet! Watch out!

Created in the traditional Tiffany Style of stained glass, I have cut, ground, foiled and soldered him in my dark and creepy home laboratory. His little face was created with glass paint. How utterly Frankensteinien of me.  *****Beautiful work!  And I love his little face!!*****
Costume for the baby:

SIZE 6-9 MONTHS BABY/INFANT HALLOWEEN CHICKEN/ROOSTER COSTUME by Jumpinjax Boutique


Includes Feathered Sleeveless Body, Hat, And rubber glove feet.  You can add a pair of yellow tights for $9.00 ( available in my shop)  This will be ready to ship 2 days after I receive cleared payment. Item will be sent priority mail with tracking info provided.
*****This little chicken baby is awesome!*****
Your costume:

Hilda Witches Hat - CHOOSE YOUR COLOR - Black Felted Wool Crochet - LAST WEEK TO PURCHASE by Three Little Birds NOLA


This is one of the first of many hats I will be coming out with. It is hand crocheted by me in 100% wool/mohair blend and then felted, starched for stiffness and embellished with hand cut silk flowers, wool felt leaves, peacock fur feathers and other feathery plumes.  I will be placing many of these up for sale in the very near future in many more colors and sizes, all of them custom made to your liking. If you place an order for this particular design it will not be exactly like the one in the picture but very close since I make each one per order, only the color combination and elements displayed will be consistent.  If you would rather have the same elemental design but different color hat (see yarn color pallet) and/or flower preference, please do not hesitate to ask.  Make sure you give my shop a good look around, you may just find exactly what you need and if you don't I am sure between the two of us, I can come up with something that will make you happy.  Hat is lined with a stretch velvet, fleece or stretch knit for comfort.  Hat shown is approximately 11" high and 21.5" in circumference of the interior, it will fit a large sized adult head cocked to one side or a medium adult head sitting atop.  LAST WEEK TO PURCHASE TO ARRIVE IN TIME FOR HALLOWEEN! PLEASE CONTACT ME FOR DETAILS.  *****Very cool witch's hat, don't you think?*****
And don't forget the treats!!

Tiny Pumpkins -3 dozen by Cookie Rush

Tiny pumpkin cookies are perfect for any autumn occasion.  Made using only organic ingredients, as well as vegetable based food color. Each cookie is 1.25" across and are perfect to eat one-by-one or by the handful.  Please note the listing is for 3 dozen cookies; they will arrive to in clear cello bags tied with coordinating ribbon.  Cookies are baked to order 2-3 days after order is received and shipped via priority mail. *****Geez, I want them now!*****

Well, that's our Halloween Party! Hope you enjoyed it!  Have a wonderful week and stay tuned!!


Tuesday, October 19, 2010

It's Time To Give...A Treasury by The Joy of Color!!

A Treasury
By

Thank you for including my beads in this beautiful treasury!

Take A Peek At Zur Designs Linesheet on Trunkt!!

If you are a buyer, still looking for unique items for your holiday shopping season, take a peek at the linesheet for Zur Designs on Trunkt!   Feel free to call or email me if you'd prefer I send you a PDF of the linesheet or have any questions.  All the information as far as terms and contact information appears on the sheet.


 Zur Designs has handcrafted jewelry using high quality and vintage materials in a contemporary style with an old world flair.  My designs are personal and my process is simple and wonderful.  I think of a story, work, thought or memory and wonder what that would look like as a design.  Then I gather all the materials, like a little scavenger hunt, and bring the design to life!  I call this process emotion-based design!

Monday, October 18, 2010

Handmade Harbor, Etsy Promo Love and Indie Junction Treasury by Jewelry by NaLa

Handmade Harbor, Etsy Promo Love and Indie Junction

by
Thank you for including me in this wonderful Breast Cancer Awareness Treasury!!

Green With Etsy!! A Treasury by Yesterday's Silhouette!!

Green with Etsy

by


Thanks so much for including my earrings in this wonderful treasury!!  Etsypreneurs ROCK!!

Indie Junction Featured Artisans for the Week of October 17th!!


This week we have another group of talented Indie Junction Artisans!  We are proud to present:   Carol, owner of From the Hip Designs, Elizabeth from Raw Olive, and Holly from Holly & Sage!

Let's start with Carol, owner of From the Hip Designs.  From the Hip Designs is exactly that - unique items  created "from the hip"!  In the artist's own words:  "I am a painter, a knitter, a metalworker and jewelry buff, a mom, a dog and cat lover, a jewelry designer and collector of all things vintage. I love creating and hope you enjoy the gifts and goodies!"

Places to find From The Hip Designs
Carol has a place on her blog for artist links!  It's a wonderful way to meet other artisans as well as gain exposure!

Now let's take a peek at some of the wonderful things you will find at From The Hip Designs!!
Our next Indie Junction Featured Artisan is an newcomer to Etsy and Indie Junction, Elizabeth from Raw Olive where you will find natural olive oil bath and body products! In the artist's own words: "Raw Olive was born out of a desire to find pure, natural bath and beauty products for my family. I was shocked to learn that a lot of the "natural" products offered at health food stores still included potentially harmful ingredients such as parabens, sodium laurel sulfate, and petroleum. Considering that 80% of what you put on your body ends up in your body, food grade ingredients make sense! I started experimenting in my kitchen with natural ingredients in my cabinets such as cold-pressed olive oil, raw sugar and raw honey, to name a few. Soon enough, friends and family were hooked on some of my yummy creations.  Raw Olive has become a perfect marriage between my love for cooking and all things natural.  The creative process is what I enjoy most. With three girls, 8, 10 , and 12, I am constantly trying to create products that I feel comfortable with them using. Once I have an idea, I experiment in the kitchen until I'm happy with the final product. Once complete, I test the new product on my family and audacious friends and hope it's a hit."
Places to Find Raw Olive:

Now let's take a look at some of her wonderful natural body products!!
Our third Indie Junction Featured artisan is Holly from Holly & Sage where you will find unique handmade artisan jewelry and mommy necklaces.  In the artist's own words:  "I started making jewelry in 2007 and it quickly became an obsession! I have always had an eye for color and an appreciation for beautiful things, and designing jewelry let me put these interests to practical use.  I use many types of materials in my jewelry. I especially like turquoise and other natural semi-precious stones. Copper is my favorite metal to work with, but I use a lot of sterling silver, too.  I never use plastic beads unless they are being recycled from a vintage piece."  Her motto is "♥ I don't make jewelry so I can sell it, I sell it so I can make it! ♥"  You should also visit her destash store, Restashable Supplies!
Places to Find Holly & Sage:

Now let's take a peek at some of the wonderful designs you will find at Holly & Sage!!
We hope you have enjoyed this week's Indie Junction Featured Artisans!  We are so proud to have these talented artisans as part of our Indie Junction community! Indie Junction is a wonderful community that brings together artisans from across all mediums in the spirit of collaboration, support and growth.  For more information about Indie Junction, please go here!  We'll be waiting for you!!

Indie Junction is having a community-wide contest!  It's called Bannerama where we are asking members to stretch their creativity and design a new banner for our site!  It is open to all those who join our community!  Check out the details here!


Wednesday, October 13, 2010

My Latest Treasury--Champagne and Cream

Champagne and Cream

by


Some soft and beautiful Etsy finds! Stop by and comment if you have a minute!


Autumn Wow! An Indie Junction Treasury by A F Studio!

Autumn Wow!

by


Thank you for including my necklace in this wonderful treasury!

Wednesday Window Shopping on Etsy!

Another one of the forcasted trends reported  in From Etsy's Merchandising Desk: October's Delights is Personalization: Names, initials, symbols, zodiacs, monograms, quotes, phrases, fingerprints, photographs, portraits, and numbers.  So let's take a look at some of the offerings we can find on Etsy that fit this theme!
Personalized tattoo heart fascinator true love hat - Custom made with your choice of message or name by Janine Basil  ****What a great way to say I love you!*****

Retro inspired fascinator with retro tattoo theme! Wonderful hat for lots of occasions, but best for showing your loved one your true feelings!  The heart is machine embroidered from a design by me! I can change the message on the heart, but due to the size then obviously it's limited to around 11-13 characters. Message me and we can see what's possible!  The straw fascinator base is 15cm/6inches across and attached is a small plastic comb to hold it in the hair.


Customized Wedding Stamp Keepsake Ornament, Personalized by Ogden Arthaus

*****This is lovely and what a wonderful keepsake for newlyweds!*****
Remember The Day with this beautiful keepsake ornament, personalized with the bride and groom's first names and the date of the wedding on one side and the LOVE Stamp on the other. Truly a one of a kind gift that will become a treasured heirloom. The floral design featured on this stamp is a detail from a watercolor created by the late Dorothy Maienschein, an employee of Hallmark Cards, Inc. Introduced as a Mother’s Day card in 1939, Hallmark reissued the design as a friendship card in 1941. Since Hallmark began tracking sales in 1942, almost 30 million cards with this pansy cart design have been purchased—more than any card in history. The word “LOVE” adorns the left side of the stamp. (From the USPS Postal News)  I have encased the stamp in glass utilizing the Tiffany style-copper foil method of stained glass. I have added a swirl of recycled copper wire which holds a little silver string for hanging. Finally, the entire piece has been treated with an antique copper patina. This little art treasure can be used to adorn your Christmas tree, a gift or just to hang up and be lovely; but, it was not designed to be worn as jewelry. 
P E R S O N A L I Z A T I O N:
When placing your order - in the "Note to Seller" section at checkout - please include the following pieces of information:
Bride' first name
Groom's first name
Date of Wedding

PERSONALIZED breast cancer awareness necklace--'love mary' by Resonates

*****What a wonderful pendant and a great way to help raise awareness!*****
October is breast cancer awareness month. In honor of my grandmother, Mary, and all others who have fought or are fighting breast cancer, we have designed this special pendant.  PERSONALIZE this pendant with the name of your loved one. Resonates will donate $1 of the sale of each love mary necklace for the month of October to breast cancer research.

Address Labels. Round 2 inch, Dots, Personalized by Notepourri  *****This would be a great holiday gift!*****

These labels can be customized to use for:
- Address Labels
- Kitchen Labels
- Thank You Labels
- Weddings
- Bridal showers
- Favors, letters
- Invitations
- Promo labels for your business
Stickers measure 2"
24 stickers per set
Upon placing an order please include the information for personalization of the labels in the buyer's notes.


And now a bit of shameless self-promotion:

Custom Hand Stamped Vintage Style Medallions by Zur Designs

Well, I got a hand stamping kit for my birthday and am having so much fun with it! These brass oval tags can be stamped with inspirational messages, names,or personalized in any way. Each tag is surrounded by a cluster of bright flowers and beads and hung on an antiqued brass 16 inch chain. They look good by themselves or layered with other necklaces.
The ones I have in stock right now are:
JOY--surrounded by pink flowers; sure to bring joy to you every day
LOVE--featured swarovski crystals and pearls; make someone you love really happy...even if it's yourself!
SEEK--a great inspirational message for everyone surrounded by a garden of flowers in orange and turquoise
MEH--hehe I love this word...and sometimes it just says it all; features a black webbed jasper rondelle and pretty green flowers
The size of the tag accommodates three to four letter words best. Just convo me on what you want your charm to say and preferred color palette.
If you are giving them for gifts, each will come beautifully packaged and ready for giving. And remember, there is always FREE SHIPPING at Zur Designs!!

Hope you enjoyed this week's Wednesday Window Shopping on Etsy!  Have a wonderful week and stay tuned!

Twitter Updates

    follow me on Twitter