This Week's On Fire For Handmade Featured Artisan is BreitWerk! Enjoy!

This weeks Featured Artisan is Deni - Breitwerk accessories & Gifts.

Deni has delightful creations in her shop. There is something for everyone!

You can find Breitwerk on:

Zibbet

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My New Etsy Treasury! Gift Ideas in Lavender!

My New Treasury!
Gift Ideas In Lavender

My Latest Handmadeology Etsy Team Treasury!

Handmadeology Etsy Team Members Back On The Chain Gang

Pure Beauty--A Treasury by SigalitAlcalai

Pure Beauty

A Treasury

 by

 SigalitAlcalai

Thank you for including my beads in this stunning treasury!!

Must Have Mauve!! My Latest Treasury!

Must Have Mauve!!

My latest Treasury

Featuring Some Members 

of

Etsy Treasure Lover Team

I see RED at Indie Junction--A Treasury by pulpsushi

I see RED at Indie Junction

A Treasury

by

pulpsushi

Thank you for including me in this beautiful treasury!!

Black & White: To Be A Color... Or Not To Be A Color?

Black & White: To Be A Color... Or Not To Be A Color?

A Treasury

by

BuyMyBalls

Thank you for including my bead spoon in this wonderful treasury!

Thanks to Lapis Beach For Including Me In This Wonderful Treasury!!

Halloween's coming

by

lapisbeach

Thank you for including "I Hold You In My Heart Necklace" in this beautiful treasury!!

Some New Listings From Zur Designs

Here are some of the things I've been working on over the past few of weeks!


Delicate Vintage Style Sweetheart Locket

I just fell in love with this vintage heart locket and I imagine it holding two old sepia pictures! I adorned it with accent flowers in lucite, swarovski crystals, pearls, and czech glass and a beautiful swarovski crystal teardrop that gives it endless sparkle. It is mounted 18" antiqued brass O shaped cross chain with an antique tibet bronze swirl hook toggle clasp! So pretty, so delicate, and a bit of the old world to enhance your outfit!!

Bountiful Harvest EarringsThese vanilla czech glass drops surrounded by colorful bicone swarovski crystals reminds me of a wonderful harvest, just picked from the garden. Antiqued bronze headpins hold the vanilla drop and dancing crystals in place and handmade bronze ear wires tie everything together. These earring dangle approximately 1 1/4 inch from the ear.

Fields of Lavender Earrings

I absolutely love these Czech Amethyst Luster Faceted 10x13mm Teardrops and I decorated them with assorted colors of swarovski crystal bicones all wire wrapped so that they dance above the amethyst drops. I tied it all together with handmade silver ear wires and Fields of Lavender Earrings were born! They dangle about 1 1/4 inches from the ear.

Czech Glass Ruby Azuro Sterling Silver Wire Wrapped Ring
Wow these Czech Glass 10mm Ruby Azuro Faceted Rounds are just so brilliant! The rich ruby color and then shades of blue and purple that just sparkle in the light! I wire wrapped this in sterling silver wire and the results are truly breathtaking when you slip this ring on your finger!! I know this because I made one for myself!! The ring shown is a size 7 but I also have one available in sizes 8 and 9...or I can customize a size just for you!

I Hold You In My Heart Vintage Style Necklace

Whenever I lose someone I always say that I hold them in my heart forever. This thought came to mind as I was creating this necklace. I found this wonderful large vintage puffy heart embossed with a lovely pattern and painted a bright orange and green. I added a filigree wire wrapped in flowers, some lucite and pearl accents, and a lovely czech glass flower and hung it from an intricate 18" antiqued brass rope chain. The piece is tied together with an antique tibet bronze swirl hook toggle clasp!

The heart pendant itself is large, approximately three inches so it makes a wonderful statement and will be a favored accessory!

Azurite Malachite Antiqued Bronze Wire Wrapped Ring

I love this azurite malachite stone! The vividness of both blue and green and the oval shape make it a perfect stone to generously wrap in antiqued bronze wire.The result is a beautiful little ring you'll be happy to wear every day that combines a contemporary style and a vintage flair! The ring is a size 7 but I can customize a size that's just right for you!

New Orleans Blues Necklace

The focal point of this 24 inch necklace is the extra large faceted crystal in a deep rich color blue. Add to that an ornate elongated bead cap, an antiqued bronze filigree decorated with vintage lucite flower and swarovski crystal accents, and a large vintage key. The piece is tied together with a wonderful antique brass chain and held together with a vintage style swirly toggle clasp.  I was listening to bluesy, jazzy New Orleans style sax music while creating this necklace reminding me of the rich and vibrate history of that city that not even nature can take down!

Hand Stamped Vintage Style Medallions

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.

Yellow Flower Vintage Style Wire Wrapped Ring
This ring began with a beautiful yellow african jade stone, generously wire wrapped in antiqued bronze wire, and topped with a pretty yellow flower with a creamy swarovski pearl nestled inside. The ring is a size 7 but I can customize the size just for you!

If you are giving any of these designs as gifts, they will arrive on your doorstep beautifully packaged and ready for giving!  And remember, there is always FREE SHIPPING at Zur Designs!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!!!

I'm really looking forward to Memorial Day Weekend!  There are going to be parties and gatherings with lots of family! It starts with our annual birthday cookout on Saturday, because both my sister and I  have birthdays next week and have been celebrating together for more years than either one of us want to admit!  There will be lots of family and close friends and it's supposed to be a gorgeous May day here in the Berkshires.  There's bound to be good food, music, and lots of fun!

Then down to Rhode Island to celebrate the holiday weekend with more family...it's going to be great!

That got me thinking about the idea behind Memorial Day...it commemorates the members of the United States Armed Forces who fought and gave their lives for this country.  But during times like this, when many men and women will not be able to be with their families on Memorial Day, it should be a way of honoring both the soldiers and their families for their strength, courage, and spirit as well.

So in honor of all the families who are separated this Memorial Day, I made this design and called it Dog Tags.

 This 17" necklace combines vintage and contemporary. The vintage bead cap holds a fiery 24mm Swarovski Crystal Vitrail Teardrop pendant and sits side by side with a perforated brass tag pendant. The whole piece hangs on antiqued bronze chain and is held together with an antiqued bronze toggle clasp.

It's my small way of honoring the soldiers and their families in the present and across time!


You can purchase Dog Tags in my Etsy Shop!  Happy Memorial Day Everyone!!  And wherever you are and whatever you do...be safe!

Wednesday Window Shopping on Etsy!

This week continues our celebrate grads theme with some inspirational gifts for graduates!  If you'd like to see my picks for cards, read last week's post here!


Now for my selections for some inspirational gifts for grads:

Here's a gift that is unique and different, it's called a Wish Flower Plate created by Joy Elizabeth Ceramics.  It comes in a variety of colors and is beautiful grouped with others and displayed as wall art but can be used functionally also. It's simplistic design is fresh and inspiring for summer time decor. Wishflowers are dandelions that have gone to seed, blow on them and make a wish...wonderful for a graduation gift...or for whatever you are wishing for!!  


In the artist's own words: "Ever since I can remember I have loved art. It is my life along with my sweet, sweet, musician husband and adorable son. During the day I am an art teacher, and by night and weekend I work on my pottery. I love nature, walking my dogs, James and Ginger, and hanging out with my family. I love all things handmade, especially if they are not perfect!  I love to draw and paint and think of clay as an extension of that medium. I am all about surface decoration."  Take a peek at this wonderful Etsy shop filled with wonderful designs in clay!

How about this wonderful inspirational print by Mae Chevrette Art?  This is a 19" x 13" print of "To Be Brave" with a thin white border for framing purposes. Printed on premium archival fine art paper with archival Epson pigment inks. Print is lightly signed and dated on back by the artist. will arrive very lovingly packaged in a cello sleeve with stiff foam backing in a non-bendable mailer. Print comes unframed; any frame in image picture is for example purposes only. 

 From the artist about the original: 

"'To Be Brave' is an original, one of a kind mixed media painting on canvas, made with found paper, lettering, paint, magazine clippings, maps and polaroid photos. This piece would be perfect as a gift to a new student, recent grad, friend who is moving or anyone who needs extra encouragement in their next adventure."

Take a look at this wonderful Etsy shop dedicated to Mae's original artwork and archival fine art prints! And be sure to read her artist's statement, under her profile! Talk about inspirational!

I must admit, this is a favorite quote of mine and a perfect one for a new grad ready to take  on the world!  "You must be the change you want to see in the world." Mahatma Gandhi 

BE THE CHANGE by Lisa's Pieces at LP Jewelry is hand-stamped onto an energetic handcut sterling silver spiral. Stars (astericks) flank each side of the sentiment. The bail is also sterling silver. The pendant measures 1 7/8" long from the top of the bail by 1 1/2" wide. The spiral is signed Lisa's Pieces and hallmarked sterling.
The pendant hangs from a 16" stainless steel choker with a magnetic clasp. 

In the artist's own words: "I have been designing, handcrafting and selling jewelry at Art Shows and in stores for over fifteen years under the business name Lisa's Pieces. My jewelry is fun, unique and definitely makes a statement. I use an eclectic range of materials but my current favorites are sterling silver, fine silver, enamel and fused glass. I love that even if I try I can never get two pieces exactly alike with the fused glass. I love tools and new techniques for using them especially those involving adding texture and dimension to my work.  My jewelry is meant to be worn and just as comfortable with a top and jeans as with a business suit."  Be sure to browse through Lisa's shop...you'll be glad you did!

Well, hope these artists inspired you and pointed you in the direction of some wonderful gift ideas for some grads on your list.  Graduation is such a wonderful benchmark in the lives of young people...and nowadays even the old!  If I had to choose one piece of advice to give to any grad, I'd take my cues from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail”

Jonquils of Spring Sterling Silver and Bead Neclace

I made this 18" sterling silver chain and bead necklace as a celebration of spring! 


The jonquil crystal wire wrapped briolette, yellow flower, and ornate and flowered sterling silver charm combine to form a focal point for this necklace that just brightens your day. 


Swarovski jonquil crystals and swarovski pearls line the chain and the piece is held together by an antique silver clasp.

Here in the Berkshires Mountains in Western Massachusetts, we await the arrival of spring with great anticipation after the long and hard winter. Sometimes the crocus come out too early and greeted with a surprise winter storm...but when the jonquils come, we can pretty much believe that warm weather and sunshine are here to stay!

You can purchase this necklace at my Etsy Shop!  Giving Jonquils of Spring as a gift? It will arrive beautifully wrapped and ready for giving.  And remember, there is always FREE SHIPPING at Zur Designs!

Happy Spring!