my top etsy picks! first edition!

Welcome to the first edition of my TOP ETSY PICKS! I'm going to start posting every week or so to feature my favorite items/gift ideas. Support handmade! Click on the image to see a larger view.

these are the shops featured in order of appearance from left to right, all clickable:
www.JoannasPhotography.etsy.com
www.sweetheartsinner.etsy.com
www.lindylou2.etsy.com
www.toybreaker.etsy.com
www.stevester.etsy.com
www.carambatack.etsy.com
www.redrubyrose.etsy.com
www.frostingcouture.etsy.com
www.whatyoumacallits.etsy.com
www.PrettyRaccoon.etsy.com
www.ArtsNcharms.etsy.com
www.fromthehipcreations.etsy.com
www.BindMe.etsy.com
www.ItsAllAboutThePrint.etsy.com
www.dreamy1.etsy.com
www.JacqleenBleu.etsy.com

lovely lockets

I just listed some awesome locket earrings, HERE, in my new Earring Emporium shop.

They remind me of Molly Ringwald's style in Pretty In Pink!

my babies are leaving the nest....

Aha! For those of you who are artists, you may know that some of your pieces feel like your babies... yesterday I sold two more of my nicest necklaces, to the lovely buyer of Couture Charms. Now, I better get to work making more!

nouveau pearls

I've had this beautiful art nouveau style silver stamping for so long... I finally decided to add some simple pearls to compliment it in an elegant way. It's an asymmetrical piece, so the focus is on the side...which is my favorite style these days! It's 21 inches long, with pearls that are handwrapped together, going all the way up around the neck.

buried treasury blog

WooHoo! Featured in the Buried Treasury Blog today... showcasing Etsy shops... in the Jewelry Lovers(HOT) section, HERE, check it out! Fellow Etsians, you can be featured too!

appletini!

Sometimes things are created more easily than others... this piece kind of made itself! I named it Appletini because I can just imagine some trendy chica wearing it with her cocktail dress during cocktail hour :) The gold swirl beads and textured chain come from my Grandmother's stash of beads from the days when she worked for the Vogue jewelry company in the 50s. I like the chunky architecture of it.

mad about mocha

I was asked recently to do a custom order...there was a set in my shop with vintage celluloid ivory roses and portrait cameos. She wanted the roses a MOCHA color. I searched and searched all the sources I could think of, and finally broke down and asked a fantastic fellow seller and friend of mine on Etsy (MataHariJewelry) how on earth I could find them...as the only ones vaguely close to what I needed were in Italy and would cost me about half what I would end up charging.
She told me that she had JUST been experimenting with dyeing the roses with RIT powder dye, and showed me the gorgeous outcome of her coral roses.
I decided to give it a go, using Cocoa Brown dye, and a little patience... after a few tries I was able to get the right shade for my customer, and now I am obsessed with dyeing everything mocha! I don't know what will happen when I get my hands on more colors...the possibilities are endless.