I got blogged today

AlliesAdornments blogged my shop today! You can read her post here. Allie has two shops, AlliesAdornments and OldeTymeNotions. Allie makes beautiful jewelry out of vintage buttons.

Red Bess Bonney

Susan of RedBessBonney has been crafting all her life. She started early in life with crossstich, but jewelry really caught her attention a few years ago. Her inspiration comes from years of being involved with renaissance festivals ("I'm mostly just attending these days," she says). She also draws on her heritage (Scottish), and that of her husband (Irish), so you will find many items with Celtic influence in her shop. Making jewelry led to her to beading in general, but she's recently diversified recently with picture frame cards.

Susan found out about Etsy in 2007, and thought it would be a great way to pay for her son's pre-school tuition and still be able to stay at home with him.

Amanda K. Lockrow Jewels

Amanda K. Lockrow is a born artist and her mother always knew it. But it took Amanda a while to realize her destiny as a metalsmith and jewelry designer. "I have always loved art and making since I was a young girl. My mother always knew I would be an artist in some way, while others pushed me to be more realistic and to 'use my brain.' I went to Syracuse University originally for communications. I bounced from there to fashion to art education to finally metalsmithing. All of this was prompted by a meeting with my faculty advisor. She asked me why was I not in the Visual Arts Program. Since I really had no answer I started working on my portfolio and taking drawing and painting classes."

Her passion for metalsmithing began when she took her first elective in college." I had no idea you could get a BFA in this and instantly fell in love. My college experience was amazing and strongly influences my designs now. I was able to explore fibers, sculpture, glass, painting, and photography along with my major." She utilizes techniques and materials from all of these when she creates her jewelry. "I do not think anyone should ever feel trapped in one material or technique so I consciously choose to not focus on one thing. I design a variety of lines within my line and believe this gives me great versatility. I am constantly inspired by the world around me. It may be a flower petal formation, the ocean waves, a piece of candy, a button, or a piece of discarded trash, all of it inspires a shape, color, or technique."

Amanda also believes in keeping an element of play in her studio and so an experiment will later inspire a finished piece. She makes all types of jewelry but focuses on rings and necklaces. Her jewelry is designed to be loved by the wearer. Amanda K Lockrow Jewelry is available in galleries and boutiques across the country and in Canada. Drop by and visit her blog

Allie's Adornments

Alyssa of Allie's Adornments began her craft after inheriting some gorgeous buttons. "I found them too pretty not to want to look at over and over again so I started making jewelry as a way for me to wear and enjoy them as miniature pieces of art. That something as small and simple as a button can be so detailed with wonderful craftsmanship never ceases to amaze me."

Alyssa has always had a fondness and love of art. "My favorite places are galleries and museums and I am inspired by the craftsmanship of items that are well made and endure. I’ve been heavily influenced by antiques, especially those that down through my family, and find that a well made piece of furniture can be just as beautiful as a painting or piece of sculpture."

She subscribes to publisher William Randolph Hearst’s belief that in order to properly appreciate beautiful things, they must be utilized for the purpose that they were created. Eat off of the good china and silver, use the good crystal, and let them bring you joy every day instead of the once a year that they are brought out of the cabinet.

She also makes some "funkier" styles of jewelry with elements not always thought of as jewelry in the traditional sense -- things such as elongated pennies, taxidermy eyeballs, and foreign coins. However, her fascination remains with antiques, especially the tiny buttons because of their history.

And history is important to Alyssa. You will see many old family photos in the displays of her jewelry. Her avatar is one of her great-grandfather's cousins from the late 1800s or early 1900s. And she frequently uses several photos of three sisters Allie, Louise and Grace at various age; the two little girls in the photo of her hair pins are Allie (for whom the jewelry line is named), and her sister Louise, while the younger, pouty girl in the pram is Alyssa's great-grandmother, Grace.

Simply Susan

Susan, proprietress of SimplySusan started scrapbooking almost ten years ago, which is how she found her path to cardmaking. "All the pretty things I buy tend to inspire me and guide my designs in one direction or another," she says. "Cards and paper crafts are my favorite projects to work on. With such a wide variety of fun designs and high quality paper and scrapbooking supplies out there, there is SO much to choose from and I really have fun shopping for supplies for my next project."

Susan is a stay at home mom and loves to craft almost anything. Her aim is to create fun and useful things at affordable prices. "You'll see a little bit of everything here. Cards, jewelry, who knows what else." Visit her shop and be sure to stop by and read her blog.

Creative Curves

Michelle of CreativeCurves was one of those children who made endless pasta necklaces, fascinated with the shapes and the designs they made, loving jewelry but never expecting that it would be the start of a career. In fact, though she pondered going to art school after high school, she chose college and one degree in sociology, followed by a master's in special education and early childhood education. She taught for several years, all the while making jewelry in her spare time. Finally, she stopped teaching full-time to focus on her love of glass and jewelry-making instead.

Michelle is self-taught in metals, and fell in love with making glass beads in a class she took. She has been making them off and on for the last three years. She found Etsy "almost by accident" while looking for an online outlet for her crafts. "It was the best find on the internet as I have not only met some wonderful artists and purchased some great work, I have made some great customers in the process." Her Etsy shop has one-of-a-kind pieces with her wire work and lampwork glass beads. As she describes it, "It has jewelry of all sorts that is vibrant and unusual and made for the individualistic woman. I strive for different and unique and let my mind run wild in the creation process."

Prossack Designs

"I've always been involved in crafts, and I don't think I've ever wandered too far away from them. If I haven't been creating, I've been buying... I am a rather eclectic artist/crafter - always experimenting and playing with new ways of doing, and new materials," says Michelle of Prossack Designs.

"I was a professional calligrapher, and then I learned how to hand marble paper - and book arts just sort of naturally went hand in hand with both of those things. Unfortunately, because of growing chemical sensitivities, I haven't been able to produce new papers. But, being the computer geek that I am, I realized that I could use my computer so that I don't have to give up my marbling. I have been able to reproduce my original papers, and manipulate them into new variations - so I still get to play with my papers and make things from them. Although they're not all really quite paper anymore!

"I love making my journals, I think because it's so wonderful to know that people still like the tactile experience of writing out their thoughts, instead of just typing into their computers. I like being able to provide an artistic 'vehicle' for them to use.

"I'm also having fun using my new 'papers' to create jewelry, and sculptural pieces. I'm the kind of artisan that can't seem to do just one 'thing.'"

She finds inspiration everywhere and in everything -- "New ideas just seem to randomly pop into my head. Aren't all creative people like that?"

Dancing Mooney

Janell of the Etsy shop DancingMooney loves variety. I cannot just do one thing, I like to bounce around and do a variety of things throughout the day. Sometimes I even battle with myself because I can't decide what to focus on in my shop. In the end, I've decided that my shop is a variety shop. In it you'll find an assortment of jewelry and collage items that are inspired by her love of brilliant and earth-toned colors, nature, and music. She likes working with glass and clay as much as other natural elements.

She has a degree in business, but has always wanted to have her own gift shop, "so here I am making and selling my little heart out!" Since many of her items are one-of-a-kind, her shop's motto is, "if you see something you like, get it before it's gone!

"Each day is a new day, and i'm always open to new ideas, and discovering new ideas."

Whimsical Pam

I've always loved unique jewelry, says whimsical Pam. Her favorite items to make are necklaces and lanyards." I love the 'Hands of Time' necklaces that I've done. For some reason, the ideas for this particular series just keep popping into my head. I love doing the lanyards because you can make them so "whimsical" and fun with no central focal."
Pam finds inspiration in catalogs, which she has discussed on her blog. She particularly likes the way Coldwater Creek uses colors, combinations and wonderful photography. "Anything colorful inspires me, from paintings to tissue boxes. My Spring Mix necklace was based on the colors that I saw on the new Kleenex boxes."
Pam has managed upscale restaurants all of her adult life. "It takes quite a bit of creativity to be good in that business."

KIG Gifts

"It all started with seedbeads, anklets, then hemp, earrings, earrings bracelets and necklaces. Now it’s pendants. Pendants have been the longest stretch so far," says Kathy of KIG. "I think what I like most about them is their simplicity and ability to make a statement without being too showy."

She likes to make are of places that she has already visited or that she aspires to visit one day . "My pendants make me think of my travels and all the great experiences that I had." Teaching in Southern Japan for a year was one of those experiences, and has led to a deep love for Nippon and all things Japanese. So it's no surprise that many of her pendants are of Japanese stamps, images and maps. "The stamps that I use in my pendants are from my personal collection and stamps that I have acquired through the years."

Kathy is inspired by other talented artists on Etsy. "There is such variety here it’s amazing." She is also inspired by her sister who has made art her career, and who also has a shop on Etsy and is featured in many galleries in Montréal. "I would love for my jewelry to be my career... I admire those who have taken the leap."

Visit her blog to learn more about Kathy and her work.

Magdalene Jewels

Magdalene Jewels is named after Mary Magdalene. Pamela Baker works from home and sells her jewelry on both Etsy and in craft shows. She also designs and makes quilts, knits, and crochets. She is also a calligrapher. She uses Swarovski Crystals in all of her designs, "mainly because of the intricate colors which, when reflected in the sunlight, make each piece unique."

Don't be surprised if you also detect traces of India in her work -- it's her favorite place. "If I could be anywhere in the world, I would love to live in India." She has visited several times and spent time especially in Southern India where she visited many temples. She loves the peace that she finds there.

Don't forget to stop and visit her blog.

Flurrsprite's Nook

"I've always loved crafts, but only came upon bookbinding recently while I was doing a theatre internship out in Pennsylvania," says Maiko, a member of BEST and proprietor of flurrsprite's nook.

I stumbled across bookbinding after a friend of mind posted in her livejournal about her new shirt that she had sewn, and a friend of hers commented with links to craftsy livejournal groups, which led to the bookbinding group. Tthe rest is history, she says.

Maiko's interest in jewelry evolved later, when she had "a ton" of vintage and antique things that she was either reselling or recreating into something new in her shop. Recently she has made some linocut cards, returning to a skill she learned in high school.

"I enjoy making everything," she exclaims, noting that each craft brings a different mood. "I get a bright sparkly feeling when I finish say, a pair of earrings, but there's a satisfactory mellow feeling when I finish a new book. Imagination is fun!"

Learn more about Maiko at her blog.

KDemArte

Karen of KDemArte has always loved making art, and has worked in a lot of different media through the years. Currently she's working with metal -- using fine, lead-free pewter -- and using an ancient method of gravity casting. "I love the earthy, rustic quality that it gives my work." In addition to her metal work, Karen also paints pet portraits. She finds her inspiration in nature and its tiny details.

Keri Love Jewels

Keri of Kerilovvejewels has a Barbados-based Etsy shop, specializing in jewelry and ornaments. She has been crafting for three years, and is a university student pursuing a bachelor's degree in ecology and psychology.

TEMNO

Teresa of TEMNO is an Italian architecture student who has a fondness for high-quality paper and functional yet aesthetically pleasing notebooks and sketchbooks. "That is what I often indulge myself with, and what I am offering in this little corner of Etsy," she says. Each of her journals, sketchbooks or albums is unique and handmade, so it might not be perfect as an industrial product, but that's what she likes most.

She's also a photographer, and often her papercrafts feature some her photographs. Sometimes, you'll also find a small selection of Italian beads and copper in her shop as well. You can see more of her work on Flickr and read more about her on her blog.

Pampering Beki

Beki H. of Pampering Beki, began making custom, handmade jewelry in 2003. Since that time, she has been featured in such online publications as Journal Modiste and has sold items to local upscale boutiques and internationally.

Her designs feature the best of timeless elegance and trendy looks, with the end result being quality jewelry that will look as new and fresh years from now as it does today. Each piece is made on professional grade beading wire and always finished with a sterling silver clasp.

Beki employs a lot of natural stones in her designs. The use of such stones gives each piece a totally unique look, as nature never repeats itself. Thus, each piece with natural stones is truly one of a kind.

Beki lives in Kansas with her husband, and her three children, a daughter, aged 7, and two sons ages 6 and 1. A former flight attendant, Beki is truly enjoying being home with her children. Making beautiful jewelry is, she says, the best way for her to remain home with her family and still have a creative outlet. Stop by to visit her blog, too.

DeLavande

DeLevande hails from Tennessee. She began making necklaces as a way of getting away from stress -- she would simply sit back on the couch, pop in a movie and bead necklaces. "To me this was heaven," she says. In the beginning, most of the necklaces were for her and her mom, but friends began to ask if she would make them something special for them. "Thats when it started -- so many people, some I didn't know -- were asking if I had any necklaces they could buy for a gift for a loved one."

Each necklace takes three to four hours to finish, and she has recently begun to make bracelets and earrings as well. The process involves design as well as beading itself -- going through all her beads to find the perfect ones. "I take my time and great care so that the necklace is a one of a kind with all the finest beads. I love working with lampwork beads and with natural stone and tend to keep with an earthy touch. I look out the window and in my own way try to recreate my favorite things from nature -- woods, lakes, caves, and gardens."

Stop by and visit her Etsy shop as well as her web site and her blog.

That's Headley

That's Headley! Jewelry Designs is about a journey in wearable art in semiprecious gemstones, wire, and glass. Color, texture, balance, and richness are her design goals. She has been "beading" since junior high, and over the last couple of years has expanded her use of wire wrapping. She's also added silversmithing to her techniques.

This San Antonio-based artist rarely make two pieces alike, although sometimes, when something comes out especially wonderful, she might make just a few to share the fun. She loves to do custom work, too, so if you have something inspirational you would like to have a custom piece to wear with or to, send her a picture or description of what you would like.

Visit her blog, where she puts her newest creations and comments on life, the creative process, and other fabulous Etsy artists. She is a self-representing artist jewelry designer (SRAJD) #231, and a member of Art Jewelry Collective and Etsy Texas Crafters.

This is it! Creations

Jodi and Dan are a husband and wife team who had dreams of creating together while working from their northern California home that came true in 2005. This Is It! Creations makes and sells unique handmade gifts, including jewelry and environmentally friendly photo albums, journals, sketchbooks, and greeting cards, and all paper products are environmentally friendly.

Their motto, “freedom from the ordinary ~ freedom for the animals,” applies to their creations and to their lives. To make a difference while doing something they love, they currently donate 5% of profits to animal welfare groups such as Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, The Jane Goodall Institute, The Humane Farming Association, and The National Anti-Vivisection Society. As their business grows, the percentage will also grow.

They have been on Etsy since September.

Designed by Lucinda

Lucinda has been designing jewelry for over 25 years. "It never stops pleasing me to come up with new designs," she says. Sterling and stones are one of her passions, but she has also started to use Swarovski Crystals (with or without semi precious stones). She invites you to visit either her Flickr album or her Etsy shop.