Blog Feature - Purely Paige Handmade Jewelry

Paige's item won the most votes on my blog earlier in March for her new Mama ring. Here's the interview:

1. Tell us a bit about yourself:  I am a self-taught jewelry designer with a home studio in Kirkland, WA. Until 2 yrs ago my jewelry business time was shared with my full-time corporate job which didn't exactly allow for much growth. Lucky for me I met the man of my dreams, and then everything just seemed to fall into place. We had a beautiful baby boy that we didn't want to put into daycare right away so now I am a full-time Mom/Domestic Goddess/Owner of Purely Paige Handmade Jewelry.

I specialize in hand-forged sterling silver/fine silver and 14 karat gold fill combined with high quality gemstones and vintage findings. I absolutely love adding special personalization aspects to my pieces, like custom inscriptions & birthstones etc. There is something so incredibly spectacular about being the one to create that perfect gift, that piece that someone has been searching for everywhere, or being a small part of someone’s wedding or prom. I don’t think I will stop designing jewelry until my hands stop working!

2. What is your favorite color combination? I think that most everything looks better with pink. Pink & Black (of course) Pink & Navy, Pink & Green, Pink & Brown.

Here is a wire-wrapped crystal necklace I am currently working on:

3. What is the first thing you can remember making by hand? As a little girl I was always drawing cats, (my first favorite animal) in princess dresses, dripping in jewels of course! Then one day my dad gave me a whole box of laminate paper. I used it to make paper cat dolls! I laminated the cats and then made different clothing and jewelry for them to wear! That was really an amazing gift, I had months of fun with that laminate paper!

4. What inspires you? Everything that makes me happy...and...deadlines haha! Some of my favorite pieces have come from late nights working under pressure!

5. What is your favorite thing to do with your creativity? I love trying to figure how to do things myself. I am that annoying lady that adores something expensive in a shop and look like I am going to buy it because I am looking at every angle trying to figure out how to make it.

Hand Forged Sterling Silver Guitar Pick

6. Why should people buy handmade? When you buy handmade, you get to own a piece of art that was created from inspiration, by a someone that loved creating it. And you are supporting an individual artist's dream to keep creating and sharing their art.

7. Do you have any tips on selling handmade? I got some of the most fabulous jewelry business advice awhile ago from a good friend of mine that really doesn't have ANY experience in the business what-so-ever! She said, "Well you have got to try everything at least once. You never know what might come of something, if you don't try."  Such a simple piece of advice.

Now, if events are free or reasonably priced to participate, I am there. I have done jewelry shows at hair salons, restaurants / lounges, places of employment, bridal showers, and theatres, etc.

I also do things like donating to swag bags and auctions, putting jewelry coupons in stores where my friends work, joining social networking websites I come across, etc.

Collar Stays with Inscriptions

8. Apart from creating things, what do you do? I absolutely love to garden and I can't wait to plant a vegetable garden with my little boy at our new home in April. I also really love to cook. And, I love searching through antique shops for beautiful things to give new life to and incorporate into my jewelry or decorate our home with.

9. What have been the most valuable lessons learned from other artists? There is always going to be someone better than you. If there wasn't, then you wouldn't have anything to strive towards.

6. Do you have a blog? http://blog.purelypaige.com/

Web addresses:
http://www.purelypaige.com/
http://www.etsy.com/shop/purelypaige
http://twitter.com/purelypaige
www.facebook.com/purelypaige

Thanks Paige for answering all of my questions and I wish you much success with your Etsy shop and family.

From Nancys Heart - Blog Feature

Here's my interview with Nancy,  FromNancysHeart, one of the shops you voted for in my weekly Top 5 blogs.  She's also one of my teammates on the Etsy Twitter Team About Nancy: I’m a 40 something crafter that enjoys living near the beach in NJ. I’ve been creating 3 dimentional wooden ornaments for over 20 years and still enjoy creating and painting those tiny faces. Nancy won with her Bunny entry Favorite color combination:  I actually love anything with Chocolate Brown~ I love the pink/browns; or even the lime greens/brown But now as the summer approaches, I’m torn for the calming colors of turquoise/cream/blue. Molly McBunny First thing I remember making: The first thing I can remember ever making was in kindergarden so I was 5 years old. I had the wonderful kindergarden teacher, Mrs. Corson; who, now that I think of it, hand made all our report cards. But she would have us make gifts for our families for various holidays; so the first thing I remember making was a macaroni cigar jewelry box, for my mom. It was painted gold and had a velvet lining. Unfortunately, 3 days after I gave it to my mom for Christmas, there was a mouse in the house and it ate some macaroni off the top of the box... my mom didn’t keep it. But about 10 years ago, because it became a family joke, I made another macaroni box and painted it gold and this one is still intact. Snazzy Girl My thoughts on buying handmade. Buying handmade to me means buying something personal~ a personal piece of the artist/crafter’s spirit that they choose to share with us. Whatever the creative piece may be; a photo, a crochet or knitted garment, pottery, jewelry or even the raw wood that I have hand cut ~ it’s all something very personal to the person creating it. And it’s that connection to another human that I find amazing and mystifying. It’s a unique item, that may look like the next item but truly is one of a kind. Annie Apart from creating:  I am a daughter, caring for two wonderful parents in their 80’s; I’m an Aunt, babysitting several wonderful kids under the age of 6 (who keep me smiling everyday) and if that doesn’t keep a gal busy enough; I also work as a part time engineer for a television station in Philadelphia. This means that I will work in the studio doing camera work or working the teleprompter. It’s a fun job and everyday something different always happens. (the fact that it’s never boring is what I enjoy about it the most!) Rosie What I’ve learned from others:  Be true to yourself, always be innovative, and when a piece frustrates you, step away from it for a while; you’ll be amazed what happens when you take a breather and come back to it fresh. Thanks to you Linda for giving me the opportunity to be a part of your blog!

You can find Nancy online at: Web Addresses:  Etsy Shoppe: www.fromnancysheart.etsy.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/fromnancysheart  Blog: www.fromnancysheart.blogspot.com  Thank you, Linda, for giving me the opportunity to be a part of your blog!

3.25.10 Linda's Top 5 Etsy Shop Finds

Weekly, I ask people to post in Etsy Forums asking for one item to see and to comment on my blog. From this week's thread, these are the items I'd like to share with you:

1. Upcycled Fabric Coasters, Green Lace, Set of 4

2. Vintage Pearl Cluster Ring

3. Butterfly Origami Easter Card

4. Blue & Red Owl Pouch


5. Hand Printed Orange and White Silk Circle Scarf

You can help out these lovely Etsy sellers by:
1. Visiting their shops
2. Voting for your favorite item in a blog comment, and
3. Telling others to vote, too.

The winner will get a solo blog feature on my blog. Vote by commenting on my blog please.

Congrats to this week's Linda's Top 5 Etsy Finds!

Turquoise Etsy Treasury

I'm in a Turquoise Etsy Twitter Team Treasury. Please click and comment.

Treasury

Someday I'll learn how to have you click on the image to get there. Any thoughts? 

Linda

misseskwitty EtsyTwitter Team Shop of the Week

Missestwitty's shop is full of cottage type handmade items with lots of colors, which I love.

In an interview with EtsyTwitter Team member Judy, she says, "there is a lot of love involved in my crafting-- from picking the colors of fabrics or papers, hand-stitched or embroidered details, pretty papers, cool old buttons and laces and ribbons (which are often really hard to part with!) for the 'perfect little detail'--and I design my own patterns". Her inspiration is vintage/retro things like embroideries, laces, ribbons, buttons, and rickrack. She says, "I am especially inspired by the linens and fabrics of the 30's and 40's."


Travel Tissue holder

Bright Dots Gift Set

Karen's, approach to Twitter is, "it's all about being part of the community--I like to tweet my new listings and promotions for the Etsy team, but I also make sure to click on other people's links, too, and leave a comment if I like what I see."


SPECIAL: With every order this week, she will include a free Gift Tag Sample Pack with each order!

New Listings on Artfire for Mother's Day

Mother's Day is right around the corner. My online shops have several beautiful items that can be given as gifts. I added a new new items to my artfire shop.

Mother's Day Glass Crystal Earrings

 Tropical Island Spice Bracelet Set

 

Purple Black Turquoise Dicronic Beaded Necklace Set

 

Cobalt Blue Glass Earrings

I love using different textures, shapes and color shades together. Which one is your favorite?

New Business Cards Designs

I appreciate those of you who voted on my new business cards design. I won 500 cards from Uprint and I'm very excited.

This image shows the front and back sides:

Please let me know what you think.

Linda B.

Book Review - A Cynical Idealist: A Spiritual Biography of John Lennon

A Cynical Idealist: A Spiritual Biography of John Lennon by Gary Tillery

My favorite Beatle was Paul McCartney, when I was a teenager. My interest in the Beatles has resurfaced, and I wanted to explore more information about John Lennon.

John Lennon, born in 1940 and shot in 1980, struggled with parental authority; his father left board a ship and his mother left it up to John at early age who he wanted to be with. This early abandonment urged him to become questioning and unsure of authority figures and eventually urged him to follow several paths of self-enlightenment.

It's common knowledge that the Beatles took LSD and studied meditation with a Maharishi; however, not many people know that the Maharishi expected the Beatles to promote him and get a piece of the action. Naturally, the Beatles did not agree with this and left a spiritual retreat. The song "Sexy Sady" ... "you've made a fool out of everyone" changes the gender of the Maharishi to a woman.

In March 1969, shortly after they married, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, had a famous "bed-in" in Amsterdam, promoting peace. "Protest for peace in any way, but peacefully, cause we tink that peace is only got be peaceful methods ... "

I learned that John Lennon was such an active pacificist and that he truly loved Yoko Ono who taught him to express himself artistically in music and other music. He has written also books and created 3D art.  In 1978, Lennon thought of meditation as a way to "slip out of the straightjacket of the mind."

There are several message songs written by Lennon, which are still recognized today, among them: "Imagine", "Give Peace a Chance," "Instant Karma (We all Shine on)"

Yoko Ono has set up an interesting Website and I encourage you to listen to the songs and buy the book to learn more about this artists, pacifist, father, husband and former Beatle.

You can purchase this book at Amazon and I have beaded bookmarks at my online shops.

Peace and love,
Linda B.

Happy Birthday Aries 3/21-4/20

Aries, "The Ram" in Greek, is the zodiac sun sign for March 21 to April 20.

Aries likes to lead and a good challenge. Aries goes through life with confidence and a enthusiastic outlook on everything. They can lack patience and often don't finish what they start.

Carnelian and Red Agate Bracelet

People born under the sun sign Aries are generous and frank with friends. They have a gift for fun. Aries can fall in love quickly and out of love even more quickly.







Aries virtues: Abundant physical energy, courage, honesty, independence, self-reliance

Famous People - Aries:Johann Sebastian Bach
Warren Beatty
Marlon Brando
Matthew Broderick
Charlie Chaplin
James Garner
Harry Houdini
Hugh Hefner
Elton John
Thomas Jefferson
Eddie Murphy
Leonard Nimoy
Vincent Van Gogh
Diana Ross
Omar Sharif
Gloria Steinem
Tennesse Williams

Modern Aries Gemstones:
Amethyst
Bloodstone
Carnelian
Coral
Malachite
Rose Quartz

Rose Quartz Bracelet

I also take custom orders for birthdays.

Happy Birthday Aries!

I Got The Sunshine Award from EcoFriendly Freckles

I'm excited. Eco-Friendly Freckles awarded me the Sunshine Award. Thanks so much. Please check out her blog and my nominees below. 






















I work hard on my blog to make it interesting and feature others. I hope to learn more HTML formatting soon, too, but I digress. Thanks so much, Eco-Friendly.

This is posted on Eco-Friendly's blog:

Here are the rules for accepting the Sunshine award:
1. Place the logo within your blog or post.
2. Pass the award on to 12 bloggers.
3. Link the nominees within the post.
4. Let the nominees know they have received the award by commenting on their blogs.
5. Share the love and link to the person from whom you received the award.


Here are my 12 blogger nominees:
1. http://365catladies.blogspot.com/
2. http://coloraddictionblog.blogspot.com/
3. http://punkyjane.blogspot.com/    
4. http://kindovermatter.blogspot.com/
5. http://tamdoll.blogspot.com/
6. http://roses7184.blogspot.com/
7. http://joydevivredesign.blogspot.com
8. http://theeclecticelement.blogspot.com/ 
9. http://dzfantasy.blogspot.com/
10. http://kskdesigns.blogspot.com/
11. http://sosorosey.blogspot.com/
12. http://artmind-etcetera.blogspot.com/


Congratulations to all the bloggers. 

Winner of Blog Feature Announced

You have spoken with your votes. The winner of a blog feature and interview session is Gail of HeartandSowDesigns with her Modern Sweetheart Polka Dot Black Apron



Thank you all for entering and voting. I'll send Gail some interview questions soon. And I'll be posting the next entries in a few days. Watch for it in Etsy forums and then, you can submit your items.

Have you seen Oscar the Owl Necklace?

Turquoise Etsy Treasury

A member of the EtsyBloggers Team included my turquoise heart earrings in a Treasury. Please click and comment



If you order these earrings by March 22, I'll sell them to you at $6.50 (20% off) with the key word "turquoise" in Notes to Seller. Or Convo me to change the price.

I also have another pair with pewter and sterling silver beads that are normally $9 and I'll take 20% off of those or $7.20. These are listed at http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&op=listing&product_id=1217181 Artfire



Thanks, dear reader.

Vote for 1 of Linda's Top 5 Etsy Finds

Every week I ask people in the Etsy Forums to post 1 item from their shop to be featured on my blog. Look at the shops featured and vote for your favorite item. The shop with the most votes will get a full interview feature on my blog.

1. Light Blue Scarf



2. Modern Sweetheart Polka Dot Black Apron
3. Chives Antique Spoon
4. It's all about the Wine Purse
5. Lightweight HandKnit Scarf
Please vote for your favorite. That Etsy shop will be sent interview questions to be featured here on my blog.

Thanks so much for visiting dear readers,

New Works - What do you think?

I'm a little late in posting these, but wanted to show you some of my new items.

Tropical Island Spice Earrings

Black Onyx Sterling Silver Pendant Necklace

Easter Egg Earrings


I'd love to read your comments about the looks and prices.

Thank you, Dear Readers,

Linda B.

We're all Irish on St. Patrick's Day

Saint Patrick (Latin: Sanctus Patricius, Irish: Naomh Pádraig) (who lived sometime in the 4th or 5th century), was a Romanized-Celt, a Romano-Briton and Christian missionary, who is the most generally recognised patron saint of Ireland.

Luck of the Irish St. Patrick's Day Bracelet


"St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17, his religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over a thousand years. On St. Patrick's Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink and feast—on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage."*

St. Patrick's Day Shamrock Charm Earrings


Enjoy, but please don't drink and drive.




*http://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day

The Search for Hametz - for Passover

Passover is only 2 weeks away and I've pulled out my Passover folder to enlighten you about some of the ritual preparations.

On Sunday, March 28, 2010, one performs the ritual bedikat hametz or the search for hametz. You'll need a candle, a feather and a wooden spoon. Prior to the search, we "hide" several small pieces of hard bread (so no crumbs will be left) to be found during the search.

Hametz Patrol (not a member), but it's adorable - Linda B.

Light the candle and say,
 "Baruch atah Ado-- elo--- Melech ha-olam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav vtzivani al bi-ur hametz." Blessed are you, Lord our G-d, Ruler of the Universve, Who has made us holy with commandments and commanded us to remove leaven.

Sweep the leaven onto the spoon with the feather and then put it in a bowl or bag for disposal. Once all the pieces are gathered, then say, "Kol'chami-a, v'ika vir'shuti, d'la hametei ud'la va-ar-teih, ud'la yada'na leih, lit'tel v'lehevel hef'keir k'afra d'ar'a. Any leaven that still may be in the house which I have not seen or have not removed, shall be as if it does not exist and as the dust on the earth."

Seder Plate

On the following morning, take all the leaven still remaining in the house together with all the leaven collected during the search and burn it (Use a metal container with high sides).

Miriam and Elijah Cups for the Seder

Recite "Kol'chami-a, v'ika vir'shuti, d'la hametei ud'la va-ar-teih, ud'la yada'na leih, lit'tel v'lehevel hef'keir k'afra d'ar'a. Any leaven that still may be in the house which I have not seen or have not removed, shall be as if it does not exist and as the dust on the earth."

Passover Wine Charms

Enjoy and thanks for reading. Visit the EtsyChai team blog for more information.

Linda B.