Especial de Domingo - Two for the Price of One

Today's Sunday Special is twice the fun! I wasn't able to blog last Sunday as I spent a glorious weekend at Lake Erie and finished up the trip with a fabulous excursion to Cedar Point! Oh, how I love roller coasters! Here's a view of Cedar Point from the marina's golf course...



Now, on to the business at hand!

Today, I'm highlighting Meagan at Meagan's Designs on Etsy! Meagan's store is full of hand-knit lovelies! Her crafts are practical and cute!

Check out this deep purple coffee mug cozie...

And this gorgeous chartreuse neck warmer...

Don't forget to visit Meagan's Etsy Shop:



And her blog!

The second Etsian I'm highlighting is NunofaKind on Etsy! I'm finding through my Etsy Secrets membership that there are so many talented artists out there! Nun is no different! Her creations are meant to show the bonds of sisterhood, both familial and friendship! What better way to say that someone is your sister! She has nuns for every occasion and occupation!

Check out the Dental Hygienist Nun. Which reminds me...I need to change dentists!



There's even the Wedding Planner Nun!



Make sure you visit her shop today!



And don't forget her blog!

One Lovely Blog Award

Lori Dean Dyment of DeanDymentStudios gave my blog its first "One Lovely Blog Award"! I am truly touched. I gladly accept this honor and will happily fulfill the duties that have been bestowed upon me. ☺

Lori is a multi-faceted artist! Her Etsy shop is full of all sorts of goodies, from original prints to oil paintings to glass pendants! Make sure you check out her shop as well as her Blog!

Want to play along?  Here are the rules:

*Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.

*Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered.

*Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

And without further delay, here are the fabulous blogs I hope you'll check out!

1. T and Little S Designs
2. Side Lines by Made by Swirly Girl
3. Shazzebeth Creations
4. Bijoux Boutique
5. Cindy's Art and Soul
6. Canadian Rockies Art
7. Blooming in Japan by Mee a Bee
8. Mandibeads
9. Julie Magers Soulen Photography
10. While Tangerine Dreams
11. Linda B's Jewelry Designs
12. By Jen
13. Blah. Blah. Ramblings from a Design Studio <-- Love this title! 

14. Creative with Clay
15. jbEbert - pearls, gems,...and a little bling

Wedding Bling

So my friend Kim asked me if I might be interested in making some jewelry for one of her friend's that is getting married this year. I instantly thought of my Bliss Series as I just think they are the cat's meow. But she's looking for a bracelet and earrings, so my mind starting working.

I created this wedding version of the spiral weave using Swarovski AB Pink Alabaster and White Opal 4mm bicones and 4mm pearls.





And tonight I took a class at Need 2 Bead, which just lent itself to a wedding theme. It's a Basket Weave weave using 4mm Czech fire polished glass beads and seed beads. I'm thinking of making it a wider bracelet by doubling the width. There was an example at the store and it is just stunning!





Which is your favorite? Do you think a wider basket weave would look more elegant for a wedding? Let me know!

Free Shipping

Enter code "Free Ship" in a message to seller at checkout and receive FREE SHIPPING on all items through June 10, 2009!

Especial de Domingo - Jen Kiaba Photography on Etsy

Time for another addition of the Una Tia Especial Sunday Special!

Today I've chosen to spotlight Jen Kiaba. Jen is a wonderfully talented photographer and a very nice person to boot! ;-) I discovered her work through Etsy Secrets and I discovered her personality through Twitter and Facebook. She is always supportive and offers really great photography tutorials. Her tutorial on Picassa is a must see!

Her photos are unique and interesting. They make you want to look deeper. Take "Under My Toes" for instance. If you enlarge the image, there are subtle pink flowers on the ground.



I love how she uses different hues to really capture the essence of the photo:



Jen's work is outstanding! Visit her blog here!

And make sure to check out her awesome Etsy store!:

Gala Ring

Last night I learned how to make a ring! Never did I anticipate making a ring when I started making jewelry. Angie K. taught a class at Need 2 Bead on creating a Gala Ring using seed beads and Swarovski crystals. Boy, was it easy! The hardest part was choosing the colors!

The one I listed in my Etsy shop and the one shown here is not the one I made in class. The one I made in class was a light amethyst Swarovski crystal and you can see the drilled hole due to the light color. It takes away from the ring. Not cute. At all.

So, last night I made this Gold and Metallic Green Iris Gala Ring. Enjoy!