Featured in Mosaic Monday

Thanks to Maria for featuring me in her Etsy Secrets Mosaic Monday! She featured my Zebra Pride Car Charm!



You can check out her blog here!

Especial de Domingo - The House of Mouse

This week I've decided to profile Anna Greaves of The House of Mouse on Etsy. Anna is a fellow Etsy Secrets member and but for ES, I don't know that I would have ever found her adorable shop.

Her art is mice! Don't you just love it?!? Her creativity flows in abundance with her creations. I saw the Barack Obamouse and I was sold. I placed the order immediately! I can't wait to receive it and show it to all my friends. I've already got the space picked out in my office to showcase this masterpiece!




Wonder Woman Mouse!




And because I am a Harry Potter fanatic -



Visit her Etsy store today!



Check out Anna's blog - Life, Craftiness and Everything Else! and her bundle of cuteness here!

Buckeye Wire Wrap

O - H 

I - O

If you know anything about Columbus, Ohio, you know it's Buckeye Central.  This town goes absolutely nuts for THE Ohio State University Buckeyes.  I fought it hard.   It took me six years to be converted.  But they got me.

Go Buckeyes!

I got the idea to do this bracelet after taking a beginning wire wrap class at 1 Stop.  I thought it was a fun way to support the Buckeyes and remain fashionable!

Colors

Before I started making jewelry, I didn't fully understand the entire spectrum of color. Growing up, we were taught the colors of the rainbow - ROY G BIV - Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet. Well now, thanks to Swarovski, there's Siam, Fire Opal, Citrine, Erinite, Sapphire, Tanzanite, Amethyst, among many others.

I've gone through phases of favorite Swarovski crystal colors.

My first obsession was Fire Opal and Siam.




Then I moved to Crystal Copper.




Now I'm hooked Padparadscha. And I don't even know how to say it.




What's your favorite color?

Etsy Featured on Good Morning America!

Turn Your Crafts Into Cash - ABC News

Shared via AddThis

Hodgepodge

I've made many jewelry items over the last several months and taken hundreds of pictures. I didn't always blog about each piece, so I've decided to make this hodgepodge post.

Earthtone Spiral Bracelet - I'm addicted to beadweaving! I love the simplicity of the weave yet how intricate it can be with the different sizes of seed beads and the true rainbow of colors available!



Byzantine Bracelet - I recently expanded into chainmaille. You may have read about my diamond chainmaille bracelet a little while back. I posted a Tweet about it and it got the attention of another chainmaille blog and seller, Chainmaille by MBOI, who tweeted back at me and that's how I found the site to purchase my first Byzantine bracelet kit. I love the elegant look of this weave. The sterling and copper combination is just magical!



Triangular Peyote - Going along with my new found obsession with beadweaving, I bought a beadweaving book. I'm in beadweaving heaven! I picked this weave not realizing it was peyote stitch. Several other beaders have groaned when peyote is mentioned, but I found it delightful! The bright green and silver lined crystal beads really pop against each other.



Black and White Cabernet Bracelet - This weave was taken at Need 2 Bead. It was my first exposure to ladder stitch. I love this bracelet! It's so simple yet so elegant. (I say that a lot, don't I???) I think that's what I love most about beading. The simplicity of it all and the elegance.



Semi-Precious Stone and Crystal Wire Wrap - This is another creation thanks to Stacy at Need 2 Bead. Thanks to this class, I became addicted to working with wire. The beauty of this bracelet is that it can be made in any color combination. The volume of stones and crystals out there is endless!



Cocoa Bliss Necklace - This right angle weave necklace was the first class I took at Need 2 Bead. I made four other necklaces within a week of taking of the class. This necklace really is elegant. I think it's perfect for a wedding or prom.

Happy Memorial Day!

Everyday should be Memorial Day. We should always keep the men and women who are keeping and have kept our country safe.

I honor my Brother, Staff Sergeant Manuel Silveira and his many fellow soldiers, marines, airmen and seamen of the United States Armed Forces.

Especial de Domingo - Mad Maggie Designs

The first Etsian I have chosen to feature is Leslie Gidden over at Mad Maggie Designs. She's been extremely supportive and friendly at EtsySecrets and I just love her designs!

Her Etsy store is fun and hip! Take a look at these candy filled earrings!



Another example of her out of the box creativity are her listings for Map pieces as a pendant!



It's been so fun exploring all the different artists out there. Leslie is extremely talented.

And her Blog!

*All pictures property of Leslie Gidden

New Feature!

I've recently joined a discussion group with many fascinating fellow Etsy sellers. It's so cool to see just how many creative people are out there and the numerous ways to be creative. We're all committed to seeing everyone succeed and the support we're giving each other is amazing.

In an effort to promote world wide creativity, I'm going to feature a fellow Etsian every Sunday, in what is going to be called...wait for it...

Especial de Domingo 

(Sunday Special)

I thought I'd play on my own shop name. Clever, huh? :)

RAW Tennis Bracelet

I have always admired the Right Angle Weave Tennis Bracelet at 1 Stop. When Need 2 Bead offered a RAW Tennis Bracelet class, I signed up immediately! They used seed beads and 6mm Swarovski crystals. After I took the class and picked up the technique, I decided to take a stab at making the 1 Stop bracelet. It uses 3mm Tierra Cast Heishi beads as the base and 4mm Swarovski crystals.

I like them both for different reasons.

What do you think?


Seed Bead RAW




Tierra Cast RAW

Bad Blogger

I've been a very bad blogger...

Updates coming this weekend!

Egyptian Coil Links Bracelet

Working with metal is fun and exciting because you can do so many things with it! Last week, I took another class at Need 2 Bead to learn how to make the Egyptian Coil. The pattern made is from Laura Pacino and she calls it Lotz of Links. I want the Egyptian Coil to be the focal, which is what I'm focusing on.

The beauty of this link is that you can use a lot of the coils to create a striking bracelet or even necklace.