Shadow and Light

Now that treasuries are so much easier to make on Etsy I have started using this feature more and more.

Here is my latest.  I just love textures and they really shine through when they are absent of color.

Some of My Favorites

I have so many favorites that I have compiled over the years from the many talented artists on Etsy that I thought I would share some of them with you. This is just the most recent, so if you don't see something of yours it does not mean you aren't a favorite too. :)

Thank You to My Followers

I so appreciate each and every one of my followers and from time to time I like to do a post where I can showcase their shops. This time around I would like to feature 3 more very talented people who are kind enough to follow along on my blog.

Larissa is a fellow member of the Handmade Artists Shops.  She and her husband, Eric, sell their high quality all natural soaps, among other indulgences, in Reef Botanicals located on the HAF website.  Their products are so rich and colorful that you can practically smell them just from looking at the photos.

"Fudge Chunk" is the perfect gift for that chocolate lover in your life.  Cocoa is one of the ingredients in this creamy handmade soap. It looks just like chocolate fudge ice cream doesn't it?  Yummers!



 


Can you smell the lemons?  This is a scrub made from lemons, sugar and natural oils.



Reef Botanicals sell gift baskets that are loaded with scrumptious products from their shop.  What a great gift for that special person in your life.

Jillian is the owner and artist behind JillianReneDecor.  She is also a fellow member of DesignStyleGuide, a online site for all you home decor needs.  What Jillian can do with buttons is quite amazing. Using thin gauge wire and various sizes of buttons she creates these lovely flowers and attaches them to pillows or to various fabrics that are then framed making it a very unique piece of wall art.

 What a wonderful gift  this framed button art would make.   It's bright and colorful and can be hung on your wall.

This is just a small sample of what Jillian can do with a pillow.  This design makes this silvery gray fabric light up.  Very chic.



This is one of my favorites.  I just love black and white together, especially in a zebra print. 
Jillian has embellished this fun pillow with this bright red flower made from buttons. Stunning!



Sara lives in New England and sells her beautiful jewelry on Etsy in a shop named LillyQueen.  Her lovely pieces are made by incorporating vintage and new together to create truly unique designs.

These luscious ice blue glass vintage diamond faceted earrings just sparkle. I love that they are embedded in antique brass.  Great color combination and very trendy.

This 17" necklace boasts an antique brass bird charm with 3 Swarvoski glass beads in royal blue. Just a darling piece.  This is called "Raindrops in Summer".

This bold bracelet is the perfect neutral to wear with anything.  It's made up of smokey quartz vintage Lucite beads and faux pearls held together with a vintage lobster clasp.

It is always a pleasure to showcase all the wonderfully talented followers of my blog.  I hope you will stop by each of their shops as this is just a peek at what they can do.

Featured Artist "Swell Dame, Inc"

Amber Grey is a fellow Floridian and the owner and artist behind Swell Dame Inc, a shop on Etsy.com that carries a diverse collection of unique wood crafting.

Burning an image into wood is called Pyrography (Greek for "fire drawing").  It can be done with manual tools or with a laser but Amber prefers the hands-on approach to make the images on her pieces.  Most of her designs are influenced by the Art Deco and Art Noveau movements with a special emphasis on the classic Hollywood period.

When you visit Swell Dame Inc. you will find a wide variety of  art that can fit all budgets, from jewelry and accessories to home decor.  One of my favorite pieces is the "Snow White Fairy Tale Pyrography Art Wood." I love how she shows the bite out of the apple. Very clever.

Amber also enjoys the challenge of custom work and is more than willing  to work with you in finding a design that is perfect for you.

I hope you will visit Swell Dame Inc. and see for yourself and see this amazing art form.

PoPkO-A Unique Kind of Butterfly Art

Crystal is the owner and artist behind PoPkO, a very unique shop on Etsy.  I say unique because much of her jewelry is designed around real butterflies' wings.  Now, before anyone gets upset, these wings are from "deceased" butterflies only.  Here is a statement from her shop:
" I use butterfly wings that were raised for conservation and public education in a butterfly conservatory. Once they naturally expire, they are collected and I make jewelry to preserve them. Some butterflies live for a 1-2 weeks, some (like monarchs) can live up to 6-9 months if not actively breeding. Its important to know that these are from a safe source, as butterflies have a fragile existence. Butterfly wing jewelry has been around for hundreds of years, and I hope to give you heirloom pieces to enjoy as well".

Crystal's has been selling on Etsy for several years.  In fact between herself, her four sisters and her mom they have a total of 7 active shops.  What an amazing family to have so much talent.  You can read a Storque article about the "homemade" wedding they all put together for Crystal and her husband.  It is not only heartwarming to see such a close-knit family but you also get to see all the great ideas they came up with when they pooled their talents.

Below is a sampling of what you will find when you visit PoPkO but it is very much worth your time to take a closer look and visit her shop.

She has some great rings at a very reasonable price that are just too fun.  They are called "Glitter Pop" rings and just dazzle the eye with all their bling.  Crystal specialties also include Bridal a fused glass gifts.