Handcrafted Holiday Sale

Halloween was a blast and now the holidays are right around the corner. It's hard to believe how fast the year has gone. It's time to celebrate the end of another great year with a sale! It's a great time to get some of that holiday shopping taken care of with a Buy 2, Get 1 Free Sale through December 31 at my shop, Oceanside Creations.

I love knowing that I'm giving a special gift that no one else in the whole world will have. Delight the jewelry lovers you know with unique, one of a kind necklaces, earrings, and bracelets. Here are a few of my favorites:

Misty Morning Sea Glass Necklace with Blue Aventurine

Spring Amethyst Necklace

Antiqued Copper Wave Earrings

I'm back...and FREE SHIPPING!

I know its been a while since you last heard from me but I'm still here. It's been a busy few months making the leap from my home state of Maine to my new hometown in Washington. My fiance and I spent a wonderful week driving across this huge and beautiful country, stopping to take in the sights at Niagra Falls, exploring Chicago for a day, and making my life long dream of visiting Yellowstone a reality. What an amazing trip!

Here we are in the Portland area finally feeling like we are getting settled in. We have a cute but cramped apartment that is great for the 2 of us at the moment. It is right beside a park with walking trails that loop around a lake. I head out for a walk every day! I love that I can still be so close to nature and only a short drive into Portland. I have been enjoying my time here by getting to know my fiance's family, exploring the city, discovering some great eats, and of course diligently hunting for a job. That took a little longer than I thought but one came along just in time.

Now its time to get back in to my jewelry making. I haven't felt like I had time to work on it though I have had a lot of time on my hands. Focusing on other things I guess. It's hard to feel like I can have a hobby when I should be working at an actual job. Hopefully I will be inspired to start on some new designs for the holidays. I'm always excited to see what new ideas come along after taking a little time off.

~FREE SHIPPING~
Through October 31, I will be offering free shipping to US and Canada on all purchases.

Here are a few pieces to add some sparkle to your fall wardrobe:



Smoldering Garnet Earrings


Autumn Tribute Earrings




An elegant Jade Wirework Pendant with ribbon necklace


Glamorous Garnet Drop Earrings

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See more from Oceanside Creations on Etsy

Behind The Art Monday

Today's interview is with Etsy shop Beads Of Glass.

Introduce yourselves and tell us about your shop.

Beautiful handmade lampwork beads and jewelry for women who love one-of-a-kind artisan creations by artists Joyce & Harvey Richards. Our art is born out of a husband and wife collaboration. Our talents flow together to create unique pieces of artistic jewelry. I choose to work with glass because of the mesmerizing nature of the molten glass as it passes through the various temperatures of the flame. I feel in control until the flame changes my direction, at which time a miracle occasionally takes place. I try to translate my love of the glass and colors and luminosity into beauty and hope that you both see and feel that love in each bead I create. Harvey takes these artistic beads and with his sense of design, balance and form creates graceful, feminine, wearable art.

What inspires your work? Describe your creative process and favorite materials.

I use soft glass rods imported from Italy, Germany and other far off places to create my beads. I am inspired by nature and often use the glass rods to paint as I once used oils to paint on canvas. Color and the use of layered dots play a big part in my designs. I love to use glass infused with metals. These colors are manipulated in the flame in ways that help me bring out the metallic nature of the glass. Our glass beads are placed into a digitally controlled kiln to remove stress caused from manipulating the glass. Soaking the beads at almost 1000 degrees for hours and slowly reducing the temperature insures it's structural integrity so that you may enjoy your glass jewelry for many years to come.

We use only the finest materials and often combine the glass with semi-precious stones, pearls and either sterling or pure silver. Our aim is to give you a piece of art that you will treasure as you would an heirloom.

How did you get started with your work?

We are both self-taught artists and have exhibited and sold our work at various art festivals across South Florida. Our studio is located in SW Florida. We are members of Florida Craftsmen and have been members of the Englewood Art Center where we have participated in juried fine art shows. We have also been participating members of the Charlotte County Art Guild, The Arts and Humanities Council of Charlotte County and the Aiken Center of the Arts in SC.

What brought you to Etsy?

We found Etsy through other artists and we are still trying to get ourselves out there.

Where else can we find you online?

You can find us at:
http://www.lampworkbeadcreations.com
http://twitter.com/wildorchidbeads


What is your favorite piece in your shop?

You should check out our bracelets. They are colorful yet classy. My favorite is the Cherry Red with leaves and adorned with Bali silver.

You can find it here http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=18221381

Harvey's has started working with PMC and has made the most stunning earrings.

Aphrodite Pure Silver Earrings 999
His favorite can be found here http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24541386

What have you learned from your craft and selling on Etsy?

The most precious gift our art has brought us is the knowledge of how wonderful it is to have work that you love. Too be so immersed in what your doing that you forget it's work. The joy you feel when you have created a beautiful thing is very fulfilling and we think many people on Etsy have discovered this.
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See more from BeadsOfGlass on Etsy

Behind The Art Monday

Today's featured artist is Belgian native Annik from Vintage Designs on Etsy. She lives in Spotsylvania, VA, near Washington D.C and has 2 daughters. She designs one-of-a-kind handcrafted jewelry, incorporating vintage elements.

How did you get your start making jewelry?

It all started with a box of my grandmother's jewelry. I kept this box in a drawer for years and occasionally I would take it out to look at the wonderful jewelry in it. Some of it I could wear, but a lot of it lay broken apart in the bottom of the box. I felt it was such a shame not to be able to wear these pieces that meant so much to me for sentimental reasons. One day, I decided I would repair the broken necklaces so that I could wear grandma's things. From there the idea grew to start designing necklaces with a vintage flair. I decided to incorporate vintage beads into my own designs. Once I made a few pieces I was hooked and knew this was what I wanted to do!

What inspires your work? Describe your creative process.

I am inspired in a lot of different ways: fashion, colors in nature, period costumes, art... Usually, an idea for a piece will pop into my head and I'll try to sketch it out on a piece of paper until I can create the piece. Sometimes, I'll just look at the different materials I use and get an idea of how to put them together. I love to incorporate pearls into my work. I am smitten by the feel of the vintage elements I use; their details, the quality, the difference in colors from new materials...

What are your goals for your shop?

I want to add more & more pieces to my shop and hope to get more business. Who knows maybe someday I can do this full time?

What do you do when your not creating?

When I'm not creating I keep very busy with my children, work, home life, and trying to enjoy a few things I like to do to relax.

What brought you to Etsy? Do you sell anywhere else?

I came to Etsy because it is specifically geared towards handcrafted items. I have some of my items on Artfire as well.

Where can we find you online?

I am on Myspace, Facebook, Vintage Rising, Indiepublic & some others.
What is the most important lesson you have learned through selling your work on Etsy?

To be persistent and hang in there. It takes time to build up a customer base.


Anything else you would like us to know about you?

I have always been drawn to things from the past. It is fascinating to me to think who the items might have belonged to and what their story is.
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See more from Vintage Designs

Weekend Deals

This weekend August 21-23, I am offering Free International Shipping on any purchase of $25 or more (before shipping charges). Shipping costs will be refunded via Paypal as soon as your order is received.

Here are some of my newest designs:
Beach Roses Sea Glass Pendant


Golden Olives Layering Necklace

Behind The Art Monday

Today's interview is with Leeya Engel from Modi'in, Israel. Her shop is called Leeya and features fimo clay jewelry and singed organza blossom accessories. Leeya tells us, "I have always and will always love experimenting with crafts and new materials."

What inspires your work? Describe your creative process and tell us about your favorite materials to work with.

I love the way that the organza changes shape during the singeing process. I love making tiny precious details and setting crystals into my fimo creations. I love when something turns out evem more beautiful than I had planned. I love when things turn out beautiful without my having planned.
What are your goals for your Etsy shop?

My goal for my shop besides for having it cover the expenses of he materials I am always inevitably buying from various craft shops is to have an outlet for my designs. If I have a whole bunch of stuff I have made at home then I have no reason to make more. If the stuff starts selling then I have a reason to continue crafting and a justification for what I love to do.

What do you do when you're not crafting? Any favorite hobbies?

When I am not crafting I am probably doing homework or preparing for a lab or hanging with my hubby. I am pursuing a masters in Materials Science and Engineering. In addition to crafting, I like to paint while listening to soft music and to write poetry.

How did you come to Etsy? Do you sell anywhere else?

A friend of mine turned me on to etsy one day and since then I've been hooked (serious spend-too-much-time-on-etsy-anonymous). I also sell my fimo earrings and rings in a local store.

Where can we find you online?

I twitter (LeeyaEngel) I facebook (Leeya Engel) and I have a craft blog where I talk about my work: http://LeeyaEngel.blogspot.com
What is your favorite item in your shop?

It's tough to pick a favorite item...I'd have to say these days its my Cherry Lover Earrings
What is the most valuable thing you have learned from your art and being an Etsy seller?

Great question. I have learned so many things. First of all I believe that by selling in a community like etsy I have been able to compare my items to those of others which helps with pricing and uniqueness. I find it so inspiring to admire the work of other crafters. My photography and photoshop skills have improved dramatically. I have also learned that creating an online presence and personality is an important thing and that it is something that you really need to build over time.

I hope that you enjoy etsy as much as I do! Happy crafting, shopping, and wearing :)
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See more from Leeya at her Etsy shop

Weekend Deals

I will be moving from Maine to Oregon September 1st so I am offering great deals this month. Every weekend will be a new special. Here's this week's:

Friday, Saturday and Sunday, August 14-16, ALL EARRINGS are Buy 2, Get 1 Free. The lowest priced pair will be free. Please add only 2 pairs to your cart and indicate your free pair in the notes to seller section during checkout.

Shop Oceanside Creations

Behind The Art Monday

Today's featured artist is Beth Reiman from BPR Designs. Beth lives in Portland, Oregon and does beautiful kiln fired glass work, making soap dishes, pendants, wine bottle cheese plates, vases, bowls and more. Beth says, "I have always loved glass and a few years ago I decided to take a couple of fused glass classes locally. I was hooked at once!"

I hope you will take a moment to get to know Beth and peek into her wonderful shop.



What inspires your work?

I think the colors in nature inspire a lot of my work. I love the outdoors and gardening. I think that is why you see so much green and blue in my shop. But I really love all color! When I am creating a functional piece (like a plate or bowl), I try to think of how and where I might use it to determine the design. I generally create to my own taste, although I often accept commission work of a particular style or color that I might not normally do on my own. The great thing is that often drives me to something new that I haven't tried before and it opens up my horizons! The primary material I use is fusible art glass, generally Bullseye, which is manufactured here in Portland.

What are your goals for your shop?

The primary goal that I have for my shop is to grow my business consistently and maintain a base of satisfied customers who love my glass pieces as much as I do, and will return to shop with me again!

What are your hobbies when you ae not creating?

When I am not in my glass shop, I like to garden, cook, travel, kayak or sip some wine on my deck! I think that my flower garden is my second favorite creative activity. I keep stealing lawn space to put in more dahlias!

How did you come to sell on Etsy? Do you sell anywhere else?

I first was referred to Etsy by a friend when we were looking for a wedding gift for a mutual friend. I couldn't believe how many great shops were out there! It seemed like a great community to sell in, once I decided to try to sell my work. I also do some art fairs locally.

Where can we find you online?

You can find me Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/BPR-Designs/82999911944 I am still "Twitter-free!"

What is your favorite piece in your shop?

My current favorite in my shop is my Galaxy bowl:

What is the most valuable lesson you have learned from creating and selling on Etsy?

The most valuable thing I have learned from my art and being an Etsy seller is the incredible power of networking. It is amazing how things catch on when you start connecting with others.

See more from Beth in her Etsy shop

New Favorites

I just listed this Wire Wrapped Freshwater Pearl Bracelet and it's my new favorite in my shop. I love pearls. They are beautiful in such a simple way. This bracelet would look spectacular with the matching Freshwater Pearl Necklace and Earrings set.

See something you like? Click on the pictures to link to my shop.

Weekend Deals

This weekend, Saturday August 8 and Sunday August 9, receive free shipping to US/Canada on any purchase. Your shipping charges will be refunded via paypal. Happy shopping!