Front Page of Etsy

The gorgeous Gossamer Earring Studs that I listed last week made it to the front page of Etsy today! I can't tell you how excited I am! I'm excited because I've been on Etsy almost five years now and I've never been on the front page.

Ironically, earlier this month Etsy was doing a Weekend Deals promotion and one of my items was handpicked to be featured in that showcase as well.

That's all I have to say today. I'm just thankful...

Trading

I'm still reeling from the most exciting weekend I've ever had in cyberspace. If you know me well, you know that I love to trade. If you've got something I can use (whether it be a product or a service), I'm probably game for trading you something from my stash. In fact, I love trading so much that I joined an Etsy Team all about trading. Don't laugh, I'm not kidding.

Every few months, all of these crafty people get together and designate a weekend as an official trading weekend. During that weekend, the people in the group contact other people in the group and try to establish a trade. Trades are to be fair and are to be equal in price. You give something, you get something. That's precisely what I did all weekend long. I traded. I traded. And then I traded some more. I racked up a whopping 29 trades when Monday evening came rolling in. There were some shops that traded a modest amount of 3 trades and there were some shops that traded a grand total of 54 trades. There were prizes for those that traded the most.

I have to admit, I was a little nervous about what my husband would think about all of my trades. I am pleased to report, though, that he was a huge supporter. I seriously think I took care of every woman in the family for Christmas. I can't guarantee that the gentlemen will have the same fun that the ladies will, but I think they'll survive. I even traded a few things for my husband to give me for Christmas.

After it was all said and done, I am pleased to say that I've gathered together some encouragement and inspiration for the future of my shops and my jewelry. It's always funny how someone's handmade soap can plant a seed of creativity for a piece of jewelry. In the following days, I hope to begin posting new work that can be directly linked to this weekend.

In the meantime, if you have an Etsy shop and you'd like to join the trade team, let me know and I'll give you the details. The more the merrier!!!

Front Page - Oct 1

Here is my 2nd time on the front page and the first time with my gossamer earrings. You'll see my 3rd front page appearance over to the right with the romantic treasury in blues. I heart Etsy.

Material Girl

A few mornings ago, I awoke to a delicate idea swirling through my head. It was demure and transparent and blissful. I had seen a partial picture of an ethereal pair of earrings made of the white organza left over from the detailing of my wedding dress.

When I actually got out of bed that morning, I made myself some coffee and set to work playing and playing and playing with that organza. I rolled it this way. I rolled it that way. I thought it was too big and then I thought it was too small. Then, in a moment, I saw the physical reproduction of my vision from earlier that morning. They were perfect. They were small enough that they would not be overbearing and large enough that they still would demand respect from any fashion loving individual.

I'm very pleased with the outcome of the earrings. Not surprisingly, it has also inspired me to consider other pieces incorporating strategically gathered and placed textiles. For those that appreciate jewelry in general, you might wear them for a while and then move on to the next lovely thing. But for those that know the secret of appreciating a well made article of clothing (it's all in the fabric), you might be enamored.

We'll see what comes of these inspired musings for the future, but in the meantime... enjoy the airiness of these lovely stud earrings.

Aquamarine = Happy Marriage

I was reading about Aquamarine today online and discovered the most interesting thing. Supposedly this stone was known in ancient cultures to be a soothing stone. It was also an ideal wedding gift as it would ensure a long and happy marriage.

I find this very interesting because aquamarine is the stone that I chose for my engagement ring as well as my wedding band. It also happens to be one of my favorite stones to work with when I design jewelry.

It's funny how these things happen, hmmmm???

Read more about Aquamarine here - http://tinyurl.com/y9oz5jk