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Thursday, February 14, 2008

Featuring... Elektrajewelry


Dina Cuomo -
I have been passionate about jewelry all my life. At the age of 15, I traveled to Greece for the first time and fell madly in love with 18k and 24k gold. The warm, rich color of this gold enhanced the stones and settings of each beautiful design. The fact that gold was so reasonable in Greece at that time allowed me to bring back amazing trinkets for my closest friends. I returned from my trip with scarab rings, filigree pendants and all sorts of interesting designs that thrilled each of the recipients. For years, I wore gold jewelry until discovering that silver was equally lovely and complimented some of my favorite stones better than gold. I guess the seeds were planted early on and my first real attempt at jewelry design happened on a ski vacation. I decided to take a jewelry workshop on one particularly cold morning and loved the results.

I am a sparkle freak. Things that shimmer and shine have always attracted me. As a child, I glittered everything I could get my hands on and always left a trail of glitter behind me. My love of sparkle only intensified when I started to wear and admire jewelry. My exposure to Greek artisan jewelers from a very young age and my Greek background have influenced my love of 18k and 24k gold and my choice to work with gold vermeil. (24k gold layered over sterling silver) I chose the name Elektra for my shop because it means bright and shining. I make one of a kind jewelry pieces to accommodate many different styles and fashion trends. My time and energy is devoted to creating pieces that can be worn and enjoyed for years to come.
I love to work with gold vermeil, Bali sterling silver, semi-precious stones and vintage glass beads. Lampwork beads and Venetian Murano glass have become some of my favorite materials. The colors of these beautiful Venetian beads are so exceptional, they add another dimension to my jewelry.

http://Elektrajewelry.etsy.com
http://elektrajewelry.blogspot.com

EtsyMom Spring Contest

Spring Bouquet
I love Spring. It is my favorite season, with the anticipation of warm weather, camping and being outside. And the flowers! Sigh.
This pendant was made with a glass lampwork bead as the focal point, with gunmetal copper wire and buttons to add the accents.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Featuring... Anne Dundas


Hi! From Sydney, Australia!!

I have been creating jewellery since early 2004. It quickly became a passion which helped fill the time while caring for my mum who has MS.

Jewellery then lead me to the wonderful world of lampwork beads. Yet another way to play with colours. It's such a thrill to play with molten glass watching it flow and form beautiful objects.

I also spend my time designing business cards, etc for other jewellery designers. If you'd like to check them out, you can find my designs at: www.annedundas.com/graphics

My Blog: www.annedundas.com/blog

Monday, February 11, 2008

Featuring... ARoseByName


Anna is a self-employed wife and mother of two teenage daughters. She enjoys beading and finds that it is her therapy for stress!

She and her daughters and first tried beading many years ago. Over the years, the beads have gotten smaller and the designs more intricate. Although her girls no longer bead, they enjoy wearing the pieces that she has created.

http://arosebyname.etsy.com
http://arosebyname.blogspot.com

Friday, February 08, 2008

Featuring... soandsewcrafty


Karen Copland is a wife and mother of four. She loves taking fabric and turning it into something beautiful and useful.

"Sewing is my passion! I've been sewing for family, friends & customers for over 30 years! I take great pride in the items that I make."

SoandSewCrafty is a great shop! There are some great items to check out. She loves to do custom orders, so if you don't see something just like what you have in mind, just convo her and you can work together to create your dream!

http://soandsewcrafty.etsy.com
http://soandsewcrafty.blogspot.com

Thursday, February 07, 2008

Featuring... ThatsHeadley


That's Headley! Jewelry Designs is about a journey in wearable art in semiprecious gemstones, wire, and glass. Color, texture, balance, and richness are my design goals. I've been "beading" since junior high, and for the last couple of years have expanded my use of wire wrapping. I've also added silversmithing to my techniques. Silver is always bona fide sterling at the least, and sometimes fine (99.9% pure) silver.

I rarely make two pieces alike, because I like to have fun wearing jewelry, and seeing myself coming and going is not fun! Sometimes, though, when something comes out especially wonderful, I might make just a few to share the fun. I love to do custom work, too, so if you have something inspirational you would like to have a custom piece to wear with or to, send me a picture or description of what you would like, and we can be creative together!

My blog, where I put my newest creations and comment on life, the creative process, and other fabulous Etsy artists can be found at http://thatsheadley.blogspot.com

http://Thatsheadley.etsy.com
http://thatsheadley.blogspot.com

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Featuring... Yaslani


I was born and raised on the Jersey Shore and then moved to Los Angeles where I studied Fine Art -Painting at Otis Art Institute. Before long I found myself back in New Jersey where I detoured from art for a while and settled into a normal life fully stocked with a corporate job. Turns out normal isn’t for me. Making things is an addiction. A packrat by nature, I believe all items have a second life and I love using recycled items and supplies that are gentle to the environment.

My work consists of bamboo pendants and mixed media paintings. I use found objects, bamboo, ephemera, old paper, acrylic, goauche, pencils, pens, ink, glitter… and anything else within my grasp. I’m influenced by pop culture, color, music, animals, fashion, movies, magazines and too many artists to mention. There are no heavy messages in my work. I consider my art to be an aesthetic conversation. A lovely chat between friends sometimes relaying a story or an inside joke. The only judgement I make with my art is “am I feeling this or not.” The “not” pile gets recycled for another day.

Yaslani is the brainchild for all my creative outlets. There is so much more I plan to do. There are so many more beautiful conversations I plan to have and I’m still planning my escape from normal. Stay tuned.

New Blog

Up until now, I have done the majority of my posting on a different site. Thumbelina Creations is now moving over to this blog, due to ease of use and appearance. To get any past blogs and information, I will keep that site up for a while.