Featured Artist: VanessaCavacoDesigns

Vintage Motif Sparkle Notecard
$1.85

Vanessa Cavaco has a way with the modern and funky, as can be seen with her fabulous designs. I know I'm awesome at repeating myself, but if I've said it once, I've said it a billion times "I loves me some sparkly". (hence "sparkly strandz"). I love this sparkly notecard found in her Etsy shop. I just might have to have one. And I'm the one in the family known for being anti-card. Maybe I'm getting soft in my ripe old age!

Her shop also has a collection of great labels and tags that you can have customized. I'm pretty sure I'll be stopping by to get something sassy for my earring and nursing necklace tins!

Here are a few other places on the web you can find Vanessa:
www.vanessacavacodesigns.com
www.bluesugarpress.com
www.nasteenotes.com

♥ BLOG:HTTP://PAPERCHICK.BLOGSPOT.COM

Featured Artist: Alternate Bliss

Alternate Bliss features a variety of mixed media art to hang on the wall or to wear. Right now she is focusing on making fine silver jewelry, Watercolors, and Art Charms featuring her artwork images. Currently she has two Etsy Shops. One for her art, and one for her charms.

In her Alternate Bliss shop (alternatebliss.etsy.com), you'll find her jewelry and art.

99 Red Balloon Earrings
$20

I've said over and over again that I am a child of the '80's, so how could I pass up featuring a darling pair of earrings called "99 Red Balloons". (aka 99 Luftballoons). This fine silver necklace and earring set was inspired by a combination of things:

The first is 1980’s protest song 99 red Balloons by Nena.
The second is the movie, “Le Ballon Rouge,” a short film directed by French film-maker Albert Lamorisse in 1956. This film follows the adventures of a young boy who finds a large, red balloon throughout the streets of Paris. In their wanderings around Paris, the young boy and the balloon encounter a gang of bullies, but tragedy is replaced by a magically happy ending.

This necklace and earring set feature features a hand sculpted cityscape with three city buildings and a red balloon made from sterling wire and red coral beads. I carved, sculpted, filed, sanded, and darkened this piece by hand.

Her second shop, Popblossom.etsy.com contains handmade charms that are a combination of graphic design, plastic, and resin.

Black and White Paris Ferris Wheel Pop
Blossom Charm Pendant
$4.00

This charm features a black and white image of a Ferris Wheel taken from a copywright free image and altered digitally. It is a combination of one of her graphic designs on plastic and sealed in a hard clear resin.

This is Charm 7 in Pop Blossoms Series 1 Charms.
Only 50 charms with this exact design will be produced.

Stop on by her shops for some Christmas shopping, and be sure to check out her blog as well.
(http://alternatebliss.blogspot.com)

Featured Artist: EarthCharms

Maiden No More-Carnelian and
tourmalated quartz choker
$24

EarthCharms offers jewelry and other accessories made with natural stones, adding a strong emphasis on the metaphysical properties of each stone. Wonderful for personal use or gifts, the items you buy here are intended to bring luck, health, and prosperity into your life!

Look at the beautiful necklace pictured above. This is an example of what you'll find in her shop. I love how she lists what the materials are and what they mean. For example, for the carnelian necklace:

-Carnelian - Find success.
Key words: Vitalization, capability.
Hardness: 7
Zodiac Signs: Taurus, Cancer, Leo
Numerology: 5 and 6
Chakras: Navel, solar plexus, heart

-Quartz - Amplify positive power.
Key words: Power, amplification, enhancement, luck.
Hardness: 7
Zodiac Signs: All
Numerology: 4
Chakras: All

-Tourmaline
Key words: Inspiration, balance
Hardness: 7 - 7.5
Zodiac: Libra
Numerology: 2
Chakra: All
Black Tourmaline/Schorl: Capricorn, 3, 4, dispel negativity

I always say I love beads and jewelry beyond just being "sparkly" because of their history and meaning, and she does a wonderful job of proving that.

I also love these earrings. They are made from shell and citrine. If you want to read about the properties of this item or these stones, you can visit her Etsy shop and read her listing!



Other places to find earthcharms:
blog: http://www.earth-charms.blogspot.com
site: http://www.stones.salyx.net

communities:
http://www.myspace.com/salyx/
http://etsylove.ning.com/profile/earthcharms
http://www.flickr.com/photos/80954354@N00/
http://picasaweb.google.com/salyxwoodbine/

Featured Artist: Mommy and Me Boutique

Cute and Fun Hostess Apron
$37

Today's featured artist is Corline. She is owner of Etsy shop MommyandmeBoutique.

She has a WONDERFUL selection of aprons such as the one above. What could be more fun than being the "bell of the ball" in your flirtatious fun hostess apron. The 5 tier apron has been co-ordinated in black and white prints and tied at the waist with black grosgrain ribbon that has long ties that can be tied in the front or in the back with a darling bow if desired. 100% designer cotton is used and the apron is machine washable, cool, and tumble or hang to dry. So fabulous.Boutique Toddler Skirt
$23

If her collections of adult and child aprons weren't cute enough, then there's skirts like these. I WISH I had seen this before my daughter's birthday party--it was a pink poodle/French theme and this would've been perfect.

So go check out her Etsy shop. And don't forget to check out her blog as well. You'll find all sorts of goodies such as adult/child aprons, baby items, blankets, amd more.

Featured Artist: Sweet Irie

Pecan Sundae Fling Bracelet
$45

Established in 2005, the Sweet Irie name came about from the newest addition to her family; her kitten, Irie. Her name means, supreme joy; quite fitting! She is the light of her life and the inspiration for her jewelry, as she likes to help her work! Although she admits Irie isn't much help. I know what she means, my cat Cheerio loves to sit on my desk while I work and just stares at me like beads and/or crochet is ancient Chinese kitty torture. Irie loves to play with the jewelry and balls of hemp she uses; stringing it all over the house (again, I understand b/c Cheerio carries around yarn like it's his baby). Needless to say, she now has her own stash of 'toys' lying around. Just as well, she has since moved on from making hemp jewelry and creates the beautiful handmade beaded designs you will see throughout her store.

Cherry Bomb Earrings

$25

Her jewelry is absolutely beautiful. Plus, she's having a mega sale right now. If you buy any two items, you get the third for FREE!! If that's not incentive to go check out her shop, I don't know what is.

If you want to check out more about the artist behind Sweet Irie, you can check out her blog at http://www.sweetirieoriginals.blogspot.com
or she can also be found on myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/shellmonster

She is a proud member Etsy FEST (Florida Etsy Street Team)and Etsy Bead Street Team! Please check out the blogs for these groups for information and events:

http://etsyfest.blogspot.com/
http://www.etsybeadstreet.blogspot.com/

Cascade - Staci Rose Wood Petersite Tigereye
Jasper Carnelian Aragonite Turquoise Peridot Earrings
$12.99

Staci was born in Portland, Oregon on February 4th in the middle of a blizzard and has been a force of nature ever since. She has been involved in the arts since she was five years old. She now lives in San Francisco and is busy expanding on her creativity. Staci is a self-taught artist and musician, and believes that every specially crafted piece she creates is intended for special individuals. I for one think that's important for an artist to feel that their vision for what they create is exactly what someone's looking for.

Check out the earrings above. They are absolutely beautiful for fall/winter with their rich colors. And at $12.99 they are very affordably priced as well.

Handle Me Gently - Staci Rose Handled Bowl
$28

She not only does jewelry, but her shop also contains items such as wine glass charms, Frames, paintings, and ceramic items such as this bowl. I wish I had the space and time to do ceramics. It always looks like such good therapy to be able to mold away and create something. Maybe I should do more polymer clay. You should go visit her shop for some great holiday gifts at reasonable prices. Don't forget to stop by her blog while you're browsing.

She is a proud member of:
WWAO - Worldwide Women's Art Organization
EBSQ - an art collective.