CryztalVisions

Beth Alexander of Cryztalvisions specializes in unique and hard to find gemstones and crystals. She works with sterling and fine silver and 14/20 Gold-filled wire for the rich look you get from solid gold, but at an affordable price.

Growing up, she was strongly influenced by a whole extended family of artists, and by teachers who encouraged and nurtured her natural talent in the arts, and taught her about geology, gemstones, and crystals.

Her father was an accomplished artist and craftsman who taught art in the public school system for many years.

She is excited to learn new jewelry-making techniques all the time, and more recently has been learning about as well as implementing various healing energy arts such as Reiki, chakra balancing, Earth-based energy medicine, shamanic practices, and Angel Therapy.

Finding that she is spiritually perceptive, she melds this element of herself with her passion for gemstones, experience, and skill in crafting the items of jewelry that will be special conduits for good.

Beth loves nothing more than to be exhilarated by the creative process and is awed by how pieces seem to design themselves. She reports that each piece has its own unique energy that she can feel while she is creating it. On her other website she talks about Talismans and Amulets and the cultural transmission of the belief through the ages that such objects hold powers that cannot be fully explained nor understood by the usual earthly means.

It is very possible that man’s fascination with adornment is not merely a form of anthropomorphism, a type of projection of our own inner psychological processes onto inanimate objects, as critics suggest, but instead, a real glimpse into another level of communication with energies we have yet to fully comprehend. Can I prove this beyond a shadow of a doubt? No, but it bears some looking into, having survived the test of time persisting on in an age of advanced science and technology.

Check out her Etsy store at: http://cryztalvisions.etsy.com. Also, see her other website at: http://www.CryZtalvisions.com and her blog: http://cryztalvisions.typepad.com/

Article written by Pippit.

KuddleBugz Threadz

Toni Anderson came to live in Alaska 13 years ago, and she and her boyfriend, a firefighter, moved from Kodiak to the North Pole 3 years ago. The area is not all that remote as one might imagine with the typical images conjured up most associated with the Alaskan wilderness of dog-powered mushing sleds and unpaved and rugged terrain, primitive housing, and trading posts cut off from the rest of the world, but nevertheless, shopping is very difficult, the town having only a few stores and no mall. For this reason many local people buy online. There are only 2 stores that carry baby/maternity items in the Fairbanks area, the biggest neighboring town about 10 miles away with a population of about 30,000 people.

The inspiration for her business KuddleBugs Threads came from the seamstress’s two 15 month old twin daughters, Tori and Trista and a need among the local mothers for quality and selection in warm clothes for their children. At sub-zero temperatures the winters can get pretty brutal in Alaska and making her fleece baby accessories gets her through the long, dark days.

“Where I live the temperatures are very crazy” she exclaims. “The summers can get up to 80 or 90 degrees F and the winters plunge to -50 degrees Fahrenheit. We already have 5 inches of snow on the ground and the temperatures have been in the single digits! One of the things that are so interesting to me is the change in daylight hours. The summers get up to 21 hours of daylight on the longest day, where in the winter, the shortest day of the year has 2 hours 40 minutes of daylight!”

She buys most of her supplies nearby because she wants to support the local economy, and because the cost of shipping these materials to Alaska is too expensive.

Among the unique items she offers are infant car seat covers (a must-have in that bitter cold weather), booties, hats, and mittens made for Toddlers. These ice blue and white mittens will keep even the worst chill out of tiny hands.

Toni recently just finished a local show at the Ft. Wainwright Army Base, her first one and it was a lot of fun and a great success! Her boyfriend had to work that day so she just packed her two girls into the car and set out on the new adventure on her own. The experience went smoothly and she says the twins were a big help.

She has only been in business 1 month, so she is not sure whether or not there is a big tourist market for her items, but so far she has sold mostly to the locals out of her home.

These Disco Party Booties are one of the few items Toni carries made of lighter weight cotton. They sure aren’t that typical muted pastel you see in all the commercial stores.

One thing you'll really notice is all the unique and different fabric prints. The maker has chosen quite a selection of cloth that is anything but run-of-the-mill; some of it even comical. Check out this Monkeying Around car seat cover.

All items available through her Etsy online store are shipped Priority Mail and can take approximately 3-5 days for delivery. She ships on Thursdays, but if you need your piece sooner that may be prearranged. Toni ships her work worldwide by First Class mail.

If you’re looking for something specific she will accept custom orders. Please contact her through Etsy to let her know what colors and specifics you are looking for.

In addition to her finished babywear Toni also offers Gift Certificates!

Keep on the lookout for more of these creative items coming soon!

See her Etsy shop at:
http://KuddleBugzThreadz.etsy.com

And to stay updated on the artist check out her blog at:
http://kuddlebugzthreadz.blogspot.com

Article written by Pippit.

Coconut Palm Designs

You can tell that life is more laid back in this tropical oasis where Joanne resides, owner of Coconut Palm Designs, who specializes in signs made from Belizean hard or soft woods. Her shop on Etsy is peppered with images of relaxation such as these lush exotic wildflowers growing from within a central outpouring of thick, vigorous leaves.

Customers can order signs with any information they would like on them for example; name, city, or country. Colors and designs can be specified to the customer’s taste and needs. She also has non-custom signs in her Etsy store ready to ship to you right now. This artist guarantees quick, reliable service and quality products.

She also carries ACEOs done in a variety of mediums, each original art works, signed and dated on the back. They are drawn with colored pencil on watercolor paper, and measure 2.5” X 3.5”. The artist uses lots of vivid, primary colors in these small works of art.

Custom sign orders normally take 10-14 days to complete. After painting and carving the wood with a dremel, then filling in the recessed areas with more paint, her wood pieces are then sprayed with a clear protective finish in matte or gloss to seal out moisture and lengthen the life of the item.Generally it takes no more than another 14 days for it to reach its destination but the Belizean mail can sometimes be very slow.

Coconut Palm Designs accepts Paypal and Setcom as payment options. For those who would like to pay through Setcom, once the purchase is complete, she will email the buyer a "Buy Now" button that leads to the secure Setcom site where the transaction is completed.

To see more of Joanne’s work take a look at her Etsy store at: Coconut Palm Designs and to learn more about the artist see her blog at: Coconut Palm Designs Blog.

Article written by Pippit.

Staci Rose Designs

Staci Rose of Staci Rose Designs has had an affinity for the arts since she was five years old. She has lived in San Francisco for the last 10 years while developing herself as a self-taught artist and musician.

The artist creates items in a number of areas including jewelry, home décor, Judaica, oil painting and ceramics, all of which are decidedly different. Among the styles of jewelry she makes are beaded designs, chain and wire-wrapped and also has some polymer clay pendants.

Pangea Russian and Brazillian Amazonite Gemstone Earrings feature Russian amazonite puff cylinders and Brazilian amazonite faceted rounds. 1-1/3", and surgical steel ear hooks. These retail for $10.99, a very good price by the way. I believe only the hooks are base metal and the wire and head pins are sterling. She uses surgical steel earwires because they're hypoallergenic and she finds many of her customers have allergies to nickel, gold and sterling silver used in most earwires. The combination of the shapes and the two different shades of darker and lighter green really make these unique and exhilarating!

Chocolate Blush is a gorgeous double-strand combination of Zebra Jasper, Pink Opal, and Chrysanthemum stone. This necklace truly reminds me of a Neapolitan hot fudge sundae. Its creamy strawberry pinks and shades of chocolate brown seem to mix and run into one another. This piece would be hard to pass up. You won’t want to take it off at the end of the day. It’s just that luscious!

Staci believes that each piece she creates is predestined for a particular individual.

She’s a Certified Member of EBSQ Self-Representing Artists and a proud member of Worldwide Women Artists, an international collective of women artists showing and selling our work online.

Staci welcomes custom orders. Contact her with all special requests at stacirosedesigns@yahoo.com and be sure to tell her you heard about her through The 90 Day Challenge!

Her work is sold in galleries and boutiques in Canada and in the San Francisco Bay area in the U.S. To check out more of her online collection or to purchase these go to: Staci Rose Designs. Or to learn more about the artist go to her blog: Staci Rose Designs Blog.

Article written by Pippit.

Blue Baby

The artist behind Bluebaby, known only as Amanda creates primarily crocheted amigarumi dolls and other crocheted items. She also carries a few pieces of jewelry.

“My usual screen name is briensbaby” says Amanda, “(Brien being my hubby's name) but I wanted to do something different for my Etsy shop. Blue is my favorite color, so i just stuck that in place of 'brien' and voila! bluebaby was born!”

Blue Baby is all about creating things that are beautiful and unique, just like the people who bring them home!

My shop is filled with a variety of crocheted items and more, with new things added all the time, so be sure to check in often!! You're sure to find something special!

She makes a variety of styles of hats that are both stylish and comfortable.

Etsy is the first venue where she has ever tried to sell her work. In the past she has given her items away to family members as presents, but now that her husband is the only one working outside the home she is using her talents to make some money on the side.

Amanda makes her items the best way she knows how, and devotes lots of hard work, concentration, and faith to each one in hopes her work will pay off.

Watch her Etsy store for more winterwear and afghans this holiday season.
Find more at: Blue Baby.
To learn more about the artist read her blog Blue Baby Homemade Gifts.

Article written by Pippit.

SALE SALE SALE

Don't forget my sale on crystal bracelets in my Etsy shop!

A Rose By Name!

Entyqua

Becki Rasmussen of Entyqua (Becki’s Designs) located in Salt Lake City, Utah offers unique jewelry, hand-painted jewelry boxes, greeting cards, and various paper crafts.

Entyqua is the name of the main charactor in a story Becki wrote in High School. She uses the name for alot of things!

She started making jewelry 5 years ago, when she first decided to be a stay at home mom looking for something to do, she purchased an earring kit, and started turning them out studiously over a period of several weeks. This spurred her to explore jewelry-making further and after visiting a bead shop she was completely smitten. She expanded her collection to include bracelets and necklaces as well, and then ended up on Etsy to sell her wares.

Becki spends at least 20 hours a week working on her business, and although she’s self-taught plans to take some silversmithing classes next year, and will also take up sewing again.

Becki’s favorite materials are wood and gemstones, and she also loves the look of pearls and uses both genuine freshwater pearls and faux pearls in her one of a kind jewelry. She becomes very attached to her creations, saying a little goodbye to each as it sells; to her each one is like a child that grows up and leaves the nest.

Becki says that her jewelry seems to sell best in-person but the cards and jewely boxes sell best on Etsy. In the past she has had her work in a local store, and the most expensive piece she has sold was for $50.00.

Her husband has been very supportive of her doing this work, and so has her extended family, many of whom also have Etsy shops themselves.

In preparation for the holidays she is going to offer Holiday tags, holiday cards, clothing, hair accessories, original art work. She is going to open up another Etsy shop to separate her hobbies. Keep an eye out for Becki’s line of clothing coming soon.

Becki enjoys creating custom orders, ships internationally, and accepts PayPal, checks, and money orders.

Check out all her gift items this holiday season at: Entyqua. Her blog: Becki's Designs.

Article written by Pippit.

Shoozles

I absolutely love fused glass and dichroic glass pendants. I really need to come up with a necklace style to showcase these beautiful pendants! Michelle ("Shoozles") work is gorgeous and I would love to feature her work in my pieces along with some of the other talented glass jewelry artists on Etsy, if only I could come up with something worthy of this talented group!

This piece (above) is called "Painted Middle" and it's a beautiful mix of fall colors. It has a silver-plated bail and measures 34mm X 209mm including the bail.

Here is what Michelle says about herself in her profile:

I'm Shoozles, it's a nick name that goes way back and stuck with me so now it is my company name. I am an artist/jewelry maker, former graphic designer mother of triplets. I have made all kinds of jewelry for over 18 years now, clay, poly clay, paper, plastic that includes shrink plastic and the friendly plastic kind but nothing compares to fusing glass.

Of the 18 years in jewelry I have fused glass for 8 of those years now. My fusing anniversary just came up HA! I never get tired of creating ART for people to wear, just makes me happy. If you asked me what my greatest job has ever been I would tell you it is being a mom to my 3, 12 yr old boys. They are the reason I work from my home now and gave up that high pressure advertising and design job :) No regrets I tell ya!

I did ebay for over 4 years and I am proud to say I have 100% feedback, but I am glad I have ebay behind me and have found a place here that loves the artist in me.

This gorgeous piece is called "Within" and I love the deep blue and copper colors of this pendant. The sterling silver bail is handmade by Michelle and the pendant measures 30mm X 27mm including the bail and would be gorgeous on a simple cord or chain, but would sing as the centerpiece of a beaded strand necklace!

All of Michelle's pieces are annealled (cooled slowly) for durability. She has been with Etsy for over a year and a half and has had a lot of success. The reason for her success shows in each and every piece she's created!

Check out all her pieces in her Etsy shop Shoozles. And find out more about Michelle and what else she may be up to through her blog Shoozles - Creativity Served Daily.

Elektra Jewelry

Dina Cuomo of Elektrajewelry has worked with stones for over 10 years and loves working with 18 or 24 Kt. gold vermeil because of her Greek heritage and her travels to that country which have made a strong impression upon her. She also works with sterling silver, and recently brought back some Murano glass beads from Greece over the summer. She will be making more of these designs available in the near future.

This gorgeous piece she created is Multicolored Tourmaline Bracelet with colors ranging from a rootbeer brown to a yellow-green, bali sterling silver clasp, and nugget spacer beads with facets that reflect the light and mimic the faceting on the gemstones used. The findings and multi-layered strands give this piece an almost ancient Greek appearance...like a hidden treasure found.

This almost 20” necklace matches the Rings of Saturn earrings in Dina's shop. It is fashioned with dazzling genuine Murano sterling silver lined beads, swarovski capri blue bicones and sterling silver Balinese beads. Each of these lovely beads is hand wrapped by Dina and added to a .925 sterling silver chain. I love the brightness of this piece.

Now these earrings are my favorite and made with exquisite Murano glass handmade beads. They hang about 2 and 3/4 " long and are designed with pure silver lined cubes straight from Venice. The soft pink color is topped with tiny czech beads that sparkle like black diamonds. Sterling silver ear wires and bali beads frame this lovely set of earrings.

Until recently, being a fulltime teacher and mother prevented her from pursuing this full-time, but Dina has now launched her business full-force. She currently lives in Goldens Bridge, New York. To see her whole collection go to her Etsy store at:
http://Elektrajewelry.etsy.com and to learn more about the artist, read her blog at: http://elektrajewelry.blogspot.com/

Article based on post by Pippit.

SALE SALE SALE

I've decided that I need to clean out my shop to make room for new pieces. I have put most of my crystal bracelets on sale. The original prices were $15 to $25 and are now $10.50 to $20. They are nice little bracelets that will add sparkle to any outfit. I hope you stop by and check them out and maybe even buy them!

This bracelet "Elizabethan Beauty" was originally $25 and is now on sale for $20!


A Rose By Name Etsy shop.

Adornments by BJ

BJ Rounds of Adornmemtsbybj started out working in Stained Glass but began making jewelry about a year and a half ago when she moved to Franklin Tennessee. She has a very unusual style, combining such materials as stones with wood, and shells with vintage jewelry components, pearls with large facetted crystal.

"Larimar Reflection of the Caribbean" combines large tumbled chunks of Larimar with Vintage oxidized brass, creating a lovely elegant filigreed look. Larimar is a collectible stone because it is found in only one place in the world, unlike most other stones. Beads like the ones pictured here are getting increasingly rare because so much material is lost in the cutting process for beads that those who work with the rough stone would rather turn it into cabochons to set in bezels.

"Nature’s Best" is made of carved bone pipes, Golden Jasper, and Tibetan Turquoise beads, and is triple-strand. It has a distinctly Native American feel to it. The necklace has all sterling silver findings.

"A Rose is A Rose" (pictured below) is beautifully wrapped with sterling silver wire and uses tumbled nuggets of Rose Quartz, iridescent glass accent beads, and sterling silver lacy bead caps and clasp. She has really hit the nail on the head with this one!

Most of her pieces are made in sets of necklace and earrings together, but some include matching bracelets. She offers to make matching bracelets for those sets that do not already include them if a customer requests.

BJ’s belief is that jewelry is chosen subconsciously and reflects one’s personality or even one’s soul. Be sure Adornmentsbybj is on your list of sites to shop at this holiday season http://Adornmentsbybj.etsy.com and see her blog at: http://bjadornments.blogspot.com

Article based on post by Pippit.

Anne Dundas

Anne Dundas is from Sydney, Australia and has been making jewelry since 2004. She started as a way to fill her time while caring for her mother with MS and then developed an interest in lampwork bead-making. She loves working with glass and playing with the colors, watching it melt before her very eyes, then shaping it into solid objects of beauty, and value to others.

Anne also designs business cards for other artist, something she started when somebody asked her opinion on their design. She played around with the graphics and found that she had talent in that area as well as in bead and jewelry design. See her graphics at: www.annedundas.com/graphics

The bracelet pictured above, "Royal Desire", won first place in the metalwork category of the Arts Competition at the Sydney Royal Easter Show. It is an unusual mix of chainmaille and Austrian crystal bicone beads. This particular weave looks almost like knitting.

To the left are Anne's "Adrienne's Dream" lampwork beads and they are gorgeous! Multiple tones of swirling blues and greens give the impression of water in motion within each bead. They are lentil in shape and are 21mm across and 12mm thick and come as a set of four.

These beauties to the right, "Inanna - Sumarian Queen of Heaven", have central vortexes that spins out to spread pinwheels of color widening out as the reach the outer edges, somewhat flat on two sides but edged with tiny dots of glass. These also have pink accent beads that come with the set, but they have 10 of her lampwork beads.

If you would like quality and unusual glass beads and/or jewelry you should really keep an eye on her whole collection at http://annedundas.etsy.com/
To learn more about what’s new with the artist be sure to read her blog and sign up for her newsletter at www.annedundas.com/blog/

Article based on the post by Pippit.

Mixed Media Art by Paulette Insall

"Like many other artists, Paulette has been creative from a very young age. From making knotted bracelets and hair accessories as a child to taking photos for her high school year book when she was older. She never thought of herself as an artist until a few years ago. For many years she dreamed of painting, but could never bring herself to pick up a paint brush until October of 2006. That's when her love of creating stories with paint and paper began.

These days when she’s not busy entertaining her very busy four year old son, you will find her stealing any moment she can in her home studio pouring her thoughts and emotions out into the visual stories she creates through her art."

Each work of art has it's own story and here is the story behind this piece:

"A Waking Dream"
An original poem by Paulette Insall

She was roused from her waking dream by wings a-flutter,

the path now so clear before her,
............the transformation underway.
..................the discovery of part of herself that had always been....

Waiting...
............to awaken
................to bloom
....................to soar.

Choosing...
............to let go
................to give in
....................to breathe.

Her purpose was clear, her heart.......at peace.

"My art is about the search for connection…to self, to like minded spirits, to family, and to God. Most of my work depicts a sole woman because these are the stories of my own personal search and the emotions they invoke within my soul. My hope is that the visual stories I create with my art touch people from all walks of life and let them know that they are not alone…and find comfort in that knowing."

She is also a proud member of the following Etsy street teams:

VAST (Visual Artists Street Team)
http://team.etsy.com/profilest/vast.shtml

EtsyMom Street Team
http://team.etsy.com/profilest/moms.shtml

PDX Etsy Street Team
http://team.etsy.com/profilest/or.shtml

Etsy Bloggers Street Team
http://team.etsy.com/profilest/bloggies.shtml


You can find wonderful prints at her Etsy shop:
Mixed Media Art by Paulette Insall
Her website: http://www.pauletteinsall.com
Her blog: http://www.pauletteinsall.com/blog

Article based on post by Pippit.

Jewelry by Linda

Impressive and intricate are the words that come to mind when looking at the works of jewelry artist and author Linda Chandler. Her style is reminiscent of ancient Egyptian adornment, much of it, museum-quality with its fine detail, high karat gold, sterling and fine silver, with some pieces encrusted with jewels.

Linda has been making jewelry for over 20 years and has studied at Arrowmount, the Midwest Federation, Metalsmithing Society in Illinois, the Gemological Institute (GIA), Indianapolis Art Center, The William Holland School of Lapidary Arts and, has taught and taken classes at (SFMS) Wildacres Retreat in North Carolina.

She has taught classes both locally and nationally in a variety of jewelry-making techniques, including wire-wrapping and weaving, metalsmithing, and glass fusing. Linda is certified as a PMC (Precious Metal Clay) and Art Clay teacher.

She has developed and refined a number of original wire-weaving techniques of which she sells tutorials on her free-standing website, which is also where you can see much of her best work. She also has an online store on Etsy.

Her work appears in several publications, including The Wire Artist Jeweller Magazine, in which she was the featured artist of the month (November, 1999). Her work has also been included in the published book, All Wire Up by Mark Lareau. Linda co-authored books Woven Wire Jewelry and Getting Started Making Jewelry, and created the jewelry used for display and instruction. She also holds a degree in computer graphics.

As we speak, the artist is currently teaching Intermediate to Advanced Metalsmithing at William Holland (in October 2007).

In 2008 Linda will be publishing her third book on wire jewelry through Interweave Press which will include approximately 10 beginning to intermediate projects; bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and a pendant, made with silver and gold-filled wire, some with a variety of findings and semi-precious gemstones.

Linda also belongs to The Art Jewelry Collective.

To purchase exquisite hand-woven wire and fabricated jewelry, check out both of her online stores at:
http://lchandler.etsy.com/
http://jewelrybylinda.com/index.html
and to learn more about the artist, see her blog below:
http://lchandler.blogspot.com/

Article written by Pippit.

So And Sew Crafty

Soandsewcrafty is a small craft business whose owner, Opp, Alabama native Karen Copeland, stitches a variety of interesting homespun items, with a sense of humor and playfulness. Among the many items she makes are costumes for pets (like this pumpkin outfit from which her orange tabby peaks out from over its shoulder to see who might be staring), The lovely handbags:

the stuffed animals:

Not to mention bibs & burpie sets, dolls, quilts, blankets, clothing and accessories.

Karen describes how she was introduced to needle and thread. “I have been sewing for almost as long as I can remember. My mother and her mother were talented seamstresses, painters....just plain "crafty" people, and I suppose I inherited that from them! And believe me I am thankful to them for that!”

Four years ago a car accident left Karen permanently disabled with a broken leg that never quite healed. In constant pain, she is unable to sit or stand for lengths of time, so opening an online store on Etsy gave her the venue she needed to make some extra money to supplement her monthly disability check, and the impetus to clear out a lot of the fabric she’d been hoarding for years. Like most artists, she loves her supplies and relishes going out to buy more whenever she can.

Her sewing gives her a sense of purpose and accomplishment, and when she’s immersed in transforming fabric into something useful or fun, she can forget about the stresses of life for awhile and enjoy the process.

You can find heartwarming gifts for everyone in the family and friends too at http://soandsewcrafty.etsy.com/ and to learn more about the artist behind Soandsewcrafty, take a look at her blogs: http://www.soandsewcrafty.blogspot.com/ http://www.myspace.com/soandsewcrafty

Article written by Pippit.

K by Kareen

Kareen Kjelstrom currently living in Paris, France, spent summers in Tahiti (where her mother is from) while growing up in LA. Many of her pieces of jewelry include blues and greens, influenced by the intensity of the ocean colors in that tropical paradise.

She creates her own beads with a high temperature propane/oxygen torch and fine Italian (Effetre) glass, then uses them in hand created sterling silver pieces. All her beads are made free-hand, without a mold and are kiln fired for strength and durability.

Kareen’s triangular SeaSide Swankier Earrings with rounded corners include hand-formed and hammered sterling wire, with chain dangling glass beads, Labradorite and Aquamarine accents, and a special by Kareen hallmark tag. They have a lovely modern shape.
Her Purple Haze Bracelet looks almost like hard candy; flat oval lentil beads with swirls of purple and creamy white streaks giving the piece depth and dimension.
Many of the bands of color used in her handmade beads swirl around and around, creating the effect of movement almost like the winding of cotton candy around the center in one direction, or like a subtle cyclone, soft and billowy, sometimes breaking up in wisps which stop and start, at other times in wide continuous patches.
Prior to leaving Santa Monica, Kareen’s jewelry was featured on HGTV's Crafters Coast to Coast.

Since moving to Paris she has also exhibited her work at the Louvre and is trying to break into the scene and make a name for herself there.You will find these a delight to the senses.

To see her full collection go to http://kbykareen.etsy.com/ and if you’d like to know more check out her blog at: http://kbykareen.blogspot.com/

Article written by Pippit.

Lunachick

Abbi Caricco of Lunachick Designs specializes in chainmaille and sterling silver wirework designs with gemstone accents. She always looks for the most unique and unusual gemstones she can find to make her pieces even more original. Each of her designs combines quality materials, including natural gems, precious metals, crystal and organics such as pearls, amber and shell, to make for a truly unique wearing experience.

Chainmaille amazes me. I sometimes struggle with the jumprings on my bracelets and yet Abbi and artisans like her create the most beautiful pieces with a simple set of pliers and jump rings! Yet there is really nothing simple about any of it.

Take this piece which is in the Byzantine weave:

She also uses weaves such as European 4-in-1, Japanese Honeycomb or this piece in Full Persian:

And this necklace in which she created each clover by hand and added the beautiful stones to make her "Cerridwen Necklace" a truly one of a kind original.

Abbi uses a wide range of materials for jump rings including rubber, titanium, stainless steel, Aluminum, and Sterling Silver.

To see more of the artist’s work and treat yourself or someone else to a one of a kind treasure, go to her Etsy shop: Lunachick.

And to see what else she might be up to, don't forget to check out her blog: Lunachick Designs.

Giftbearer

This is Pippit Carlington in her owns words. I encourage you to check out her shops as well as her blog. Beautiful pieces in a wide range of styles and mediums.

Pippit Carlington has been creating art ever since she was old enough to pick up a paintbrush. At age 5 she was composing songs on the piano; teaching herself to play by ear. She often found herself re-designing things she saw around her, in 6th grade she constructed the class mascot; a 4 foot-tall owl sculpted out of paper mache, and in junior high she began selling various art items she had made.

Over the years Pippit went on to receive formal art training at Callenwolde Center for the Arts, The Atlanta College of Art, and Atlanta Jeweler's School and
Studios.

Pippit works in several mediums including acrylics, watercolor, drawing, clay sculpture, and jewelry. A multicultural influence is evident in her work reflecting a diverse heritage of Iroquois Indian, Hawaiian, Russian Jewish, and French Canadian. She is strongly influenced by nature, political and social issues, and uses her art to educate the public.

Two paintings from her September 11th Series appeared at a show on war at The Spruill Center Gallery. One of them titled, "It Makes You Realize What's Really Important", depicts a family comforting each other with an American flag in the background. The other shows the rescue effort at Ground Zero, "Amongst The Chaos". That series also included portraits of Osama Bin Laden and George W. Bush.

This series was really an exercise in patience and tolerance. It was a difficult subject matter, but I felt it was important to document this event in history so that hopefully people would never let this happen again. The portrait of Osama Bin Laden evoked such an emotional reaction that the gallery exhibiting it in Sautee, GA. had to take it down. The gallery-owner reported to me that people told her it was incredibly realistic and that was why people were so deeply affected by it on a visceral level.

One of the other paintings in the series, "Blessed Event" shows the resilient side of September 11th; the story of a woman who walked several miles after being separated from her car to the local emergency room to give birth to a healthy baby. Journalists had done an interview with the new mother and her husband for Time Magazine.

Greeting cards and bookmarks are available of some of these paintings.

Pippit has mentored artists with mental illness in a psychosocial rehabilitation program she developed called Artvision which she operated out of her home on a shoestring budget. The project was fully self-supporting, receiving no government funding.

Artists in the program received help and guidance in learning all aspects of how to run an art-based business. This prepared them to earn money using a talent they already have.

Pippit has become involved in a number of volunteer efforts including providing online support and treatment information to people with autoimmune diseases and has donated art items to benefit the survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

Pippit has sold and exhibited her art at the following stores/galleries:

Star Sapphire
Oz Gallery
Dragonfly Gallery
The Spruill Center Gallery
The Millennium Art Co-op
Anna's Wardrobe
Topaz Gallery
Squash Blossom
The Work of Our Hands
Simpsonwood Gift Shop
Creative Spirit Gallery

She has participated in the following art shows:

The Sandy Springs Festival
Annual GA. Microenterprise Network Conference
For Sisters Only
The Spring Fling at Simpsonwood
Sweet Auburn Festival
Inman Park Festival
Arts In The Garden
Goodwill Christmas Bazaar
United Way Christmas Art Show
AutumnFest

Pippit's creations can be found in two locations:
Her Etsy shop: Contemporary Tribal Giftbearer This is where you will find most of her original jewelry.
Her Smashing Darling shop: Giftbearer This is where you'll find her Rain Stick necklaces.
You can also find her at her blog: Art Life Newsblog.