Focus on your ARTIBILITY!!!

When I set out to write this post, I already knew that I loved Anna's jewelry...and that I had a lot of respect for her for serving our country as a Marine.  I would have never guessed just how much admiration I would have for her after this post was done...
Let me state the obvious...she really REALLY makes beautiful jewelry...

Seriously, I could have filled up pages with the gorgeousness (is that a word??) in her shops!

BUT...did you know that some of the beautiful items she makes, are fundraisers that help kids with AUTISM, artists w/disabilities and to raise funds for our Marine Corps League!!  OR that her son, CJ, helps with the jewelry, has his own page on her shop AND..has obviously gotten his mothers gift of artistry..

Anna has several beautiful shops...one on Etsy, another one Artfire, another that is still under construction here, and my absolute favorite....This shop is so cool, because she shows personality for each style of her designs!!  What a brilliant idea!!

Here's just one of the many personalities...my personal favorite...Sabina..

I know it's tiny, but if you go here you can read it much better, and see the just how much thought is put into all of the loveliness in Anna's work.

I would like to leave you with two thoughts...first is a quote from Anna's shop home page, which I loved as soon as I saw it:

"A person is not measured by their possessions, but rather by their Heart and Soul ~ Their trinkets are a small glimpse of the style that represents who we all are ~ So be classy, be unique, be kind, but most of all, just BE" ~~ Anna

Thank you Anna, for letting me share all that makes you and your jewelry wonderful!!

The second thing I wanted to say is that I've been seeing a lot of sites lately saying they will do feature of your shop if you send me XYZ, and that's great, for them.  I do NOT get, nor do I want anything for doing these features...

I do these because I love handmade things, and truely believe in helping promote the artists that bring such wonderful things to our lives...that said, my comment door is always open, and I'd love to share more shops with all of you!  If you have a shop you'd like featured, just drop me a note!

hugs,

heather

Winds of Change....

With Earth day right around the corner, (April 22...yup that's tomorrow!!)  I can not think of a better time to tell you all about this great shop.  We all know how important it is to recycle....and Misti, from Prairie Wind Designs, is doing just that! 

Misti uses previously loved clothing and top quality quilting fabric, to make wonderful bags, toddler dresses and the cutest little mary janes!

Misti says in her profile, growing up in Kansas on a farm, she learned the value of making things with her hands, and that her Grandma was the master of making something out of nothing...

She also says in her profile, that her sewing machine brought her comfort when her husband was deployed.....

Prairie Wind Design is a beautiful, cozy shop... If you haven't checked them out, you should stop over and say Hi! 

You can also find Misti and Prairie Wind Designs on facebook here or on twitter here.

I also wanted to let you all know that the wonderful Dolcie from DeeCee's Wire Wonders gave me another sunshine award!! 

Oh how I love those beautiful flowers!!  Thank you so much Dolcie!!  If you haven't checked out her shop, you really should!  It's full of gorgeous handmade jewelry like this

and that's just one beautiful piece from her shop!!

Thank you again Dolcie!! 

hugs,

heather

A Beautiful Garden....

What a lovely, lovely time I had today, nope, not outside, because the pollen is killing me...but, sitting right here at my computer.  Gracie's Garden Designs has the most adorable little hats, it's like walking through a garden in full bloom!  I oohhhed and aaahhhed so many times....

how cute is that!!

just adorable!!!

Carissa is the artist, wife and mommy behind these gorgeous creations!

She not only has made these fantastic hats,

but, she has a giving heart as well... 10% of all the profits of her shop go to the Spina Bifida Association. 

You really need to check out her blog to read the inspirational story behind this...it's an amazing story right on her sidebar, and it gave me chills...just beautiful..

You can also check out Carissa and her awesome hats on her facebook fan page!!

I have to share one (or two) more of these pictures before I go....(I'd like to say thank you to Carissa's mom, Coleen Rausch for these amazing pictures!!!)

I mean really....how can you resist! 

Thank you, Carissa, for sharing your talent with me, I truely enjoyed taking a tour of you lovely garden!

hugs,

heather

Featured Artist, Another Sunshine award, and More Demolition....

I admit it, I've been a slacker this week.  We My husband has been working on the floors in my "area" and in our living room, and with all of the chaos going on around me, not to mention the dust, and general disarray of my house, I couldn't write anything that would be fit for anyone to read... :)  HOWEVER!  I do see a light at the end of the tunnel, the tile in my corner of the world is done, and the wood floor is just shy of being complete also!  Let's hope there are no other unscheduled interuptions...

I did get to sit and relax and look at some beautiful jewelry though! 

Sara from Creative Minds Crafts has some gorgeous pieces that made me close my eyes and think about bright skys and pretty colored flowers!

I love this bracelet!  So light and sweet!!

So go check Sara out at her website or at her blog where she also has featured artist!!

I also received another sunshine award!!  YAY!!  Those beautiful flowers make me so happy!

 

Susan at DreamBelle Designs left this for me last week!  And as I already stated, I have been a slacker... :( 

Susan also has a great Etsy shop that you should absolutely check out!

Thank you, Susan!!

Ok, now back to cleaning!!!

hugs

heather

Just Be Happy!!

I couldn't help but to use the name of Alessandras blog and shop as the title to this post.  Makes me smile just seeing it, and really, how could you not be drawn in to a cute little shop with that title and pictures like this...

Alessandra started crocheting with her grandma as a little girl after she lost her mom, and let me say, from the looks of her shop and all of the beautiful items in it, her mom would be very proud. :)

There were so many things in her shop that I wanted to put on here I finally had to stop, because this post would have gone on for days!! 

How cute are they!!  I'm loving the little piggy!

and I loved this, too!

Ohhhh and this too!!!

(you are starting to see my problem I guess :)  seriously, I could have gone on forever!!)

And I absolutely loved seeing gorgeous little faces like this in all of her beautiful hats!

Too stinkin' cute!!

Now seriously, I haven't even come close to touching all of the beautiful things you will find in her shop!

Oh and did I mention that she has patterns for some of her things as well....

Now not only is this lovely lady a talented crocheter, but she's a fellow blogger, and a stay at home mommy, and wife as well!!

So!!  Go check out all of her great creations in her shop, and for more of things that will make you smile...check out her blog!

hugs!

heather

Sentimental Favorite......

I must say that I was so happy when I saw who our blog ring was featuring this week.  Teresa was the first person to help me out when I started my Etsy shop.  She gave me advice, was the first person to feature me on her blog, and also to introduce me to the HAF team.  Then I got to look through her shop....she's as talented as she is sweet....

stunning...

and this..

is just beautiful...

I absolutely love!!!

I really just can not say enough about what a talented artist and wonderful person she is!

Teresa features artists on her blog as well, and is always promoting the handmade movement!!

Thank you so so much Teresa, I appreciate your advice and beautiful work, more than I can ever say!

hugs!

heather

Cute Things Come In Tiny Packages!!!

 A few posts ago, I mentioned that I'd love to do features on my readers shops....and the first response I got was from Megan from Moss Mountain...ssoo off I went to explore!!  :) 
How cute were the things that I found in her "little" shop!! 

She makes tinee tiny animals out of felt, and ooo they are adorable!! 

She pulled me into the shop even more when I read her profile:

The mouse is Dreary, and the mouse makes things out of felt, eats fruit, hoards cash, haunts book shops, sips tea, wears patterned socks, listens to Enya, covets shiny things, E-mails the world, thinks about elves and fairies and gnomes, writes poetry, reads children's classics, wants crafty books, makes granola, adores plushies, collects stickers, dreams about what might have been, hates the taste of fresh tomatos, loves dried cherries, eats lots of celery, scurries around, does nothing, does much, blinks at you in the long, lonely dark.

Can't you picture a little mouse running around just like that!!  It was a total vision in my head!!

Of course I was a little more biased when I realized that we shared a birthday!! :)

I think this one is my favorite...

or maybe it's this one...

She may call herself Dreary Mouse, but I think her little shop is whimsical, and sweet as can be...

Thank you Megan!!  I had so much fun in your shop!!  All of your little guys brightened up my rainy day!!

And Happy Early Birthday from a fellow Piscean!!

I wanted to thank Elizabeth at Paradise Purls for honoring me with another Sunshine award!!

Elizabeth has a great Etsy shop with all kinds of knits and jewelry!!

So run now and check out both of these great gals!!!

hugs,

heather

A Husband and Wife...and All Kinds of Things Nice!!

I can honestly say that I have worked with my husband in the past, actually, that's where we met, so when I read about husband and wife teams, working together doing what they love, it really makes me smile!  When I read about husband and wife teams being creative and artistic and making beautiful things together, it makes me even happier.

(we already know I love dragonflies :)

Enter, Pleasant Peasantry,  a husband and wife team that makes gorgeous ceramics and beautiful macrame ( pots and knots as they call them!). 

and the beautiful creamy colors on this jug are just dreamy...

The newest experiment on their blog is on bookbinding!!  

Amazingly talented!!  You have to check out their shop to really appreciate all of their work!

hugs!

heather

In awe....

I must say that there is no way I can do justice to this weeks blog ring featured store.  I must also say that I have been totally in awe of steampunk jewelry since I first discovered it.  It has a certain mystery to it, yet it tends to be so comforting to me at the same time.  (Strange I know, but, I never said I wasn't :) 
CJ Grand had me mesmerized.  I must have flipped through her store atleast 100 times.

She seriously does some beautiful work....not to mention, she's also a member of the Etsy Steam Team and is a great supporter of the HAF Team...but really, let's get back to these pictures.....

(and I want this one :)

(oh and these...)

(this one too!!)

and did I mention she also makes healing fashion jewelry...

 (yup, I'll take this one too!)

You can find these wonderful pieces at her Etsy Shop, or her Artfire Shop,  she can also be found on her facebook page here.












But before you do that you really should go here and get a better look at this...

CJ, If you ever run out of room for all of your beautiful work, my door is ALWAYS open for it!!

hugs,

heather

Cheers to Beer Soap and Chocolate Mint Lip Balm!!!

Yep, I said that correctly, beer soap!!!  (Don't worry, we'll get to the Chocolate Mint lip balm in a minute!) 

This is beer soap, made by the husband and wife team of Larissa and Eric, at Reef Botanicals. 

I was pretty intrigued when I saw this, what a brilliant idea!!  Not only do they make the soap, but Eric actually makes the beer!! 

So what could top beer soap?  How about sugar scrubs and hand soaps with names like Cafe Mocha Scrub, and Fudge Chunk hand soap.  Wow, so at this point, I'll stop and tell you that I'm already hungry from looking at their shop!!  And then....I see it.....Chocolate Chip Mint Lip Balm......it was like angels singing... :)  3 of my very favorite things, chocolate, mint, and lip balm, mixed all together...aaahh, heaven...

So what I'm getting at, is this little shop will not only get you clean, but you are going to smell delish, and possibly be very hungry when your done!!!   

Check them out at their blog too, Reef Botanicals Handmade Craft Soap,  you can catch up with them there and see what they're up to, new products and also other featured artists!!!

Hugs!

heather

Dear Cupid, I Want These!

Soooo, we all know Valentines Day is right around the corner, and I LOVE to browse around for my own gift :) So imagine how happy I was to come upon Haffina Creations through the HAF Team. Not only does she have some yummy earrings, (and necklaces, and rings and scarves....you see where I'm going, right?) BUT.....her birthday is this month and to celebrate, she's offering 30% off everything in her shops!! YAY!!

Oh, and did I mention that (because i'm nosey...uummm I mean curious...) She's the mama to 5 kids- 2 of which are following in their moms foot steps!!

Cheers to you on your birthday Haffina!!

(and keep your fingers crossed I get those earrings!!)

Heather