Oh Lucky Day!

How did your day go today? It was a blessed day all around at our house - even though it was a pretty typical Saturday with chores and errands and whatnot....but we had our family together, and good spring weather, and I didn't have to cook dinner, which is ALWAYS a blessing. I feel very lucky to have the life that I do.

There's an Etsy artist who knows all about lucky days, and feeling lucky in life. So much so that she has created a shop dedicated to making every day a lucky day...Lucky Girl Trading. In her shop you'll find beautiful art glass, dichroic glass, and pieces of Kumihimo and Temari. Both are centuries-old crafts, and she feels that both give her a zen-like tranquility while working.



You can find jewelry full of sparkle or calm beauty. For boys, for girls, for anyone with a yen for her zen.

Her Temari balls are especially fascinating, intricate fabrications of an old stocking stuffed with rice hulls and padded with yarn reclaimed from an abandoned knitting project. This Temari ball has a rattle housed in bottle caps inside, so playing with it, Lucky Girl claims, can become addictive. I think it 's just beautiful to gaze upon.


So if you're feeling lucky, or maybe more importantly if you are not, drop on by Lucky Girl Trading to find out more about why she's feeling so lucky in her life, and see if you might be interested in procuring a bit of her lucky feelings for yourself. Try her blog, too, for more on a lucky life.

Ooooh, Shiny!

I have a confession for all of you out there that appreciate my work.....there are more out there like me, maybe even, dare I say it? even more talented than me but with the same aesthetic and motivations as me. And by that I mean pretty shiny rocks woven together with beautiful, artful wire, with a focused eye on color, texture, and wonderful geometry.

And I've found one to share with you - Etsy artist Yazmin Wickham of A Pretty Rock . Yazmin creates one of a kind or limited edition pieces of jewelry, which she brings to life with carefully selected gemstones, mineral stones and freshwater pearls. Her collection is meant to lend affordable, quality elegance to all. And boy-oh-boy does she deliver!





These Fresh Cut Earrings - OMG - how do I keep these out of my head so I don't accidentally re-create them?! They are so beautiful, with the greens and blues that I love, and the wire-wrapping that I find so fun to do. And she has done such a wonderful job of photography on her pieces - I am so envious!










And just to prove how in sync our design sensibilities are, here is a bracelet of amazonite Yazmin has created that would be a lovely match to my Caged Blossoms Necklace below - a coordinated set from two different shops - who knew?










There is no reason why every woman shouldn't have A Pretty Rock in their life (or three or five I say)! Drop by her shop to see for yourself, and take some time at her blog for more. Oh, and did I mention that A Pretty Rock offers gift certificates, too? Hint hint hint, all you gift-givers out there!

Spring Spring Spring!!

I am so ready for spring....the redbuds and mountain laurels are exuberantly fuschia and violet, the coreopsis and primroses have started to peak out along side the roads, the days are growing longer and warmer. And my brown and black clothes - they are so last winter. I want color. I want pink, green, bright blue and yellow. Are you feeling the same? Are you yearning for the garden? I think I might have found just what you need to push you into the next season - an Etsy artist with a fine eye for color and texture - one of the beadweavers of whom I am so in awe - Cigarboxbeads. Check out her Cottage Garden Bracelet with a click on the image above.


Or try out her Twisted Garden Path Choker, braided into one "beauteous strip of color."

The founder of this shop is a retired Home Ec teacher, who loved what she did, but now loves what she's doing now.

Beadweaving is her joy, along with knitting, crocheting, sewing AND being with her twin grand daughters. Not at the same time though, they love to 'help', according to their grandmama! They do have 'crafting time' every day that she watches them, so she hopes she is instilling the love of creating in them. At the very least, she is creating memories for them that will last their lifetime. What greater gift?

Cigarboxbeads became a non-stop beadweaver when she purchased 3 vintage cigarboxes full of beads at a flea market---about 20 years ago. She is still using those beads, plus a 'few' more she can not help but purchase! I know how that goes!

She also knits, sews, crochets, decoupages and lots and lots of other stuff so some other goodies might show up at her shop, Cigarboxbeads, as well, along with beads! Check out her blog, too, for info about her creative life and her features on other Etsy artists.

And summer is just around the corner (especially here in SA, where it shows up about May!) - so have some lemonade!

Erin go bragh

Ireland forever....on March 17, everyone can catch a little o' the Irish and have a bit of levity in the celebrations of St Patrick's Day. Wearing of the green is de rigueur of course, and how better to grab a bit of extra luck than to wear shamrocks on your wrist? This sweet little concoction of green glass and silver wire in the form of earrings and matching bracelet comes from Etsy artist Jonquil Thiessen, aka Thumbelina Creations.

Jonquil Thiessen is a stay-at-home mom of three boys who loves to be creative in many different ways. She loves to sing, knit, crochet, draw, scrapbook, write music, and make jewelry. She would feel lost if she wasn't able to be creative.


Her creative side really shows through with this set she calls "Dragonfly" - how pretty for the summer, in such a beautiful citrus-y palette of colors.

She started young, singing in church and at weddings at three years old. Music and art have always been her passion. She took art classes and music lessons all through school and college.

During college, she met her husband, Keith. They have been married for almost ten years. He also enjoys music and encourages her to further her interests. (Or maybe, she says, he justs puts up with it.) He does say sometimes that she has too many hobbies. I think this is a pretty common complaint from spouses of crafters!


Jonquil's favorite medium is ... well ... she claims it's hard to pick a favorite. She likes jewelry, but is considering opening a knitting store as well. I love this wire wrap ring of amethyst - so regal and so affordable! Take a click and see!

For more of Thumbelina Creations, drop by her shop, and visit her blog to find out more about her and the Etsy artists she has chosen to feature.