Weekly Featured Artist 5/25 - 5/31

Q: Tell us a little about yourself…
My name is Jenny Lee, and I love what I do. I wake up every day excited to go to work. My studio is at home with my two boys, and yes, they like to help their mom. My earliest memories of dabbling in jewelry was with my cousin Tanya, we were about eight. Stumbling upon her jewelry box of vintage treasures, we layered on every last piece. Looking desperately for earrings, we managed to stick chandelier crystals threw our ears...ouch! Feeling our prettiest we took her wine goblets out of the china hutch and filled them with water (fine wine in our minds). You would think my grandma would be upset, but she just smiled.

Q: How long have you been doing this?
I have been designing jewelry for almost eight years now, wow!

Q: Who/What inspires you?
I'm inspired mostly by the gemstones, I go to bed dreaming of new ways to arrange them.
Nature also inspires me, I remember just floating in the Caribbean and feeling like I was surrounded by a million gems; that was heavenly.

Q: What's your favorite piece?
My favorite piece is currently the "Chloe hoop earring" I wear mine almost every day.

Q: If Luke Skywalker and Harry Potter dueled, who would win? Why?
Luke Skywalker would win, because he used to be my boyfriend. I carried a picture of him around with me in my purse everywhere I went, when I was five.

SparkleCouture's Etsy Shop

National Treasure or How to Snag an Etsy Treasury :o)

I can't break with my movie title theme. :o)

Anyway, I created a thread on Etsy for how to snag a treasury, and included the three links you'll need to do it....
Etsy Forum Thread for Snagging a Treasury

Here is a synopsis...

1. Find out when the treasuries will open again. You do this by sorting by expiration and counting backward until you find treasury number 333. (Main Treasury Link) When this one expires, they will open. There are 20 treasuries per page, so if the total number of treasuries is 433, count back five pages, and once the last treasury on that page expires, they will open again.
2. Create a poster sketch. Here's the link (Poster Sketch Link). Pick a theme, find your items, and copy and paste the listing id into the poster sketch. You can arrange listings by clicking and dragging. You have 12 main listings and 4 alternates (you're the only one who can see these).
3. A half hour before the treasuries open, it's best to watch the screen. People will expire theirs early in order to snag another one. So there may be less time than you think before they open again. A box will appear at the bottom of the screen for entering your treasury title. It's best to already have your title copied so that all you have to do is (control v) paste it and click the "create" button. You have to be fast, you're not the only one who's waiting to snag one.
4. Now that you have one, open your poster sketch in a separate tab and copy and paste the listing ids into your live treasury.
5. Voila, you are now an addict. :o)

Weekly Featured Artist 5/18 - 5/24

Q: Tell us a little about yourself…
My name is Maartje, but I usually go by Tizz. I'm a 25 years old crafty girl from Holland. I love all kinds of crafts (sewing, making jewelry, paper crafts,...), but concentrate on making jewelry & accessories most. I am a Blythe addict, and a Hanson (yes!) fan, and aside from crafting I love: photography, shopping, web design, reading, movies, cooking,... I'm also dying to learn how to knit and crochet, but I can't say I'm very successful yet!

Q: How long have you been doing this? My mom taught me how to sew when I was very little (I have a very cute picture of this in my blog!), I must have been around 7 or 8. I wasn't allowed to use the pedal though, I could only turn the wheel! As for making jewelry, I have done that basically all my life too. I remember making earrings out of water balloons when I was little! (Without water, mind you ;)) But I started making things in the style I do now about 4 years ago.

Q: Who/What inspires you?
I love anything from the 50s and 60s, so I could say that has an influence on my work. Aside from that: Anything! When I see something in a shop I automatically wonder if I could turn it into something nice. Being on Etsy also inspired me to try out more different crafts.

Q: What's your favorite piece?
I really love [my “Trouble at the Casino”] necklace, and I started a whole new thing yesterday, which I'm pretty excited about! It's this little piece of art collage [OOAK Miniature Doll House Wall Art for Blythe, Barbie, Pullip, etc].

Q: If you could meet anyone living or dead, who would it be & why?
Taylor Hanson! This isn't a very artsy answer, but I can't help the Hanson obsession!

Q: If Luke Skywalker and Harry Potter dueled, who would win? Why?
Harry Potter! He must have more energy, because he managed to entertain me through 7 books and 5 movies, while Luke Skywalker was an instant sleep inducer when I watched Star Wars with my ex one day.

For more information on Tizzalicious, please visit...
Etsy Shop
Shop
Blog

The Crying Game

After I had my first child, I brought her home and realized I'd forgotten to pick up the how-to instruction manual from the hospital. Ack! What the heck am I supposed to do with this "thing?" Especially when it's crying and can't tell me what's wrong! Am I allowed to muzzle it? Do they make those dog barker things for baby cries?
Some days, I was at my wits end and just had to walk away for a moment to keep my sanity. So I decided to write down an A-Z list to baby cries. It's too hard to think clearly when you're listening to the wailing screams of a banshee, so here is a list that may help you determine what's "wrong" when you can't seem to pinpoint the problem. These are just some reasons/solutions. Hopefully you'll find some of them useful. Just remember, attitude is everything. Your baby can sense stress, so try to stay positive. :o)

A
attitude
(stay positive)
B
burp the baby
C
constipated, colic
D
diaper change
E
environment
(create a calmer setting)
F
feed the baby
G
gassy
H
heartburn, headache
I
irritated
(change activity)
J
just needs to be held
K
keep calm
(baby can sense stress)
L
lay on tummy
M
music
N
needs attention
(feels alone)
O
over-stimulated
P
position change
Q
quiet, too noisy
R
Rash
(check for diaper and heat rashes)
S
sick
T
tired
U
under-stimulated
V
verify diaper is not too tight
W
warm
(baby may be cold)
X
eXamine for scratches/redness
(may be hurt)
Y
you've tried everything...
Z
zilch, baby may need to cry and that's okay

Stick It

Quite the unassuming box. It just sits on the top of the toilet in my bathroom. Those handy dandy daily lightday pads.

While I was in the shower today, my three year old ventured into the bathroom to say "Hi." She played around with some things on the counter and then left to continue watching Elmo. No big deal.

My daughter is not fully potty trained yet, so she still sleeps with a pull-up at nighttime and bedtime. As I was getting her ready for her nap, I noticed what looked like tissue between her legs. Uh oh. She had taken one of Mommy's lightdays and stuck it on... backwards. I had a good giggle, but my daughter wasn't too thrilled with the ouch factor. Good thing baby oil is such a life saver in sticky situations.

While this isn't my kid (thank goodness, can't imagine the ouch factor there), I was reminded of this picture and of the silly things that kids do. I'm willing to bet, she doesn't do it again. :oP

Weekly Featured Artist 5/11 - 5/17

Q: Tell us a little about yourself…
I design and create jewelry, which I'm primarily selling on Etsy right now. I also do some other art/craft-work, such as photography, painting, knitting, but jewelry is my main focus. My alter ego is currently a graduate student studying geoscience, and is interested in planetary geomorphology (studying landforms on planets). Recently moved to Bowling Green, Kentucky a few months ago, and before that I grew up in lived in Indiana.

Q: How long have you been doing this?
Since I was a child I've been experimenting and learning different forms of art. I tried making prints with ink, I taught myself how to use oil paints, and fell in love with pastels. Then I stumbled upon beadwork at a Native American art market, and I've been making jewelry ever since!

Q: Who/What inspires you?
Many things, though I suppose I get a lot of my inspiration from nature. I've always been one who was more intuned with the natural world even as a child, and I think that has carried over into my work. Learning about geology has only enhanced this and made my appreciation of the natural world greater.

Q: What's your favorite piece?
My favorite piece is a choker that I made with a piece of coral from my mother, which I wire wrapped pearls on. She's collected a lot of shells and coral her whole life, and I found this little piece in the bottom of a box. So I 'snuck' it away and created that necklace. Once I was done I found I couldn't part with it and kept it in my personal collection.

Q: If you could meet anyone living or dead, who would it be & why?
Da Vinci, because he was simply brilliant in art, science, engineering - I don't think there has really be anyone else like him in our recorded history. Plus, he was a true renaissance man, and often I've felt like a 'renaissance woman' that has been somewhat misplaced.

Q: If Luke Skywalker and Harry Potter dueled, who would win? Why?
Alas, neither. Snape would come in and stun them both silly ;)

Bijoutery's Shop Link
Bijoutery's Blog

Bring It On

Spring that is. I realize spring officially sprung back in March, however, my dogwood doesn't "come to life" until May. It's my reason for springin'. When we moved in, our lawn used to go all the way down to the sidewalk, and our grafted dogwood sat in the middle of it. My husband kept trying to convince me to get rid of the tree because it looked funny in the lawn, but come on now, how many grafted dogwoods are there?! You either get pink or white blossoms and we have both.
We put in a retaining wall and cut back the lawn, now the tree is a focal point. I just wanted to share my lovely before the blooms are gone again until next year.
It's also a gorgeous day today, so I'm sharing the sunshine too! :o)

Weekly Featured Artist 5/4 - 5/10

Q: Tell us a little about yourself…

My name is Brigette, and I'm a college student studying zoology. I've always been fascinated by the "creepy crawly" type creatures that most people are afraid of. On warm summer days you can find me in my backyard with my butterfly net poking around at nature. I've also always been artistic, playing around with any medium I can get my hands on. I go through phases, meaning my apartment is cluttered with so many supplies that I'll never get bored.

Q: How long have you been doing this?

My grandma taught me how to sew when I was quite young. I was fascinated with it (secretly though, since I was a tomboy and sewing was a girly thing to do). One I reached my teens, she gave me her 1947 Singer, and I love that machine to pieces. I started fooling around by making little purses and altering my clothes. I didn't start seriously making plushies until last year, and I haven't been able to stop.

Q: Who/What inspires you?

My grandparents were my initial inspiration to start sewing. As a child I would always get clothing made by them, and my grandpa still helps me with clothing repairs I can't handle on my own. As far as my plushies, my monsters were inspired by the ugliest toy in the world. I've had it since I was a baby, it's a giant "couch potato" with a pocket for tv remotes. I liked the idea, and started making some monsters with pockets in my own style. I prefer making smaller ones because they're quicker. And the other animals are inspired by classes I take, or simply creatures I find interesting.

Q: What's your favorite piece?

It's nearly impossible to choose! I'd say my favorite pieces are my three insect plushies so far, the mosquito larvae, adult mosquito, and dragonfly nymph. For all of them I've really had to push my limits and creativity. I'm hoping to make many more insects in the future!

Q: If you could meet anyone living or dead, who would it be & why?

Freddie Mercury. I would have him sing for me, his voice was so lovely, I wish I could hear it in person!

Q: If Luke Skywalker and Harry Potter dueled, who would win? Why?

Hmmm. The force vs. magic. While I'm a huge Star Wars fan, Luke always struck me as a bit of a whiney boy (I much prefer Hans Solo). I think Harry Potter would win, because he always wins, he's tough.

To see more of Weird Bug Lady's work, click on the links below...

Weird Bug Lady's Shop Link
Weird Bug Lady's Blog Link

Congratulations to April's Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations to Nursesnaturally, our April Giveaway Raffle Winner! She's won a set of cards from Etsy artist Zephi! Thank you to all those of you who entered.
Be sure to enter this month's drawing, by leaving a comment, and win a Route 66 Photo Magnet from Etsy artist LJDesigns. I own three of her magnets, and I love them!