Modern Metal Masterpieces!

Having decided as a child that she would be an artist, Danielle Miller took metal as her medium of choice after discovering her passion for metals in high school. Her passion for the material led her to study metalsmithing/jewelry at Tyler School of Art at Temple University.



She has been actively selling her jewelry since 1994, adding motherhood to her list of accomplishments along the way. Danielle has had an online shop on Etsy.com since 2007, as well as participating in shows.

Her clean, simple geometric forms create elegant and comfortable jewelry with a modern, playful twist.

Many of my pieces have kinetic elements designed to attract and engage the wearer. The kinetic elements that I incorporate into these structured pieces add unexpected fluidity and movement. Pearls or stone settings may spin like a propeller, slide freely across wires like an abacus, or rock to and fro like a see-saw. These articulated parts rely on the wearer for motion, which can be a simple turn of the body or a deliberate manipulation of the movable parts. This dynamic aspect of the work creates an intimate and unique relationship between jewelry and wearer.

These concepts are easily seen in her work, such as the Bubble Charm Necklace, shown at the top of this post, which has matching earrings, the Baby Bubble Earrings and the Cascading Bubble Earrings.

Danielle Miller's work is meticulously handcrafted using traditional jewelry making techniques: hand-fabricating, soldering, casting, forging, etc. in her home studio, which she is justly proud of.

Check her website and blog to keep up with Danielle's work and activities.
And don't forget to check out her wonderful shop on Etsy, DanielleMillerJewelry.

A Renaissance Artisan: CelticGoddessJewelry

Celtic Goddess Jewelry was started in early 2001, and has been selling on Etsy for 2 years and still counting! Andee Harston is a Buddhist pagan living in the Orlando area and a wonderfully charming and stimulating young woman. Andee creates and sells celtic and pagan inspired jewelry, including wonderful tiaras, art (painting and photography) and bath and body products. The latter are available in her 2nd Etsy shop, SacredWaters, which is temporarily closed, due to Andee’s recent travel.



I met Andee while she was putting together a promotions pack for members of our Street Team on Etsy: the EarthPath Artisans Street Team (EAST). She had designed very cute containers and was diligently soliciting items for inclusion and assembling the packs for distribution. We stopped at Starbucks for coffee and had a marvelous brainstorming session. I found Andee to be cheerful, intelligent with a sharp humor and very creative.



Looking at the pieces in Andee's CelticGoddessJewelry shop confirms this and the feedback from customers is universally positive, even enthusiastic. There are so many lovely pieces in her CelticGoddessJewelry shop that it's hard to narrow it down for a feature.

I strongly encourage you to visit her shop and browse through its beauty and positive glow. You will find many non-pagan-specific pieces, as well as pagan oriented, and all lovely!

Here is an convenient Mini Ritual tin, for performing rituals while traveling! Check Andee's shop for all sorts of pendulums and pendulum charts, as well!

Andee's tiaras or crowns are incredible, such as the Harvest Goddess piece shown above and the "Tatiana" crown (perfect for a renaissance faire or a bride!) shown here.

Thought for the Day: What's in a Word?

Most people don't think about the simple power that words have. They simply use them and move on, never thinking about how the words they use came to have the meaning they do.
By "meaning", I mean the emotional context (the CONnotation), as much as the actual definition (the DEnotation).
You hear someone upset and cursing a blue streak and may be shocked. But think about it: a word (or phrase) is only a collection of sounds until we (society or individuals) give those sounds a definition with an associated emotional context.



A colleague on Etsy made a profound post on her blog yesterday (click here for the post, pointing out a specific instance: how do people react when someone says they are a witch or mentions witchcraft? Revelate said:

Words are powerful. They are tools and are loaded with energy. Words can bring on intense emotion. Spilling tears, steaming anger, delirious joy and belly laughs can all result from words. The energy attached to a single words can create a vivid picture in your mind's eye. You may feel emotion and be transported to a different place with the energy of one single word. A fine example of this attached energy is found in a related group of words; Witch, Wicca, and Witchcraft. To many they immediately are negative, words that stir up ideas of "the devil" and of animal sacrifice. What really bothers me about the negative attachment to these words is the fact that the ideas of Wicca and Witchcraft being practices of devil worship and causing harm to living beings is ignorant.

If you are pagan, Wiccan, druid, shamanic, Buddhist, Taoist or a member of any non-mainstream spiritual path, I'm sure you have encountered these reactions. If you are a member of a mainstream spiritual path (Christian, Jewish, Moslem), you may have used those words in a negative context or reacted in a negative way, without even realizing it. Or realizing why...

Please go to RevelationsNorth, Revelate's blog, to check out the full post - you won't be sorry!

I believe that most people are inherently good, in that they do not go out of their way to cause harm to another person, physically or emotionally. I may be wrong. People in groups tend to react differently; they get caught up in the "mob mentality" and become dangerous. But, please, THINK about the way you react to certain words or phrases. If it's a negative reaction, examine the reason. It may be valid...but it may NOT.

Walk on the Geeky Side with LizStaley!

LizStaley’s journey to the geek side of creativity began long, long ago in a state a few over from her current residence. When liz was very little, she wanted to help her mother paint ceramics. Her mother, knowing what kind of “help” a young child with a paint brush could be, gave liz a paintbrush, a cup of water, and a rubber ducky. It took poor liz awhile to figure out that whatever you paint is supposed to change colors when you paint it, though! (her mom is just as “evil” as liz, apparently!). Suffering from PTPD (Post-Traumatic Painting Disorder), she has been a creative fiend ever since: crocheting, making very cool buttons (drawn from sci-fi, do drawings, sew, and come up with new ideas!

In LizStaley (Liz' shop on Etsy), you can find an incredible array of cool, different and nerdy items: hand-crocheted fishnet gloves (fingerless and otherwise), buttons with great and smart-alecky sayings from various TV shows, movies and games, unique keyboard wallets and keyboard button chokers!



Liz' keyboard wallets are amazing! Crafted from keyboard circuit board covers, with handsome images (usually anime, but not always), they have one pocket for bills, and two pockets for your ID and credit cards. They are very sturdy and even survive washing and drying!


I also like her keyboard KEY chokers - especially
"ByteM3"!



And the buttons in Liz' shop are legend!! Wait...she hasn't done that set, yet! Seriously, she has button packs from the series "FireFly", the "Pirates of the Caribbean", "Star Wars", "Labyrinth" and "SpaceBalls" movies, as well as gaming oriented and just plain geeky or sassy buttons! We're hoping to badger her into making some for "Monty Python & the Holy Grail" next! But, in the meantime...why is the RUM gone????? (couldn't resist!)

LizStaley is a born geek whose hobbies include (of course!) watching anime, playing tabletop role-playing games (Dungeons and Dragons; Big Eyes, Small Mouth; D20 Modern, West End Games' D6 System, etc), building web-pages, and playing on GaiaOnline[dot]com. She also has a gallery on DeviantArt and Flickr, both of which you can find with the user name lizstaley as well.

Tribbleyarn is a work in progress, where liz will be selling her handspun yarn, in the future!
Liz’ blog has all sorts of interesting posts, from crafting with YouTube videos, coverage of conventions (anime and other) and more! Click HERE to visit liz’ blog. Fair warning: Liz is an emote junkie, so when you visit her blog... BE WARNED!!

Liz also writes and illustrates a story that she publishes to the web. She’s been working on this project since high school, with it evolving as she did. It may eventually even be published! You can check out her story by clicking HERE.



"Tribble Claus" is LizStaley's entry for Etsy's EAST
Winter
Wonderland Challenge.

Isn't he adorable???



If you want to VOTE (all Etsy members get FOUR votes) and be put in for a chance for a FREE PRIZE PACK, to be awarded to FOUR VOTERS, click HERE! It costs nothing to VOTE, look at really great pieces and possibly WIN some really GREAT PRIZE PACKS, with earrings and other great items.

Feeling Better with SummerSea Herbs!

SummerSea is an incredibly gifted and giving artisan, as the members of Etsy's EAST (EarthPath Artisans Street Team) and any of her friends and colleagues can tell you. For example, the proceeds for her Cold and Flu Tea go to benefit breast cancer victims who are struggling to make ends meet while struggling to stay alive.


Tracy Wilkinson of SummerSea Herbs has been a practicing Green witch for many years and has been a certified medical Herbalist for ten years. All of her products, whether teas, essences, resins, oils or smudges, are made with the utmost care and skill. Making herbal products is an absolute joy for Tracy. Making them the best she can is an obligation for her. Packaging them as responsibly and attractively as she can is her gift to the environment, as well as to her client. Her love of Nature comes through in her work AND in her lovely product photographs.



Tracy’s concern for the environment means that she keeps packaging to a minimum, with reusable, recyclable containers. Her concern for her patrons means that she uses only the best ingredients:

“I make my herbal products with the finest organically grown and ethically wild-crafted ingredients available. Why Organic? Because I believe that my products are truly better when I use ingredients which have NOT been irradiated, treated with pesticides or sprays. Your body and spirit needs good, clean energy! Making every product with only organic ingredients costs a little more, but it's worth it!”

SummerSea Herbs is a small company, and she personally makes all of her wonderful (and wonderfully packaged!) products in small batches, by hand. This ensures quality control and product effectiveness.

“I have taken great care in blending your item. All my medicinal and magickal formulas are tried and true, developed from the personal needs of my community over the years. It makes me very happy to help people through the use of herbs!”

Whether you want a delicious tea or need an incense blend to assist in magickal workings, you can be confident that any product you purchase from SummerSea Herbs will be the absolute best! I have purchased several items and will definitely purchase more!

For further information and to keep up with SummerSea Herbs, check out Tracey's blog HERE.
While you’re at it, pop over to the Winter EAST Challenge and VOTE! You can vote for up to FOUR items, just by “Adding Item to Favorites”. It’s FREE and, best of all, Etsy members who vote are put in for a random drawing for a FREE PRIZE PACK, with LOTS of great items made by EAST members. There will be FOUR winners! Click HERE to check out the entries! You can see SummerSea's entry below :)

CraftyMoose is VERY crafty!!

CraftyMoose, in Hudson Valley, NY, is an artisan with a wide range of interests and a solid grounding in various types of crafting. She is self-taught and has enjoyed painting, needlework, quilting, polymer clay and jewelry making.



CraftyMoose has recently rediscovered a love of beads and has returned to the art of french beaded flowers.

Craftymoose is also introducing a new line of one-of-a-kind beaded art dolls and suncatchers. Her art dolls are unique, often with a whimsical flavor, such as the "Very Happy Cat" beaded art doll, which has a huge smile, licking its lips - why? Ask the FISH shown in its tummy!


CraftyMoose is currently advertising a SALE on her HOLIDAY pieces, which might be your opportunity to get some lovely paper angels or funny snowmen!


Follow CraftyMoose in her blog HERE.

Treasures Galore! from PersonalTreasures

Don't we ALL love treasure-hunting (and FINDING)? /dreams of Johnny Depp and Jack Sparrow (that's CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow!) Well, this artisan creates the kinds of treasures that would be part of a wonderful trove!


PersonalTreasures and MufiJewels are Etsy shops run by a jewelry designer with a broad range and perspective, as well as a deep background in the arts, including being the recipient of a grant for the National Endowment for the Arts.

PersonalTreasures is a shop geared to high-end, elegant designs, with top-grade components, such as the Russian Amazonite necklace shown above, a "Looong Hessonite Necklace" and many more! Most pieces are one-of-a-kind designer jewelry.

Mufi Jewels, Phyllis' other Etsy shop, has simpler, more casual jewelry, with similar high quality materials. There, you will see very simple, but wonderfully designed, pieces such as a Chrysoprase Pendant, Fire Agate necklace and these Labradorite Hoop earrings. These Montana (Blue) and Bronze Earrings are a great (and neutral color-set) accessory!



Phyllis Mufson, of Philadelphia, PA (USA), currently lives and loves living as a jewelry artisan and creative career and small business coach. She helps people "move from places (in their lives) of exhausted possibility to new challenges and fulfillment."

Among Phyllis' past experience is working as a textile artist for years, which still influences her perspective as a jewelry artisan. Phyllis designs her pieces with an eye toward how the pieces will "drape" on their wearer, looking to compliment the wearer's form and attire.

All of this goes to say, if you want someone whose work you will TREASURE, visit PersonalTreasures and Mufi Jewels on Etsy, the online marketplace for handmade articles.


If you are interested in following Phyllis Mufson's work, check out her blog. I found some very inspiring business tips there!

If you wish to look into a small business coach, visit Phyllis' business website HERE.

WinterEAST Challenge on Etsy - VOTE and WIN!

HEART YOUR FAVORITE ENTRIES IN THE WINTER WONDERLAND CHALLENGE AND WIN AN EARTHPATH ARTISANS PRIZE PACK! YOU CAN FIND THEM IN OUR FAVORITES!

Click HERE to pick your favorite item and heart it to cast your VOTE!



THE ITEMS WITH THE MOST HEARTS WINS!

To reward the VOTERS, there will be RANDOM DRAWING to win PRIZE PACKS! THERE WILL BE FOUR WINNERS!

The WinterEast Challenge runs Dec.15- Jan.7th

The EAST team of Etsy has issued a challenge to all members to create an item that falls in the theme of "Winter Wonderland".

Voting is open to all Etsy members (buyers AND sellers):
Pick your favorite item HERE and heart it!

You "heart" an item by clicking (on screen's right hand side): "Add Item to Favorites".

The entry with the most hearts wins! There will be four winners.

As a reward to voters, gift packs filled with promotional items from participating member shops will sent to four lucky voters, determined in a random drawing on January 7th!

You can view all the entries here, in our (EarthPathArtisans') Favorites!


Search with the tag "East" Etsy-wide for other items and other member shops!

Etsy is an online marketplace for handmade items of all types and using all media, sold by their makers. It is a terrific place to shop, whether to buy or "window shop", full of a variety of pieces from body and bath products (handmade, of course) to teas to e-books to oil paintings to crocheted or knitted to stationary items to leather goods and clothing to copper, gold or silver jewelry. There are many whimsical items, as well, such as pin-on buttons with entertaining or even irritating sayings.

Canadian Soul!...Or is that Caribbean Soul?

You may know that Jimmy Buffett's music is called "Caribbean Soul"? Well, I want to introduce to "Canadian Soul", in the form of Joanne and her lovely artwork, found in her Etsy shop, CoconutPalmDesigns!



Joanne is Canadian "to her core," of Jamaican-Lebanese extraction, with a notable sense of humor. Her family is very important to her. So much so that she packed up and moved to Belize four years ago, when her parents decided to make a change.

Now living with her family on a 32 acre tree farm in the making in the hinterlands of Belize, Joanne can finally use her graphic design background to create art of her choice! Joanne's diverse background may add some spice to her art, but her humor definitely adds flavor, as well!

From lovely watercolor ACEOs to bright and cheerful signs, Joanne's work is her own unique style. I love her signs - and immediately "hearted" her signs for addition to my pool area - while still admiring the soft lines of her watercolors. Joanne's hand-drawn art seems to strike a chord with people.



Check out CoconutPalmDesigns on Etsy; you'll be glad you did! And you can keep up with Joanne and her exploits via her blog, as well :)

IndieFinds' Blog - Etsy Artisan Promotion and Instruction

While wandering the wilds of Etsy's How-To and Storque, trying for more and more information that will help me as a new(er) online seller of handcrafted items, I was directed to IndieFinds blog.

Curious, I followed the trail and found a great site where new Etsy sellers are introduced to the Internet public and various helpful tips can be found, along with the blogger's own shop and life information. DottyRal has been blogging for a bit, learning as she went (as most of us are doing).


She and some colleagues (SchOOLLOcker and Littleputbooks) even put together what looks like a very helpful utility, the Etsy Mini-Blog! I have not yet figured out the fine steps of how to install it, but that's only because I haven't had time to read the conveniently provided and helpful FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) and TOU (Terms of Use), conveniently provided.

All of this information was like finding an oasis in the desert! I currently have three shops on Etsy: BerryPatchDesigns, UnderCurrent BodyWear and SilverShadow Designs. Starting off with this many shops may seem a bit excessive, but each is a bit different. BerryPatchDesigns is a shop that I share with two of my closest friends, who also make handmade jewelry. UnderCurrent is sort of an "alternate lifestyle" shop, instituted at the repeated requests of various friends - it is still "under construction."

While it's not clear how the new Etsians are selected for featuring, it IS clear that IndieFinds is a place to look for great finds: new shops, tips, selfless promotion of others and a study in how to self-promote, as well.

Hats off to IndieFinds, DottyRal, Littleputbooks and SchOOLLOcker for putting so much work into creating such a helpful and generous tool and site for budding online artisans!!!!

Etsy Artisan JenniB on Martha Stewart!

Doesn't this look YUMMY??? Too bad! It'd give you a major tummy-ache AND end up with a trip to the dentist!

This is a terrific example of "faux food"!

Etsy artisan JenniBOriginals will be on Martha Stewart on Friday, December 7th, teaching Martha Stewart how to make faux holiday treats. JenniB specializes in creating lovely faux food delicacies, among other things.

Faux food is very popular among restaurateurs and food vendors, since the display stays looking "good enough to eat" and is an "appetizing" display! "Faux" is French for "articial" (fake, in other words).



The faux holiday treats make great presents, holiday displays for your home or office and even tree ornaments!

Etsy is an online market specializing in handmade items, usually sold by the artisan who created them, or sometimes a small group of them. There is an incredible variety of items including clothes, original artwork, jewelry, health and beauty aids, toys, buttons with sayings, magnets, stationary, glasswork, furniture and oh-so-many more items! Since all of these are handmade by individuals, purchasers are giving the gift of someone's time and creative energy, instead of mass-produced items that benefit a faceless corporation. That's what the "Buy Handmade Pledge" is all about - more on THAT another time (but I took it).

Anyway, don't forget to check out JenniB's segment on Martha Stewart on FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7th. Holiday treats like these are truly a TREAT!

It's All About Art for Indigo Luna!

This mixed-media Mermaid Gourd is one of Indigo Luna's latest (and loveliest) creations! It, and many other lovely creations can be found in the online artisan venue, Etsy, exclusively for HANDMADE items of all types.

Rachel Kitterman, AKA “Indigo Luna”, self-defined art addict. Rachel’s primary passion is fabric; she has been making art quilts and dolls for over a decade now. Rachel’s Etsy shop is full of an incredibly eclectic collection of art in so many varied forms that it’s impossible to put a single label on it: paper, altered art, mixed-media, knitting, crocheting, jewelry, artist books, photography. As Rachel says, ”Pretty much, if it will hold still, I'll make art out of it!”

Indigo Luna creates whimsical self-ejecting Moo card holders, mini-artists' books for great ideas, mixed media ornamental post cards and so many more items, from incredible to incredibly cute.



Among the many hats she wears (and those she makes, like the autumn scarf shown here), Rachel is a sign language interpreter, an energy worker, a minister, a blogger, a wife to a wonderful and creative man, and a mother to two wild and amazing little girls. All of these roles combine to shape her art and artistic vision.



Rachel’s hand-drawn and hand-colored mandalas are truly beautiful, both as art and meditative focuses. She creates mandalas in various themes – whatever strikes the right chord at the right time. The wonderful thing is how wonderfully the shape, lines and colors combine to speak the theme.

“When I create mandalas, I enter a meditative state. The lines and colors just seem to flow out of me.”

The word “mandala” comes from Sanskrit and means “sacred circle”. The circle symbolizes the womb of creation. It is an artistic representation of the cosmos and a focus for meditation. Indigo Luna's mandalas are beautiful to look at, no matter what spiritual path you follow! Shown above is an Autumn Earth Mandala Wall Hanging that Indigo Luna created for a challenge for the EarthPath Artisan Street Team on Etsy.



Rachel is a 5th generation Oregonian who has traveled in the United States, but cannot conceive of wanting to live anywhere but in her lush and verdant home state, where she studied plants and gathered mushrooms as a child.



Rachel’s work has appeared:
2005 Quilting Arts Calender (cover)
Artella Magazine
Art/Quilt Magazine
Fiberarts Design Book 6
Many juried shows

Indigo Luna's blog is a great place to track her latest wonderful creations and exploits!

BerryPatchDesigns Goes into the Shadow...

SILVERSHADOW, that is! I've found that another online seller (in another venue, which shall remain nameless.../coughs *Bay!) has the same name and sells - among other things, "handmade jewelry".

Rather than cause confusion for either shop's customers and prospective customers, I've decided to change my primary shop's name from BERRYPATCHDESIGNS to SILVERSHADOW DESIGNS. Silver, because I love silver's clean lines so much, and Shadow because shadows are simply places where the light is textured (not non-existent). And I LOVE textures! And the play of colors!

So there will be a period of transition while the listings are moved, but that will NOT negatively affect ANY PART of my customer service! Whether that service is answering questions or completing a custom piece or shipping an ordered item.

Just think of all the LINKS you can click!

Check out UNDERCURRENT BodyWear for a different style of "hot" accessories!

Eclectic Figments: SuperMom and Artisan!

Figments…err…Eclectic Miscellany…errr…Kathleen (!) is a working mother who loves to create unique pieces of jewelry in what little spare time she has, selling them online in a venue for handmade arts and crafts called Etsy, which has been in the news lately.

Kathleen is a “mild-mannered” (?) software support consultant who sheds her disguise in the evening to become: SuperArtisanMom! She is a mother, wife, cook, housekeeper, crafter, scrapbook creatrix and more! She also loves to travel, read and go to the movies.

Kathleen grew up in a house full of books and handcrafted objects. Both parents were very creative: her mother painted, sewed, did silversmithing, read, did needlework and was a children's librarian; her father taught theatre and acted in and directed shows. Not surprisingly, all the pixie dust flying around settled on Kathleen:

I love to create fun, wearable pieces of art and these Figments are the result.

This is Spirit of Fire, one of Kathleen's elemental based pieces.

Another is Pele, part of her wonderful Myth Cycle group. The central piece is a fiery lampwork bead and the entire piece is divine!


There are many members of the Myth Cycle group and some that are distantly related, like the Thunderbird, out of Native American spiritual beliefs.


For the Cure is a necklace for breast cancer awareness. The proceeds from the sale of this piece go towards the treatment of and search for a cure for breast cancer.

Kathleen is also an active Etsian and is a member of multiple Street Teams:

The INCrowd, a group of Etsy artisans located in Indiana. Enter "incrowd" in your Etsy search to find them.

EarthPath Artisans Street Team (EAST). A group of people who walk similar alternative spiritual paths, focusing on beliefs in the world of Nature. Enter “EAST” in your search to find EAST members!

etsyBEAD street team, Etsians who create beads or beaded jewelry.

Tranquil Beading Oasis (TBO), a group of jewelry and bead artisans. Enter “TBO” on etsy to find the creations of these many talented artists.

Since we are both member of EAST, one of Etsy's Street Teams (Yay, EAST!), I had often seen Kathleen's lovely jewelry in our forum discussions, admired her range of styles and wondered what sparks her inventive fires. Here are her answers to some of my nosy questions:

Q: If you had to pick ONE piece of art or book that continually inspires you, what would it be? And why?
A: Inspiration....hmmmmm....probably a small watercolor that my brother did MANY years ago called "Paradise Lost". Eve has pulled the apple from the tree (a sparse tree, no leaves, just a trunk and one branch) and the tree and apple are bleeding. She has her hand to her cheek as if to say "Oh no, what have I done?". Adam is slumped against the base of the trunk like a rag doll. It is very simple yet says so much....

Q: One movie that is your absolute, bottom line favorite - and why?
A: Movie...I don't think I can name just one...I love "While You Were Sleeping" but "Stranger Than Fiction" ranks right up there and I can't leave the original "Pirates of the Caribbean" out of the running either.

Q: Favorite element and why?
A: Element - Air - it is all around us, within us, cushioning an protecting us, sustaining us and giving us life.

Q: What do you hope to learn to do in the next year (2008) that you do not know how to do now?
A: In the next year I would like to learn to.......do lots of things....make lampwork beads, work with stained glass, make anything pottery related. WILL I get to any of these? I don't know. The local center for the arts has pottery classes and I may try to take one in the spring, if I can find the time! Between working full time, being a mother and wife, doing housework, spending time online, making my jewelry, doing shows and working with other local craftspeople to promote our crafts and handmade items in general I don't get much free time!!!!

You would need to check out Kathleen's Etsy shops, Figments and Eclectic Miscellany, to truly appreciate her range and depth of inspiration. Do so, at once. You WON'T be sorry!



And don't forget to BUY HANDMADE! These are gifts that show the recipient that you cared enough to give more than money; you care enough to make sure they have something different. Many handmade items are unique or very limited editions!