Rose of Sharon Jewelry

Natural garnets were the perfect choice for the new handmade Wine Drops bracelet. This new addition to the A.F.F. Jewelry line at Etsy is so juicy and rich. The deep wine purple reminded me the rich colors found in my favorite Shiraz.

This lovely new bracelet is a personal favorite - delicate in appearance but a fashion powerhouse. Here’s some pictures to drool over.

 

Wine Drops fits wrists up to 7 3/4 inches.                    

The double strand of garnets are gently intertwined.

   

A sterling silver toggle clasp secures the bracelet.

 

We’ve got 38 handmade bracelets, earrings, beaded watches (bracelet style), necklaces and multi-piece necklace sets in the A.F.F. Jewelry line at Etsy. Drop by and heart a few or select your favorite for someone special.

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Thanks for stopping by again. Don’t forget to check out the newest releases in the Rose of Sharon Jewelry store.

Want to win 2 bars of luscious handmade soap? Check out Inner Earth Soaps contest (ends 8/16) at http://tinyurl.com/nypz9h.

 

Chocolate Mint and Blackberry Oatmeal soaps by Inner Earth Soaps are guaranteed calorie free!

These are two of my favorites “flavors” so you can bet I entered today!

I also popped over to Erin’s Etsy store to see what fun items this Australian crafter is up to. I’m still a kid at heart so I love the yellow rubber ducky soap. This adorable version of the classic features a squirter toy inside.

The ducky soap is created from Erin’s handmade cold press soap and has a fruity apple scent. Yum!

Don’t forget to share some hearts when you visit the Etsy store of Inner Earth Soaps.

 

If you haven’t tried handmade soap – it’s a great luxury that won’t break the bank.

Not only do I love this wonderful handmade quilted hobo bag in purples – I also love its creator, Olivia. Liv is a wildly creative gal with a fabulous eye for color. This medium sized hobo bag artistically combines 9 different complementary purple-toned fabrics.

 

Olivia makes jewelry (she’s a Rose of Sharon Jewelry family artist), quilts, purses, bags, scarves, mufflers and more. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Her hobo bag (and a matching wristlet) is beautifully constructed. It measures 12.5” by 8.5” and uses an off-white lining.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Designed for a comfy fit under your arm, the coordinating handle is a sturdy 21.5”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you love purple, you’ll want to click right over to her Etsy shop, Beyond the Rabbit Hole, and snap it up! Don’t forget to heart her shop, too!

Olivia has just opened a Facebook fan page for  Beyond the Rabbit Hole. She could use some new friends who love handmade!

Beautiful blue freshwater pearl "eggs" adorn sterling silver bird's nest earrings in today's great jewelry find. This messy (yet very controlled) wire wrapping style has been gaining popularity and this lovely pair of handmade earrings are a great example of the design technique. Out of the Pink Sky sells her handcrafted jewelry on Etsy. Stop by and give her a heart!

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Finishing our prep for Saturday's booth/show at the Reno Scion promotional event so I haven't had time to write too much. Mom and Sarah are visiting, too so we've been working together to create several new wedding necklaces and learn some new techniques.

Originally uploaded by yifatiii These adorable handmade miniatures of rich, calorie-laden desserts are polymer clay so you have eye-candy with zero calories. While created for a dollhouse display, these would be so much fun as little thank you gifts.

Yifatiii's Sweets & Treats creates these tiny collectibles along with magnets and the sweetest sewing pin toppers.

You can admire and purchase Yifat's miniatures on Etsy. Other photos are on Flickr - click the picture to view more.

Is Etsy "peddling" false hopes for women? That's the question posed by Sara Mosle at DoubleX.com in her June 10th essay - Etsy.com Peddles a False Feminist Fantasy. I love a good controversy and this a real thought-provoker for the handmade community. So is this essay merely a smear job of Etsy or are there some valuable lessons to be learned?

As a new Etsy seller and online marketer of handmade jewelry, I'm one of millions of women around the world seeking financial security based on our hand-made efforts. I'm also a card-carrying feminist dedicated to supporting women.

Amelia McDonell-Parry of The Frisky.com also weighs in on the "female ghetto" aspect of craft-related careers in her discussion of this essay.

There are plenty  of jobs that are "feminine ghettos" where the majority of workers are women and the wages and benefits aren't equal to similar work in male dominated industries. Ever since our mothers started entering the work-force in large numbers, women have struggled for parity. Combine that with our significant domestic burdens and you’re looking at women who searching for creative economic solutions.

The ability to operate a home-based business between diaper-changes, Girl Scout meetings and bedtime stories has a tremendous appeal. You can set your own hours (finally have a few minutes after midnight - great get that new scarf posted in the store before you crash); work part-time (even though you may have a full-time "out of the home" job) to help support your family; or you always wanted to make dozens of handmade coasters (just like the ones you made for Mom in art class).

For the readers following my Starting a Handmade Business series, you know that I'm not a fan of the overly optimistic message "you too can be a craft millionaire" often found in the handmade community - including on Etsy. I believe that "pie-in-the-sky" (I'm running out of clichés here. Ha!) outlooks aren't as supportive as they appear on the surface.

I personally think that a portion of this controversy arises from the way society values creative endeavors and how we rank their worthiness. The word “crafter” isn’t nearly as socially worthy as “artist”. 

I'd love to have you read the two articles linked above (they'll open in a new browser tab/window) then return here to comment, share, rant or weep as you see fit. This blog is a great community to really discuss how we can work together to ensure that Etsy, ArtFire and the growing number of reseller-oriented sites aren't the only ones making money from our talents. Many handmade artists/crafters/designers (choose your favorite name) - but sadly not all - will be able to reach the financial goals. But as these articles warn, the road will certainly be longer and more winding than we were lead to believe.

Please forward and share this post to your friends within the handmade community. You'll find all the social networking links below to help you get the message out.

And don't forget installment #3 of my business series will continue the conversation on Are you an Entrepreneur? Have you taken some time to mull over the questions? Are you afraid to? Share your thoughts and we'll collectively hold your hand.

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I never get tired of admiring the wonderful creations of fellow handmade jewelry artists. Today’s find is actually an entire Etsy store – Jewels by Nature.  Cheryl creates wonderful steampunk designs that feature watch components, cameos, hardware pieces and a lot of talent. Steampunk is a style that began in the 1980s as a sci-fi sub-genre. I would describe it as an reinterpretation of technology using Victorian imagery and influences. Think ornate filigree mixed with utilitarian components or a desktop computer made from Victorian gaslights. In jewelry, the style mixes metals, romantic and feminine images with more masculine components. Drop by Cheryl’s web site to learn more about Jewels by Nature, her wonderful designs and how she creates them. Here are a few of my favorites from Cheryl’s Etsy store.

1. Steamy Heart
2. Victorian Time Flask
3. Dragonfly Mash Locket

These lovely lavender pearl and Swarovski crystal earrings are quite popular on the Rose of Sharon Jewelry Flickr photostream. I suppose this means I need to get them posted in the Etsy store soon.