TDN Creations

For beautiful handcrafted jewelry, TDN Creations is one shop you need to check out! Each piece is carefully handcrafted in a Montreal, Canada studio.
Rings, bracelets, earrings...they are all here!

First let's get to know a little more about the artist from her shop profile:


"I've been crafting for as long as I can remember.
I "discovered" wire working several years ago, and a passion was born. I then decided to take metal smith classes to bring my creations to the next level.

I've been working with many different materials, from felt to silk, to polymer clay and crystals. But my favorite of all is silver. Especially silver wire.

Most of my work include wire. It is so versatile. You can twist it, weave it, crochet it, knit it, make jump rings and chain maille with it... So many possibilities that I want to explore thoroughly.

I like pure lines and simple designs. Because the simple things in life are often the best."

The Summer Wind Sterling Silver Ring is so unique! It looks more like art than a piece of jewelry! It has been handforged from a 2.15mm round wire. This ring is made to order to your personal size. It is gorgeous!

If you are looking for some sparkle, then the Stalagtite Earrings are for you. Every move while wearing these makes you shine a little more. They are made of a thick round wire that has been hammered, lightly bent and tumbled to a high shine. The earrings hang from a handmade ear wire and measure approximately 56mm in length.

Lastly, the Harlequin Sterling Silver Ring has diamond and round shapes that have been hand cut and go around the entire band. It has been polished to a high shine. This one is a real attention getter!

To find these beauties and more visit http://TDNCreations.etsy.com.

Crafted By Design

Crafted by Design specializes in sewn crafts, crocheted items, and wood-turning. Custom orders are available for all slings, aprons, hair bows, and pens/fire pistons. Their work is awesome!

Let's get to know a little more about the shop owners in their own words:

"I have always loved to craft, and enjoy trying new techniques. I am a stay at home mom to 5 lovely children ranging in age from 1-15. Between my children, my crafting, and the elementary PTO (where I am Vice President), I am just about always busy!
All the woodworking is done by my husband, when he is not busy with his "real" job, or his side businesses (yes, he has more than one!).
The jewelry is made by my mother-in-law. She is a very talented artist in many areas, but jewelry is the only one of her talents we've been able to convince her to try to sell some of her work.

My favorite item would have to be the black and green ring sling! My personal ring sling saved my sanity with my last child, so I have a special fondness for them, and this particular turned out so pretty! I love that the pocket is nearly invisible, even when you know it is there!"


There is so much to choose from in the Crafted By Design shop. There is such a wide array of different items. The woodcraft item that caught my attention was the Wood Business Card Holder. It is made with 2 contrasting hardwoods (Paduak and Maple). It easily holds 25 business cards. They can be carried in a pocket or bag while closed, but can also be opened and placed on a desk or table for easy access. Each business card hold is made to order. This is a very attractive piece!

There are so many great crochet items too. My favorite is the Pumpkin Hat. It is adorable! The hat comes adorned with crocheted green stem, vines and leaf. The brim can be rolled down to give a little more growing room, or to cover the ears in icy weather. It is available in a wide selection of sizes. This little hat is perfect for Halloween or just festive for the Fall season!

The Ring Slings are a must for any mother to a young child! They come in a wide variety of colors. They also can be custom made!

There is so much more to see than these few items! Visit http://CraftedByDesign.etsy.com.

Prism Moon Designs

Prism Moon Designs specializes in unique handmade wire art jewelry, animal and fantasy sculptures and whimsical costume fairy horns. Sarah creates so many wonderful things!

Let's get to the artist better per an excerpt from her profile:

"Prism Moon Designs consists of 23-year-old Sarah, an abnormally quirky young lady with an overactive imagination and the attention span of a ferret on crack.

I share my home with 3 dogs, a rabbit, 12 rats, a blue tongued skink lizard, a Saharan uromastyx lizard, an albino milk snake, a Brazilian rainbow boa, a tarantula and a bunch of fish.
When not slaving away at my job as a manager at a pet store (shocking!), I can usually be found making shiny things into even shinier ones, or pillaging unsuspecting villages. I try to inject a little magic and sparkle into everyday life."


Sarah's sculptures are beautiful! My favorite is Dotty the Pink Baby Dragon. She's soft pearly pink with golden spots and spikes, has glossy black hematite eyes, and is curled protectively around a bright pink vintage glass gem. Every dragon needs a shiny, after all! She measures about 2 1/2 x 2 inches around and only about 1 1/2 inch to the tip of her ears from the ground. She's made of durable unpainted polymer clay, and sealed for protection and a glossy finish.

Prism Moon Designs features many pieces of handmade wire art jewelry. My favorites are the Blush Necklace and the Twinkle Amethyst Earrings. The Blush Necklace is a smooth oval of subtly crackled fire agate surrounded by swirls of gold plated artistic wire and accented with tiny fire polished glass beads. A truly gorgeous necklace! Amethyst is one of my favorite stones, so the Twinkle Amethyst Earrings were sure to get my attention! The earrings feature lovely violet amethyst rounds that are suspended in swirls of silver plated artistic wire, accented with matching sparkling crystals.

Halloween is soon approaching. Visit Sarah's shop to see her awesome costume horns also!

To see all these great things and more visit http://prismmoon.etsy.com.

Teresa's Quilts

I have found a very talented quilter on Etsy. Teresasquilts is a must see quilt shop! Each of her creations has such detail!



I asked Teresa to tell us a little about herself, this was her response:


"My passion is quilting. I have two wonderful grandchildren and love to sew for them. I also like to give quilts to friends and family. The only reason I sell my work is to support my "habit" of sewing for others.

My favorite item is "Toss the Bouquet". That quilt was a challenge for me, so I am very pleased that I was able to complete it.

I also do one-of-a-kind "photo memory quilts". They are great family treasures that allow me to make personal connections, and of course are fun for me to make. Creating a family heirloom is an extremely meaningful experience and gives me satisfaction beyond words."

With so many beautiful creations, it was very hard to narrow it down to three favorites! The Toss the Bouquet is one of Teresa and my favorites! That is one gorgeous quilt! It is a terrific pattern and the colors all work so well together. This quilt fits a queen or king size bed. It features a prairie points border that adds that special extra detail. The back is handsewn and high-loft batting is used to add extra thickness and comfort.

Another quilt that caught my eye was the Purple Passion. Teresa used beautiful shades of purple and gold for this one. The framing of the center is outlined with gold ribbon. The binding is done in gold satin. It has been machine pieced and quilted with coordinating purple thread. The Purple Passion has an oriental theme. It is made to fit a full size bed.

The quilted wall hangings from Teresasquilts are a must see too! The Budding Beauty is my favorite. It features a dark background, an earth tone vase with a bright cheery bouquet of flowers. It also features prairie points for part of it's framing.

This is just a few of Teresa's many creations. To see them all visit http://teresasquilts.etsy.com.

Lost River Rags

For a great selection of body pampering products you must visit LostRiverRags! They feature scrumptious soaps, lotions, and other great body products!

Let's get to know a little more about the shop per an excerpt from their profile:


"We specialize in creating Hand-Poured Goat's Milk Soap...which is FREE of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS ) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)! We use the purest fragrance oils, goat's milk, and glycerin to create this perfect soap for you. Our Goat's Milk Soap is a great moisturizer, keeping your skin silky smooth all year long, even during those winter months.

We also create Hand-Poured Soy Wax candles! Soy wax not only burns on average of 12 hours longer than a parrafin candle, they are also clean burning! No SOOT!!! Our wicks are 100 PERCENT COTTON!!!!

Lost River Rags & CandlesLights was all started in the little town of Lost River, West Virginia. Now, six years later, we reside in Broadway, VA where we've carried our business on!

We are a husband and wife team who create our products right out of our home! We've dedicated a room just for creating our bath & body projects! We love working together and creating our luxurious products just for you!"


With all the wonderful scents it's hard to choose just a few items! The Pomegranate Mango Swirl Soap caught my attention just by it's appearance! It is hand rolled, so no two are alike! The smell of pomegranate and mango just seems like a warm summer day! The beautiful shades of orange and pink are eye catching too!

The Sandlewood Fleur De Leis soap is made with goats milk. It is another of LostRiverRags beautiful soaps. These soaps are not only wonderfully scented but are really great to look at! This soap is a very soft, musky, earthy scent. All bars of soap come with a silky matching tie and an official Lost River Rags and CandleLights hang tag with complete ingredients listed inside. On the inside left of the tag there is a place where you can write who its To and whom its From. A GREAT GIFT IDEA!

LostRiverRags also has a line of soy candle. The Hot Apple Pie would have to be my favorite of these! There just something about the comfort of smelling fresh apples baking! There are many , many scents to choose from. They are in a special flat mason jar.

To find all these wonderful items visit http://LostRiverRags.etsy.com.

You can also find them on their blog at:
http://LostRiverRags.blogspot.com

StarGazingWoodElf

StarGazingWoodElf features one of a kind handcrafted fantasy jewelry, costumes, clothing, and accessories. There are so many beautiful items in this shop!

First, let's get to know Victoria a little better. I asked her to tell the readers a little about herself, and this was her response:

"I started creating jewelry about 3-4 years ago, when I wanted a very specific piece, and could not find it anywhere! I eventually decided that it "couldn't be that hard, right?" After purchasing a few basic supplies, I gave it a try. The first piece was far from beautiful, but the inspiration it created was. I just had to create more... and more...and more, and then people started asking me where I got my jewelry.... and it grew into a legitimate reason to open an etsy shop :o) I really love Etsy!

My favorite hobbies are: Reading, Music, Making Jewelry, Designing and creating costumes, Sketching/Painting, Dancing, Practicing Originality, etc..... I love trying new things!

Well, I am the oldest in a family of 10 children…… That makes life interesting, but I loved it! I finished High School last year, and I’m working toward a Folk Art School hopefully in the next year or so."

One of my favorite pieces from Victoria's shop is also one of her favorites. The Elven Viking Pendant and Chain is truly beautiful. It is reminiscent of the Evenstar pendant, from Lord of the Rings, but with it's own flair. Looped and swirled silver tone wire forms the base, in a basic "V" shape, then additional swirls are added all along the length of it. Inside the center loops of wire are placed several little glass beads, to add a drop of color and visual interest. It would make a wonderful gift!

The Whisp of Imagination Elven Ring is wonderful. Silver tone wire has been carefully wrapped into a circle, wound about with wire of a finer gauge, twisted, wrapped and detailed. Swirls and two coordinating beads add color and character.

The Assym style Dance Dress is a must see. It is an one of a kind outfit by Victoria Dunnaway for StarGazingWoodElf. The two piece set includes a handkerchief skirt and a Assym cut halter style top. This set is beautiful, dainty, and feminine. You just have to see it!

I own a bracelet made by Victoria. It is stunning and is made with the utmost care and skill. It has become one of my favorite bracelets!

To see all these beautiful items visit http://StarGazingWoodElf.etsy.com.

****10% off to any The3Maries readers if they mention the blog at checkout!!

Cowgirljunk

"We believe true cowgirl style and spirit lives a little in every woman. We believe that for over 100 years real cowgirl style has never gone out of fashion.

Buck the rules and may you always find the path of happy trails!"

You will find this statement in Kelly's shop announcement! Boy is it true! Cowgirljunk is a wonderful vintage shop with very interesting items.

First let's get to know a little more about Kelly via an excerpt from her profile:

"I'm a native Southern California girl!
Raised riding horses and spending whatever time I wasn't riding, at the beach.
Needless to say these two lifestyles influence me the most regarding my personal style and creativity.

I'm an old soul and vintage is a true passion.

I've been very active in Greyhound rescue, horse rescue and I support Surfers Healing a Foundation for Autism.
www.surfershealing.org
www.hemopet.org
www.tierrescue.org

The vintage bridles, bits and rosettes are my favorite items."

The vintage Pickle Caster caught my attention. It is beautiful! It has a wonderful amber pattern glass insert. The fans both open and closed accent the top. The tongs are highly decorated as well with bird foot ends. Circa. 1870 - 1890

Her Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls are awesome! They are an awesome pair! You just have to see these!

The Vintage 1970's Men's Hawaiian Shirt is in near mint condition! The fabric is a great print. This is one great find!

Cowgirljunk offers so much more than the few items I have mentioned. Drop by and see for yourself http://cowgirljunk.etsy.com.

Don't forget to check out Kelly's other shop too, http://BohemianFleaMarket.etsy.com.

Inkcredible Creations

If you are looking for awesome paper crafts Inkredible Creations is the place for you! Beth is really talented at her craft!

Let's get to know her better in her own words:

"I am a stay at home mom to 2 beautiful kids, daughter is 6 and son in 4. I have enjoyed crafting for most of my life. I have been scrapbooking for over 10 years and paper crafting for about 5 years. I also have been making fabric gift bags for about 8 years. I love to see the reaction on someone's face when they receive a handmade gift from me. It makes all the time and effort put into it, so worth it! One of my favorite items in the shop is my premade scrapbooks. They are really cute in person!! (and so much fun to make!!!)"

I personally own one of her creations and love it! I've found some new favorites in her shop! The Altered Lunchbox/Memory Tin in the football team is great. It would be a perfect way to hold all your special one's football memories year to year. There are six sections inside the altered tin: players, games, plays, coaches, schedule, practices. You could keep pictures, newspaper clippings, schedules,or anything else you would want to save from the football season.

The Boo to You Halloween scrapbook would be perfect for those upcoming Halloween pictures! It is made of very boo-tiful Halloween colored papers. This book is truly a gem.

Beth makes many cards also. The Cupcake Birthday Card is adorable! It's made of bright beautiful colors and the cupcakes look like they have icing on them!

Visit http://bjacobs150.etsy.com for all these wonderful items and more!

Runway Crochet

Runway Crochet is a wonderful shop on Etsy. So many treasures to find! The owner Vickey is one of the kindest, most sincere people you will ever meet. She is all about helping others! I am truly blessed to have met her!

Let's get to know this wonderful lady better! Here is an excerpt from her shop profile:

"What kid didn't toy with the idea of fashion design using paper dolls by tracing them and creating fashions out of different papers, crayons, markers, pencils and a pair of scissors? I sure did but, when it came to going off to college, fashion was not one of the subjects I studied. As the matter of fact, my high school sweetheart accused me of not being "in style" at the time. I guess some men do pay attention to those sort of things more than you'd think.

It wasn't until a few years after I graduated that I actually started to teach myself how to crochet along with learning a few other crafts and needle arts. A gift from my father, Reader's Digest Guide to Needlework was the book that started it all! Besides that, there are so many wonderful books from published crochet designers out there with so many gorgeous things to drool over – I can't imagine not wanting to crochet some of them, and create a few original designs of my own. Otherwise, I'd be bored stupid!

It’s fairly easy but, time consuming to make enough “plarn” (combo plastic + yarn) to make a large shoulder tote like the one in my shop (about 50 or more bags) However, I save all of my bags. I’m a horrible pack rat saving everything and anything I think I might be able to use to make something with! My late grandmoms, who lived through the Great Depression, were a HUGE influence on me. So glad I could spend the time with them that I did while they were here.

I just wish I was talented enough to create something really original! Most everything I do create or design is made based on something I’ve seen or a combination of things I've seen. The tote is based on a leather bag I carry everywhere. The baby doll tunic is based on a favorite cloth top I had in high school. Nothing really unique here. But, I keep trying, hoping, crocheting and crafting! Got to find that niche to be successful on Etsy. Would love to quit my day job but that’s really pie in the sky!!! LOL! I’m just happy the good Lord gave me the ability to learn how to do some of this stuff. It’s fun, it takes my mind off of any troubles, and I really love to create these things."

Vickey is too modest in my opinion. Her creations are beautiful! The Circle Lace Vest II is awesome. The colors are gorgeous! The blues, pinks, purples, and yellows are real eye catchers! So feminine!

The Large Shoulder Tote bag is another terrific find. It is completely made from white, black and red plastic grocery bags. A great example of upcycling!

Vickey also sells some wonderful vintage dolls. The Vintage Doll from Scotland is one of my favorites! This vintage hard plastic doll was purchased in Scotland in the 1960's. It stands about 11 inches tall with blonde braids, hand painted facial features, chubby cheeks and blue sleep eyes. The costume consists of plaid kilt and scarf, black velvet jacket with ruffled shirt underneath, boots and hat. She is adorable!

To see all the wonderful things Runwaycrochet has to offer visit http://runwaycrochet.etsy.com.
You can also find Vickey on Twitter, Facebook, and her blog!
http://twitter.com/runwaycrochet
http://www.facebook.com/runwaycrochet.fans
http://runwaycrochet.blogspot.com/

***Special offers for The3Maries readers!!!
1) 10 % off any purchase in Runwaycrochet's shop if you mention this blog at checkout!
2) Fan Runway Crochet on Facebook and choose one of her fabulous hat pin cushions. ( I have the Ladybug and love it!) Simply fan her page..check out the photos for the hat pin cushions and lay claim to the pin cushion by leaving their name, your blog name and the words, "I've got this one!" in the comments next to the picture of the hat pin cushion of their choice. There are 16 to choose from!

The Killer B's

Vintage elements and jewelry, how can you go wrong?
The KillerB's is an awesome jewelry shop I just discovered on Etsy. Every item is handmade by Christine and one of a kind!

To get to know Christine a little better I have taken an excerpt from her profile and her own response:

"I was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta Canada. I have two kids who are 15 and 18. I love jewelry and I have always been creative and I finally put the two together. I like pieces that are original and one of a kind, not mass produced and I believe that something handmade and one of a kind is a worthwhile investment. It is very important to me so people know they are wearing something unique to them. I love to work with old vintage ads and my favourite is the Pink Pussycat Striptease school pendant. "

With so many one of a kind creations, it's hard to pick a favorite! The Alka Seltzer Necklace features a vintage ad from 1953 for Speedy Alka-Seltzer effervescent tablets. This is an ad for Alka-Seltzer so naturally the pendant is accompanied by a hot dog charm, frying eggs charm and a Chinese takeout container charm. Who thought that something to do with Alka Seltzer could be so pretty? This is a clever use of charms and advertisement. I love it!

I love Johnny Cash, so the Johnny Cash Concert Poster necklace was a neat find. This wonderful necklace features a poster for a Johnny Cash concert held October 2, 1997 with special guest June Carter Cash. It is accented with a horseshoe charm and a silver bead.

I don't have any tattoos myself, but I love the Tattooed Lady Retro Charm Bracelet! This gorgeous charm bracelet features six small picture pendants with traditional tattoo images alongside traditional tattoo charms. This bracelet is finished off with Swarovski crystals. You just have to see it!

To find all these one of a kind creations visit http://TheKillerBs.etsy.com.

You can also find Christine at TheKillerB's sister shop http://chrisn123.etsy.com and on her blog at http://www.bandbthekillerbs.blogspot.com.

Night Owl Craftworks

Night Owl Craftworks is a great shop with great handmade journals, sketchbooks, stamps, and much more.

All the books are hand bound by Sally. The stamps are carved by her husband from his original drawings.

I asked Sally what was one of her favorite items from her shop, this was her response:

"Right now it's the sketchbooks with tie. I am always looking for a new twist to the traditional, and still be very functional. I like the thought of people actually using these journals & sketchbooks rather than having them collect dust. My husband has many journals that he kept of his artwork from college and it's nice to go through those and see how far he's come in his artwork.

I try to take custom orders as they come. If someone has a certain thing they are looking for, I try to work with them as best as I can. I like to be challenged to try new designs or different types of books."

It's hard to choose favorites for me in this shop! Every item is so beautiful!

The ACEO Holder "The Little Black Book" is a unique item. It is 4" tall, by 3.5" wide, made with brown kraft paper, textured black hard cover and a neat little green ribbon to keep the aceo's secure. It has 12 pockets to tuck away your collection.

Plaid your thing? Then you will love the Large Irish Plaid Journal. It contains 50 pages, 100 pages front & back of crisp white paper.
It's made of acid-free materials. The binding thread is a heavy waxed linen thread. This book is ideal for jotting down ideas and doodles.

With my love of sketching, the Candied Flowers Sketchbook was the first item that caught my eye. Beautifully crafted it is made much like the journals, just a different size.

Visit http://nightowlcraftwork.etsy.com to find all these great journals, sketchbooks, and more!
You stay connected with Sally on her blog and Twitter:
www.nightowlcraftworks.blogspot.com
www.twitter.com/nightowlcraft

****Special discount for The3Marie's readers!! Type "I heart The3Maries" in the message to seller field until the end of September 2009 and receive 10% off!!

Green Attic Vintage

Green Attic Vintage features birch bark lamp shades, toothbrush rag rugs, vintage and rare books, kids books and magazines, and vintage collectibles. There is lots to see and discover in this shop!

First, let's get some background on Tita, the shop owner. I asked her to tell us a little about herself and this was her response and an excerpt from her profile bio:

"In the summer, my sister and I have an interesting life on an island in the north woods of Minnesota. So far this year, we have had encounters with two bears, a deer swimming right in front of the porch, a family of beavers, a big brown rabbit, lots of birds, and two large snakes that live in the rocks by the house. We have trained the eagles to come to a rock in front of the house; when they see the kayak, they know that fish trimmings are coming and they usually fly to the rock right away! I asked the local eagle expert and he said eagles indeed can learn things like this rather quickly; we have been doing this for a number of years now. You can be as close as about 20 feet from them. It does make it interesting trying to mail things I have sold if the winds are bad and I can't get across the lake to the post office.

We are two sisters who are retired school teachers and avid re-users and recyclers for the past 45 years! We are preparing to move to smaller retirement places, so you will find antiques and collectibles which have been in our family for many years. We also love to discover great old things to pass along to people who appreciate well made vintage. Remember the days when you could get things made in the USA? Buying vintage, you still can!

We like to craft things out of birch bark, and you will find lampshades and other items crafted from trees felled by beavers in the north woods. No trees are killed to make our items.

We believe in saving our planet by buying green, buying vintage, shipping with recycled material whenever we can, and living lightly on the earth."



Green Attic Vintage has some really cool copies of Jack and Jill Magazine. They have five copies from 1946! I've included a picture of the one "Daddy Home from the War".

The Antique Sternauware ceramic tray with four coasters is so unique! This comes from Tita's grandmother's cabin in the North Country. She started cottaging in 1916 and enjoyed many many happy summers in the cottage on the lake. Time has come for Tita and her sister to find new homes for some of the many things that have been in the family for decades. The hand painted vintage trinket box is also a wonderful find! It was made in Japan and features a beautiful floral pattern.

Stop by http://greenatticvintage.etsy.com and check out all these wonderful things and more!

Happy Grandparent's Day!

Happy Grandparent's Day! Hope all the Grandpas, PawPaws, Nanas, Gram Grams, Grammies, Pops, and Grannies have a wonderful day!


I just love this photo of my maternal grandparents, Ocie and Dorothy ( I called them Papa Bear and Mama Bear. This photo was taken in 1946. Both are deceased now. I miss them so much! My paternal grandparents, Clovis and Bonnie(PawPaw and Mawmaw), are also deceased. Thinking about them all the time, but especially today!

My husband has one grandparent still living. An active 77 year old name Ruby. We are so blessed to have her in our lives. I didn't get to know his Grandpa, but dearly love his Granny and Pappaw.

My little girl has the best grandparents! She loves her PawPaw and Nana and her Grammi and Pop! She has lots of other she has "adopted" also. :)

Not just today, but everyday we should cherish those loved ones in our lives!

Happy Grandparent's Day!!

Simply Inviting Cards and Keepsakes

Simply Inviting Cards offers wonderful handcrafted greetings cards, albums and paper goods. There are so many great things to choose from! From Holiday cards, Everyday cards, to neat things like recipe books!

Let's get to know Jen, the owner, better. I asked her to give some background on her and her shop, this was her response:

"I'm 33 years old and live in Manhattan, Kansas with loving and very supportive husband, Rusty. We will celebrate our first wedding anniversary at the end of October. :) We also share our home with our 3 year-old Bluetick Coonhound, Blaster.

I've been a creative soul for as long as I can remember. My first art form was music. My mom alwasy told stories about how I would tap my foot and keep tempo with music that played on the radio. I don't remember this, so it had to be before my earliest memories. I started playing the French Horn in 5th grade and continued playing for the next 15 years. I enjoyed writing stories and poems in grade school. I also enjoyed reading books and magazines and watching shows revolving around interior design and decorating. By high school, I was heavily involved in instrumental music, theatre, musicals, and forensics. After high school, I attended college for a few years. I continued playing the Horn for a few more years after that. By 19, I had already started designing web sites. In doing so, I became more acquainted with digital illustration and photo rendering software. Remember Photoshop 4.0? That was my introduction to visual creativity!

I had trouble finding my niche, so I quit school and entered the work force. At this point, I was developing a web site for a locally owned book store. It was there that I took advantage of the art classes offered through the store. Through the classes, I learned that I liked working with grungy color and texture, no matter what the media was. I continued working at the store for a few more years before moving on. My next job was at a locally owned newspaper in a nearby town. The web design experience was very helpful, but learning the print side of design had an entirely different set of rules. It was at this job I quickly gained a different aspect to my personal aesthetic - clean shapes and lines! Interestingly enough, any combination of grungy colors, grungy textures, and clean lines do find their way into my items today!

There are a couple of different versions of the story of how I got into card making. My version of the story is this - card making started as a necessity. When Rusty and I were planning our wedding, we really didn't find any invitations or stationery that jived well with our personal tastes. I bought some card making magazines and did a little Googling to see what DIY stationery other brides were doing. I had some background in painting, drawing, mixed media, print publishing, web design, and digital art. It just made sense to me that I make our stationery instead of searching for stationery I'd never find. After that, I spent the next several months making everything by hand! The save the dates, invitations, programs, place cards, table numbers, and escort cards. I received so much great feedback from our wedding guests that after the wedding, I just continued to make cards."

Some of her favorite items from her shop are: The Explore Textured Collage Blank Greeting Card,The Imagine Winged Woman Blank Card,In Dreams Ivory and Black Blank Card,The Family Word Photo Album, and anything from the Halloween shop section!

I found some I was fond of too! The Haunting Halloween Sentiments Accordion is awesome! It is just layers and layers of Halloween delight! The Favorite Recipes Black Chipboard Album is another great find. This recipe album has black chipboard covers with a coordinating red, black, green, cream, and white medallion on the front. The Favorite Recipes graphic is stamped with black ink, embossed with clear embossing powder, and colored with Prismacolor Art Markers.The perimeter of the front cover is decorated with faux white stitching. Coordinating stitched grosgrain ribbon adorns the silver binder rings, which open easily for the addition of more pages. A great card for any occasion is the Fly Colorful Bird Card is great! It can be used for any reason. It is a very fun and colorful card!

Simply Inviting cards has new lines of items coming out soon! Check them out at http://SimplyInvitingCards.etsy.com.

RemindersOfThePast

RemindersOfThePast is an awesome vintage shop. It has some of the most beautiful vintage formal wear that I have seen. Natalie also carries vintage home decor, linen, supplies and much more.

I asked Natalie to tell us about herself, here is her response:

"I consider myself to be an "old soul" and love anything "well loved". I often times conjure up a story in my mind of where some of my listings came from and what stories they could tell.

I like to think that my shop is where someone can stroll through an open flea market while in the comfort of their own home and that they might find something that would bring a memory to their mind or smile to their face. That would make me very happy.

I also have a second shop - Willows Nest - where I sell my handmade primitive pieces."

It took me a while to browse through all of Natalie's beautiful items. Two formal dresses caught my eye very quickly! The first just says 1980's all the way! Although it dates back to the 50's and 60's. I would refer to it as the "Pretty in Pink" Dress. It reminds me so much of the one Molly Ringwald wore in that movie. Just lots of pretty cotton candy pink material and ruffles! The Black and Red Ball Gown is truly amazing! It looks brand new! The gown is black with large red flocked polka dots. The polka dots are all over the dress, front, back and sleeves. The skirt is full, flowing and reaches to the floor. There are 4 layers - the top layer is soft tulle netting with the red polka dots and has approximately 13" of ruffle at the bottom. The second layer is also tulle but has no polka dots. The third layer is taffeta and the 4th layer is a crinoline type netting. This dress is gorgeous! A must see!

The Johnson Brothers Bread and Butter set of 4 plates is a great find also!These plates were made in England and have a lovely pattern that's called "Hearts & Flowers". There is a folk art man and woman holding hands surrounded by hearts and flowers.

Visit http://ReminderOfThePast.etsy.com for these treasures and more. Also don't forget to stop by Natalie's other shop http://WillowsNest.etsy.com for her handmade items!

****Natalie is offering 10% off purchases from her shop if you mention this blog!

Grandmasjewelry777

Grandmasjewelry777 has so many treasures! From vintage and antique jewelry to the most unusual finds! The quality is unbeatable!

Anna is a sweetheart and know her stuff about vintage! Everyone should have the opportunity to get to know her better! Here is her own words per her shop profile:

"I love to garden & read the Bible & be with friends. My best friend is Jesus next are my pets.

My Specialties & Interests
I favor Cameos & Jewelry Fine to Costume - Vintage to Antique Jewelry older items from rocks to paper a wide variety of unique & quality items.

I also try to research all the items offered here. I have done some oil acrylic paintings - which I do plan to offer some time in the future.

I am now working on some OOAK miniatures - pictures scenes & jewelry. Keep checking for the new additions."

While corresponding with Anna, I asked her what some of her favorite items were from her shop. Some of her responses were some of my favorite picks too! The Magic Lantern Glass Slide title "Ten Nights Bar Room" is a very unusual find. First I say it's unusual because of the artwork, second its from the late 1800's! Next is the Ketcham & McDougall 1940s metal Retractable Watch Chain pin pendant. The watch is by Caravelle - it is a wind up. It has a unique look to it, not like ordinary pocket watches. The Man in the Moon Marine pin is cool find! It features the moon with a sly smile on his face, a sleek sail boat & waves under the ship with two palm trees - and a brass Marines WWII shield on it. The detail on it is amazing. I had never seen one of these pins before now. Lastly, I have admired cameos my whole life. Loved the cameo jewelry my mother and grandmother wore. When I saw the 14k Cameo ring in Anna's shop, it made me smile. The ring features a carved Cameo that is light orange set in the center of Art Deco style design setting. A very beautiful classic piece of jewerly. Anna also has a other wonderful cameo pieces.

To find these great items and lots, lots more visit http://grandmasjewelry777.etsy.com.

Quiltedbabe

My late grandmother was an avid quilter. She did beautiful work. I have found a shop that features beautiful quilted works, felting and knitted items.
Quiltedbabe does it all!

In her own words, let us learn a little more about Becky:

"My mom and grandmother were both wonderful seamstresses. There wasn't anything they couldn't make or alter. I have inhereted all the quilts from generations gone by. Because of finances they never got into the intricate quilting, but I have 2 pieces that are probably from my great grandmother that are very interesting. I really think it is an art from the soul, but then maybe others think that about there art as well. I know most pieces are an emotional experience for me. When I quilt I wonder how long this quilt will be in a family. Who will us it and who will treasure it, etc..."

The Courthouse Steps Patchwork Quilt is the item that led me Becky's shop. The quilt measures 85" X 67". It features a multitude of pretty colors and wonderful fabric prints. The quilting on the piece is Baptist Fan. The back is also quilted. It is a very beautiful quilt!

Quiltedbabe also features many other items other than quilts. The Glitzy Silver/Grey Scarf is one of a kind. Made from glitter yarn, this scarf measures 42" long X 4 1/2" wide. It is adorned with heart, butterfly and star for a unique effect. This scarf would be great for girls young and old! Becky also has many quilted holiday items in her shop. Her Scrappy Christmas stockings are very festive and would be a great addition to anyone's holiday decor.

So stop on by http://Quiltedbabe.etsy.com and see what handmade surprises await you!