BusyBeadLady

I have discovered a wonderful jewelry shop with top quality items at truly affordable prices! BusyBeadLady is a shop full of treasures!

Let's find out some more about the owner:

"It was 1984 when I first met my husband.

Sometime in the next year, my sister-in-law called to say she would like to visit us. I had never met any of my husband's relatives, had not even talked to them on the phone. So I scrubbed the house during the day and lost sleep worrying at night. Would I like her? Would we have anything in common?

She arrived and I liked her immediately. She and my husband reminisced, I politely listened and learned all I could about this man I had come to love. Then he went to bed! She and I talked till 3:00AM!

The next day, as we talked more, she went to her luggage and removed a needle, some thread and all these tiny beads which I later learned were seed beads.

That was the day I found another love. It has been a slow, sweet and obsessive romance with the beads. A twisted, crimped up necklace strung on fishing wire, findings that turn your neck green, stringing a bracelet only to find I didn't use enough thread! Stalking beads wherever I could find them. Selling at craft shows in the rain. Craft shows in the wind. Craft shows in the heat.

But all these years later, I still love to sit in my work room and learn new things, adapt new ideas, find new materials and bead."

I love all her jewelry but chose three different items for this feature. First there is the Teal Heart Pendant. It is a delicate and really feminine necklace. The color is stunning. A glass heart pendant dangles from a gold tone bail.

Next the Vintage Pop Art earrings caught my eye. These are post earrings. They are made of brass and have enamel painting on the front. They are very pop art, as we would have said in the 60's. Each drop piece is quite different from each other, but they go together in a fun way.

Lastly there is the Daisy Yellow Nugget Bracelet. It looks like nuggets of sunshine to me. This bracelet is sure to brighten up your day!

To find all these great pieces and more visit http://BusyBeadLady.etsy.com. You won't be disappointed!

Also don't forget her second store:
http://AgelessThings.etsy.com

My Little Girl is One!

We just recently we celebrated my daughter, Mallory's, 1st birthday! There was chocolate, funfetti, and strawberry cake and cupcakes. We had punch and ice cream. There was a lot of little ones and grown ups too!







The party was beautiful. Mostly in part to the wonderful Sugar-n- Spice vintage inspired decorations I purchased from SendACelebration! Cheryl makes the greatest party decorations. SendACelebration has tons of beautiful custom birthday hats and decorations. If you need a package, Cheryl can do it. My package included the Happy Birthday Mallory banner, cupcake toppers, blowers, hats, treat bags, balloons, wall hangings, balloons, table confetti...The works! Cheryl's custom packages make planning your little ones birthday parties just a little bit easier!






I was even able to get a special hat and blower for Mallory to keep from her first party! Everyone just kept commenting on how beautiful and unique the decorations were! Perfect decorations for my little princess!





To find that special hat, decoration or custom package for your little lady or man visit http://SendACelebration.etsy.com.

Swiedebie

I have discovered a shop with the most awesome dolls and sock creatures! Swiedebie is wonderful! Every item is one of a kind!

I would like to introduce you to the shop owner, here is a bit about her in her own words:


"My name is Swee, I am a Singaporean, a fashion designer and a stay at-home-mom living in The Netherlands. I like to execute my ideas and love on things I create for my family, home and currently my sock monsters.

Last year during the winter, I decided I do not want to sit at home and just lay my hands on household chores and baby, so I started making dolls of all kinds. I experimented with a lot fabrics I have in mind. Then I came about using socks, which are our usual almost daily fashion need, to produce them into MONSTER dolls. I played with their faces, expressions, their characters, and even thought of giving them adorable names, which children and collectors can relate to.

I began designing my monsters in basic shapes and tested the local demand in The Netherlands. Many Dutch are curious and amazed the socks can be produced into an interesting end product. From there on, I characterized my own monsters, played with more colours, and created stories for each of them.

Come to think of it, if I do not make dolls now, I will probably be a freelance bridal designer or a freelance fashion designer/stylist, which I used to do before I become a mother. :)

I love movies. Before I was expecting my daughter, I used to go to the cinemas in Singapore twice a week. I was a movie fan. However, my child’s arrival kept me busy and I enjoyed my new pastime with her. Now, I catch movies in the television when occasionally they showcase some dated ones. I love romantic and comedy movies. There are so many movies I love, and I shall make do with these two. 'The Holiday' starring Cameron Diaz, Jude Law (Oh my… he's cute!), Kate Winslet (she is a natural) and Jack Black. The next one I can remember loving is watching Johnny Depp’s Pirates of the Caribbean, where I love this actor’s hidden dark comedy acts.

My future personal plan is to establish myself in my Dutch, my business degree, and of course, to travel to many countries (so I can buy supplies… ;P), and to watch my daughter grow into a fine young lady of who she is.

I love OOAK handmade things. There are so many wonderful artists in the world and so many favourites. One of my favourites I will like to share is Kreativlink - www.kreativlink.etsy.com. She is very unique and versatile in her journal designs. I am a huge fan of hers, and got my very first Etsy purchase of her red suede leather journal. I made a sock monster (inspired by her works) for a team's challenge, here you can see my work - http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=31790666#.

Also, I love the works of Ayca, from Ayawedding - http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7863487. Her works are delicate and pretty, reminds me of the time when I used to work in the bridal industry back in Singapore. She is also a very lovely person with a beautiful heart and her beauty is reflected on her works."

With so much creativity within this shop, it is hard to pick three favorites. I managed to do so though, so here goes. The Elena Babushka Plush is adorable! Elena is a lovely little Babushka made out of black linen added with an adorable piece of Japanese linen. Her eyes are made of felt and detailed with a bubbly watery feel to it. She is perfect for people of all ages!

The Louie Doopie is a mini, but packs much personality! His vivid red and white clothing and gold hair are real attention grabbers. He is about the size of your palm. So cute!

Lastly, there is Medoosee! She was inspired by Medusa. Made of bright pink socks, she is sure to be a favorite of many.

To see these one of a kinds creations and much more, visit http://swiedebie.etsy.com.

Sosorosey

For wonderful and unique crochet items, you must visit Sosorosey!

Let's fine out a little more about Jennie, the shop owner:

"Grandma Copeland taught me the fine art of crochet when I was 10, and I have been "hooked" ever since. Doing the math, it appears that I have been at it for over 75% of my life! Zoiks!

Crocheting with different materials and textures of string and yarn, and matching or combining them with strips of unique fabrics really gets my creative juices flowing!

I have always had a love affair with vintage linens, and now I have an opportunity to reinvent some of my very imperfect old treasures while maintaining their original beauty. Please note that no intact vintage linens are ever harmed in the making of my bowls, bags, and eclectica!

Attention to detail (including an OCD-like perfectionism in every stitch!) is my specialty."

I think it's neat to see what items are the shop owners favorites. Here are some of Jennie's:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=30623343
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=31998536
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=30274161
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=29599728

Obviously Jennie has great taste and great skill at her craft! I found a few favorites too! The Infant Nest looks awesome! The upcycled snuggle nest™ is super soft, sturdy, and versatile; it stretches to fit larger babies, and *scrunches* for the smaller peanuts. It can be used inside out for a different look, and the ends can easily be smoothed in for a more rounded look. This is a terrific photography prop!

Her Star Ornaments are classics! I love the ones in the cottage colors! The robin's egg blue, pink and ecru give a sweet punch of color! Stars measure 2.5" point to point, with an additional length of cotton added for hanging.

The Sheet scarf is so unique! This was the first time for me to see these! The scarf is made from a cotton jersey knit bed sheet! This is wonderful upcycling! The blue color is so pretty too!

Jennie has so many things to see! Visit http://sosorosey.etsy.com and her vintage shop http://sosovintage.etsy.com.

Check out her blog also at http://sosorosey.blogspot.com!

Punkscrapper

Punkscrapper's Shop is wonderful! She makes everything from felt coffee cozies to custom artwork.


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




"I have always loved to do artistic stuff, as kids my sister and I didn't have a tv and so we spent our afternoons drawing, painting, putting on plays/skits and creating forts...etc. My sister was my first and best art teacher ;)

I wanted to be a fashion designer all throughout jr high and high school but when it came right down to it...I didn't do real well in home economics! Im really not a gifted seamstress! So I studied the next best thing...psychology! Haha! I really loved college but missed out on the artistic side of things. I have always wanted to do my artwork as my full time job. When I met and married my husband he encouraged me to take a leap of faith and do etsy. He has been my greatest encourager! Long story short(er) here I am...a starving artist working hard and loving every single second of it!

I draw inspiration from a lot of things...my family and friends are an ongoing source as well as many of the 'greats' in literature and film... Tim Burton, Roald Dahl, Eyvind Earle and Mary Blair (Disney artists from the 50s), Edward Gorey, Lewis Carroll...and the list could go on and on and on! I love the mixture of whimsy and darkness that many of these talented artists/authors/etc mastered!

I love treasure hunting at thrift and vintage stores! My husband and I do this often! I love music and catch concerts as often as we can afford it (my favorite band is U2)! I enjoy drawing so much because it gives me a chance to create my own little world...so I would have to say that my drawings in my shop are my favorite items...right now probably the What's Done is Done print and the Candy Girls series of prints."

I love the items in her shop! I actually own one of her original drawings and a set of prints! The drawing I own is the Gumdrop Girl from her Candy Girls series. It reminds me of sweets, Halloween, and Edward Scissorhands all in one! Her artwork is awesome!

Julie's feltwork items are terrific also. She makes all different themes of felt coffee cozies and felt embellished tea towels. My favorite cozies right now are the Holiday ones. You have a choice of five designs: a reindeer, a star, an ornament, holly, or a tree. These dress up your coffee cup nicely!

My favorite set of tea towels are her Jack Skellington ones. I love Nightmare before Christmas!
Jack Skellington's face just jumps off those black towels! She has other seasonal ones also.

Visit http://punkscrapper.etsy.com to find all this great stuff and more!


***Mention The3Maries blog at checkout and receive a 10% discount!

Sketchbook Studio Art

"To draw, you must close your eyes and sing." Pablo Picasso

This quote comes from Sketchbook Studio Art's profile.

At Sketchbook Studio Art you will find a collection of whimsical and realistic watercolors including flowers, landscapes, figurative work, animals, and children. Watercolor greeting cards are also available which can be framed as a small work of art for home, office or special occasions.


Leslie's work is wonderful. I love all her paintings! I did select a few to showcase for this feature though. The Ballerina Girls is a very warm and colorful painting. To me it captures a moment of anticipation of waiting to dance perfectly! The young ballerinas look adorable in their bows and matching tutus!

The Dalmatian Puppies is a great painting! She highlighted the cuteness of the little pups just right! Makes you want to take the puppies and the painting home!:) I love the softness of the puppies and their bed and the dark blue background makes them stand out even more!

I love architecture. The Up North painting is a wonderful display of a beautiful Victorian style home. The yellow is so cheerful and the landscape of greenery and flowers just pops off the paper.

Beginning October 1, Leslie is going to be including a holiday gift bag and tissue paper with each purchase. The gift bag will have a copy of one of her paintings (holiday theme) attached to the front of it. This is an awesome bonus !

Stop by http://Sketchbookstudioart.etsy.com and see all of Leslie's beautiful work!