Wonderfully Made Wednesdays

Hooray for being back to the blog. I really do like sharing my little life and my Etsy picks with my readers and anyone else that happens to stumble through. Maybe it's narcissism or just a desire to communicate, but I hope that it is enjoyed either way. After the craft fair I had to take a bit of a break from everything (except the dayjob, ugh). It felt like that one weekend was like working an extra week between my workweeks; I'll have to be more prepared for that next time! I'm happy to be back with awesome picks for you from more great Etsy shops, so let's get on with it.

SaagarikaCreations
I had to pick this awesome set of Bollywood inspired bangles because they are pink and fabulous and they were inspired by one of my favorite Bollywood films Jodha Akbar. Yes, I am a white girl, but I am totally Bollywood obsessed! I would love to own these bangles even if I have no idea where I would wear them. I could see them totally glam with a jeans and tank combo though, hmmmmm..... :)


FilissaTreasures
I love dragonflies as a motif for jewelry and I think these dragonfly earrings are a cut above the rest. The dragonfly charms have amazing detailing on them and I love the color pairing of the pale green and gold tones. These would be perfect for casual fall outfits!


H20Works
This shop by a great graphic designer and photographer is one of my favorite places to browse on Etsy. These pumpkin cards made me smile so much that I had to share them with you all! They come in different sizes and are available with or without envelopes so they are great for any use. They would make great invitations to an intimate Halloween with friends or would make perfect seasonal customer thank yous for those of us with Etsy shops.


CreativeChild
Spicy apple pie candles... I don't really even think I need to say more, hee hee. These are the perfect scent and color scheme for your fall decor and I can see the yummy scent lingering around your home and making you long for Thanksgiving celebrations with family. Mmmm, I have to move on, my mouth is watering!


swanvalley
I love the aprons for the little ones in this shop; there are several adorable fabric choices available. They make me remember fondly the days I spent in the kitchen with my mother learning to cook and bake and look forward to doing the same with my own little ones. What a perfect accessory for quality time with family in the kitchen!


purpleflowers
These great textile earrings are another absolutely perfect fall colored item. They have a great level of detail and a fun casual vibe. These awesome earrings are great for casual wear because they are light enough to wear all day or all night.


So those are the picks for today, and you can probably tell that I'm in the mood for fall. Even though we don't usually have appreciable seasons in Cali, I've always been a big fan of fall. Enjoy and take care!

Wednesday's Unmade

Today is just a quick note to say that I love all my followers and thanks for taking notice! I'm afraid that due to my first craft fair happening at the end of the month there will be no Wonderfully Made for the next 2 weeks :( I wish I could juggle all of the tasks, but I'm getting a little strung out and I have to cut back somewhere.

Don't be too sad though because I'll be back in 2 weeks with Wonderfully Made and a full article about the fair with photos and everything. Also, if any followers are lucky enough to live in the L.A. area, you are extremely welcome to drop by my booth for a visit August 28th or 29th at the Fiesta La Ballona at Veteran's Memorial Park in Culver City, CA.

Take care, readers... hasta la vista!

Wonderfully Made Wednesdays

Happy Wednesday! I'm not sure that I have anything interesting in the personal realm to report this week. It's weird to think that anyone would find my life interesting, but then again, I have perused others' blogs just to read about their favorite lipstick or how they baked with their kids. So, I'll leave you with some a random mundane fact and you can read or not read and maybe get a laugh if you recognize something you've experienced.
I told my husband this week that before the end of the year I want as much sushi and booze as I can get. If you recognize this sentiment you may know that we are planning a family and we are going to 'start trying' next year (lol, start trying, I find that euphemism amusing). So yes, I want some drinks and Philadelphia rolls while I can have them without worrying about alcohol or mercury getting into my gummi bear. So, that's my fun fact and I hope you liked it as much as you like my featured sellers. Now to things of Etsy and the great things I have found in my travels around the site meeting other awesome sellers and shamelessly self-promoting ;) I say again, at least I'm honest!

My Stuff 2
This is a great shop of beautiful high-quality photos turned into awesome items like this photo card as well as bookmarks and prints. The owner of this shop puts adorable sayings and quotes on her bookmarks, but she will also personalize them with any message you like for a gift or something like useful dates or conversions. I love her bookmarks, but I had to feature this rose card because it's so soft and romantic.


Sit Down Set Down
This shop has some really great vintage items, but I absolutely had to pick this fan. It's one of those great collapsible pocket models that folds up into the decorative handle with beautiful designs on the fan. The colors are still bright and I'd be willing to bet that it was made much more carefully than anything more modern. Can you not just see some southern ladies sitting on a porch gossiping over a pitcher of drinks and fanning themselves in a sassy manner? I love it!


What It Seams
This is an adorable crayon roll-up that is totally putting the fun in functional. When I was little I remember going through crayon boxes like crazy as they would get ripped and then we would put the crayons in a tupperware that would get ruined with wax and the crayons would get broken. Strange fact about me; I was a weird child that hated using the broken ones. This would have been such a perfect solution for lovely looking storage and protection as well as portability.


Kirameku
I love this ring, and my tastes generally run more toward the dainty in rings, but the color in this is so beyond lovely. The designer calls the ring pink champagne and I think that perfectly describes the happy, bubbly look and color of this piece. I love the way the light hits this ring because of the lovely Czech glass beads that make up the flowery design. It's also adjustable, so no worries about not being able to get it in your size.


Blushing Dove Boutique
I love this bracelet, but I think it would be dangerous to wear, every time I looked at my wrist I would be craving cupcakes! This is another piece that is just so happy; the cuteness of it takes you back to childhood and princess fantasies, but the lovely sheen of pearls and the sparkle of crackle beads make it chic enough for a lady. You could get your fun on in this lovely piece... kind of like having your cake and eating it, too.


AmyCanSew
I can't even begin to tell you how much I am looking forward to spoiling my children and taking billions of photos of them in outfits they will roll their eyes at in their teen years. (It's like the American dream, right?) However, I don't know if even a snarky teen could eye-roll at this adorable birthday outfit, which can be personalized with a selection of years and is made to order just for your little munchie. This seller has hats and shirts in different fabrics suitable for both boys and girls, so go on get to spoiling those kiddos!


As always, I welcome your feedback and would be happy to entertain requests for future feature posts. I'm going to go giggle about how hard it just was to type future feature, he he, and you all have a blessed night (morning for all you east coasters) and take care!

Things I Adore and Recommend!

Hi all, just wanted to leave a quick post with some photo evidence of things that I have sincerely adored in my life recently and some things that I have to recommend because I just found out how great they are!

So, here you are... I currently adore and recommend:

- the vanilla boxed cake mix from Trader Joe's. If you don't have a TJ's near you, I am so so sorry because I made this last night and it is the best box mix I have ever used. You can see the little flecks of real vanilla in it and it tastes amazing!

- remembering to take a little time for yourself

- winning something! I won Tea Party Designs facebook fan giveaway and I was totally blown away by the prize. I really only expected a little something since I know it takes a lot to run a small business, but I got an adorable gift box full of summer fun. Check out the Melonade mix, whole set of Iced Tea glasses, tea cookies, Lemonheads (a fav of mine), little whisk, and cute little card. I have to thank the owner of Tea Party Designs again for her generosity!




- doing something nice for someone that you love just because you love them and they are awesome. I surprised my husband with something special last weekend and I think I was as happy about it as he was!

- the Urban Craft Center in Santa Monica, CA. I just found this place thanks to Groupon (which I also totally adore) and I was able to take a class there last week. I haven't had access to a sewing machine since my dad taught me to use one when I was in high school and this teacher had me making a totally respectable and super-cute hobo bag over a really fun two evening class. If you live in the L.A. area you should totally check it out! The beige, brown, and green bag is mine and the other one is the work of another wonderful student from the class.








So, there are some fun things for you to peruse and enjoy. Wishing everyone summer fun and the best of everything!

Wonderfully Made Wednesdays

It's that time again... er, again! All the best intentions have been in place to post more than just my weekly Etsy feature, but as we all know there are sayings about good intentions. I have been having fun though, so I can't complain about the business or the busy-ness. I totally pinkie swear to have a post up by the end of the weekend sharing some of my fun, which includes a great free gift I won from a fellow Etsy seller and a totally awesome sewing class I'm taking at the Urban Craft Center in Santa Monica. I have been making inventory like crazy and am climbing up into triple digits in both earrings and bracelets. I wish I could be posting more on Etsy to share my great new items with all my lovely followers and the web world at large, but alas, there are not enough hours in a day. Eventually, I hope I'll get the hang of working full time and running an Etsy shop and doing craft fairs... or maybe that's just entirely wishful thinking! Nevertheless, I am sure that these great Etsy products and sellers are real, awesome, and waiting for you to check them out...here we go!

Toastory
I love this scarf for the colors, the pattern, and the sheer floaty lightness of the fabric. I have to admit that scarves scare me a little personally as a fashion accessory, but that's only because I have what my husband describes as a 'leetle neck' (i.e. it's really short). However, when I see women who wear scarves well and really coordinate them with an outfit I'm always envious of the polished and feminine glam they have going on. As you will see in the Etsy listing, this scarf gets extra points for being long enough to be worn in multiple styles, depending on the look you desire.


ring-a-ling by Beth
This ring has been up-cycled from a pair of earrings and has a really special vintage feel to it. The gold edging on the white not only gives a great delicate look to the flower, but it reminds me of those fantastic old teacups and saucers with the floral patterns and gold accents. I am always drawn to simple and elegant and this totally fits the bill and I also live that the ring is adjustable from the top side to prevent those totally annoying pinches you get from the traditional style of adjustable rings.


Paws Button
As a soonish-to-be mom (keeping our fingers crossed for a 2011 arrival) I love all of the handmade toys available on Etsy. The animals from Paws Button are some of the cutest I have seen; they are hand-crocheted in 100% wool and some like this polar bear guy have embroidered features so they pose no choking hazard. I would feel so much better about giving my children a toy that I know the materials of and that it was made with love than some plushie made of 3 different kinds of chemically engineered flame retardant plastics that may be recalled at some point next year.


LenoresMoon
This shop is perfect for the faerie lover in your life or your goth niece or daughter that thinks you 'don't get her' or if you need a fantastic fantasy gift for yourself. I picked this design because I love the detailing on the wings and how they are the real focus of the design. There are other great designs as well as more sizes and color palettes available in the shop and this seller has also been awesome enough to put her designs on tote bags for those that would prefer to rock these designs on an accessory instead.


The Curious Cupcake
This something simple necklace looks like the perfect casual accessory to me. The different color links can be removed and rearranged to suit your taste and outfit. You could do a fall palette of red, yellow, and orange, or keep it all cool with the pink, purple, and blues, or go for the whole rainbow; it's up to you! This would also be a great accessory for a PRIDE festival or for showing your pride any time you feel like it!


Creations by Dae
This shop has fantastic bags done with woven ribbon in a variety of colors. I liked this one because it's totally knock your socks off bright and that's so happy and perfect for summer. I was impressed by the design and polish that has gone into these that makes them look really professional. The inside has great useful pockets and the stitching looks flawless. Check them out in all the color variations in Dae's Etsy shop!


On that bright summer note, I am off to enjoy the rest of my afternoon with some time in the bright Cali sunshine followed by sewing class and more working hard on jewelry. As always, if you love and appreciate my little reviews or if you would like to be featured as well, leave me a comment!

Wonderfully Made Wednesdays

Hey all, it's that time again. I love having the chance to represent some great Etsy sellers and showcase products that I would love to have, or that I have never seen, or that I think are just plain neat. Etsy is a wonderful online community and I have had the privilege of interacting with artists and creators near and far. It's by far one of the most collaborative and welcoming environments I have encountered and I'm proud to be a part of it. So, here are the items I have for your perusal this week; I hope you enjoy!

Pink Limed
Ahhh, nostalgia! I can't even tell you how much I used to love this gum. I used to beg for a pack of it every time we went to the supermarket, or mini-mart, or pretty much anywhere at all. This seller has taken the packaging and turned it into these fun cocktail rings in your choice of 4 designs. Take yourself back to the old days of Keds, legwarmers, and boomboxes with an adorable fashion statement.


LeeBeads
Lovely, shiny, and bold. This gorgeous bracelet looks like fire and ice all at the same time. I am so impressed that this seller not only designed this bracelet, but she also crafted the lampwork glass beads herself. Sterling silver and iridescent beads combine beautifully to make a piece that really shines.


Rayvenwood Manor
This is a really fun idea for something more original and long-lasting in a bridal bouquet than traditional roses or orchids. It's still totally high class though, as this seller will custom design your bouquet with your color choices in 400 individual Swarovski crystals. I love this, but I chose flowers for my own wedding and if that's your preference as well the shop also creates sets of Swarovski crystal or pearl accents that can be placed into a traditional bouquet or even into your 'I do' updo.


FayeLyn Adornments
There are few things as simply sexy as silver and black and these earrings are a great example of that fact. I love the swirl in these that gives them just enough design that they can't be called plain, but not so much that they come close to overdone. They would give that special kick to a t-shirt and jeans, but are totally LBD accessory worthy (that's the little black dress, he he).


Nice Rakc
Uber-cute and so ready to be taken out on the town; this is the bag for all the party girls and hot mamas of every kind. The shop has a bunch of patterns in this style as well as others that have more room for all the girly stuff that some of us (ehm, me) need to carry around. A major plus for this seller is the use of reclaimed or upcycled fabrics that make these bags kind to the planet as well as easy on the eyes.


Tracy's Designs
This seller must be in touch with her inner kid to create such adorable doll clothes like this sassy poodle skirt. I know that every little girl out there that has or wants a doll would love to have an entire wardrobe of sweet little clothes for them. These clothes fit the American Girl dolls that I know I totally pined for as a little girl. Anyone with a little daughter, granddaughter, or niece should check out this shop for gifts to bring out the imagination.


Goodness, it's gotten late again, but I have enjoyed bringing you my reviews and I hope that you enjoy them as well. As always, if you would like to be considered for a little feature here you can leave a comment with your store info below. Keep cool, stay safe, and enjoy your summer days everyone!

Wonderfully Made Wednesdays

Whew, Wonderfully Made was almost late this week, but since I'm in California it will still be Wednesday for a couple more hours. I'm a little lost in life, preparing for a bead show that I am going to as a customer this weekend and I also just found out that I was accepted as a vendor for my first big craft festival at the end of August. Life is good, but crazy, and very unpredictable! So, down to business for all the lovely items I found this week.

Impact Studio
I love all the different fabrics this designer is using! I kept ooohing and aaahing over different items like the laptop covers with adorable owls on them, but I settled on this purse to feature because I love the shape of it as well as the bright and happy fabric. You can also see in the other pictures in the shop that it has great pockets inside for organization, something I always really need.


Anika Toro
This is a really amazing photographer offering prints ready to be framed, photo cards, and more. My favorite part of that more is this photo block of dogwood flowers; such beauty and clean lines and the fact that it is ready to hang make this my perfect pick. Someday I swear I'll have a properly decorated house with lovely things like this photo.


Shutter Knits
So, I wanted to be a princess when I was little... in fact, I still honestly wouldn't mind being a princess. Of course then, this fairy style crown had the little girl in me all gaga. This shop has so many items like crowns and tutus that would be great for costume parties, photo shoots, or just for dress-up. You will, I'm sure, be happy to know that this shop is totally equal opportunity and items are available in many sizes from infant to adult.


berry sweet treats
If you've been reading my blog at all you've probably grasped that I have a healthy appreciation for cuteness. This shop is adorableness all over the place! I loved these little pastry magnets available in your choice of colors. Just look at the little faces; they are so cute I could just eat them... ha, ba dum bum!


Dyche Designs
This find is from one of those great Etsy shops that has almost everything you might want or need. Personally, I need more bags... okay, don't tell my husband I said that! I really want bags though and this one is so fun! Since it's summer, tote bags are a great thing to have as I always try to carry water and sunblock along with my large variety of other necessary items (yes, multiple lip glosses are totally essential).


lilruby
This jewelry designer is doing fabulous things with the vintage look. This necklace with a filigree butterfly focal piece is a wonderful example of this style's amazing balance of the dramatic and the delicate. I especially love the antiqued brass and turquoise color scheme of this piece and the box that it comes in is it's own work of art.


Goodnight and good luck, blogworld, I'm beat! Have a great week and happy shopping to all.

Get Involved Giveaway Winner!

Well I didn't quite reach my goals, but I think I did a great job for my first giveaway! Thanks so much to all who stopped by and entered and my heartfelt gratitude for all the well wishes and compliments. Here's what you all helped me achieve:

Blog Follows: 75 ----> Goal: 100
Likes: 103 ----> Goal: 150
Twitter Follows: 115 ----> Goal: 200

...but I know all you really want to know is who won. So, drumroll please... the winner is janetfaye, a fellow blogger. I can't wait to find out which earrings she will pick.





I hope all my wonderful entrants will stick around and keep up with future blog and shop events. I'll be having a random draw for all FB fans when I reach 250 fans, so stay tuned to find out what the prize will be for that giveaway.

Thanks again, goodnight and all the best!

Dog Days of Summer

Hey there, I wanted to take some time today to share something personal and totally non-Etsy related. My husband and I had a blast last weekend taking our dog Leelu to the local dog park and completely wearing her out. (Bonus points to anyone who knows where I got her name.)
Since we live in a little one bedroom apartment we normally have to take her for leashed walks at least 3 times a day for her to get her energy out. So, it was really nice to see her get to run full out around the park and jump and play with the other dogs. She is our rescued shelter baby and I have to say that I highly recommend adoption from shelters and rescue organizations. If you love animals at all rescue the ones that truly need you; there will always be someone to buy the pet store puppies! So, that's me up on my soapbox, and now I'm down again.

Here are some pics my husband and I took of her with my new Nikon so you can see how cute she is and how great the camera works all at once!

We ran and we ran....

And then we ran some more...

And then we were thirsty...

And then we were finally tired!

Wonderfully Made Wednesdays

Whew, the days are flying by after the lovely holiday weekend and it's time for another Etsy feature. We had such a great weekend over here including lots of important couple time together and an afternoon with our rescued Corgie-Pit mix at the local dog park. I have a long running list of great finds to share with you all, but for today I'm just bringing six awesome things for your body, wardrobe, and home. I hope you are all having the best possible summer of barbecues, reflection, love, fashion and fun!

So Many Memories
At this great shop full of handmade home goods I was excited to find these adorable citrus print place mats with a splendid aqua background. They are so pretty and bright they're just perfect for a summer table indoors or out by the BBQ. I love the quality on these, too; the stitching looks so great!


Studio827KC
I love these journals! This shop had a giveaway recently and I was so sad that I didn't win. Oh well, maybe I'll just have to break down and buy one. This lovely shop is making handmade look totally professional and I adore the little extra touches on this sweet journal like the inside pocket in the back cover, elastic closure, and ribbon page marker.


Batzy
This artist has a lot of cute things ready to go right out of her shop, but if you have some patience you can be the owner of one of these totally sweet and romantic custom couple portraits. You just provide some pictures of you and your honey and some direction for the illustration and the artist will produce something totally one of a kind. As a wife of only 2 years I would absolutely love to have one of these and at the reasonable price that this artist is charging, I really could!


Rilaks
I love the smell of lavender; it's kind of an obsession for me! So, of course I had to pick this lavender scented lotion with goat's milk and honey and other lovely natural ingredients. There are other scents available, if you have a different smell obsession, as well as other great things like face masks and chapsticks.


Discerning Chi-Chi
These little chrysanthemums are turning up in lots of shops I have seen on Etsy, but most of them have been on rings. This I like so much more! Now the rings are cute for sure, but I don't wear a lot of rings other than my wedding rings. However, I do have a whole lot of long blond hair that I would I would love to decorate with these lovely barrettes.


VintageGifts
I swear that my mom had this exact evening bag and I stole it from her when I was about 7 years old to play dress-up. As I recall she was not the biggest fan of this idea, ha! I wish I could recall what happened to the bag because now I could totally use it to pull off a vintage glam look. Well solution found at VintageGifts; they have vintage bags, jewelry and much more!


Let me know what you love the most and if you would like to be added to the feature list. Don't forget to check out my Get Involved Giveaway post and enter to win a pair of earrings. Ciao bellas!

Get Involved Giveaway Contest

Ready or not, it's time for a giveaway! I want to get the word out about my fantastic Etsy shop and give you a chance to see that my pieces are really wonderfully made. Since the world runs on social networking I'm spicing up this giveaway with social networking contest! You can find all the ways to enter listed below and please leave a separate comment on this post for each entry, but the contest between my networking pages will give everyone who helps me reach my goal for that page 2 extra entries in the giveaway. *Hint hint* If you follow or like me everywhere you are guaranteed the extra entries!

So help me reach these goals!

Blog Follows: 73 ----> Goal: 100
Likes: 102 ----> Goal: 150
Twitter Follows: 109 ----> Goal: 200

And of course I can't forget what you will win! There are two lovely options of earrings that I would charge at least $12 for in my Etsy shop.

Option A: Black and white lampwork beads combined with cherry quartz rondelles on silver plated wire; I always use sterling silver ear wires to ensure comfort.

Option B: Sparkly teal and clear crystal hoop earrings with a clear Czech glass accent at the bottom of the hoop. These are also on sterling silver ear wires.

Ways to enter: You can do every type of entry you desire. Please leave a separate comment for each kind of entry!

1) Follow my blog here.

2) Like http://www.facebook.com/kynerasjewels

3) Follow http://twitter.com/kynerasjewels

4) Go to my Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/kynerasjewels and pick your favorite item then leave a comment about it here.

5) Remember that all the likers or followers of the site where I reach my goal first will get 2 extra entries (provided that they have posted a comment here).

6) Publicize my giveaway in some way and post the link here and that will also be 2 extra entries!

***Please remember to leave a separate comment for each entry and leave some contact info (email, FB link, twitter) so I can contact the winner.***
The winner will be selected at random using the online tool at random.org. If the winner does not reply within 2 days of selection another winner will be chosen!

So, hurry hurry, the contest ends as soon as one of my goals is reached! However, even if I can't reach my goals I won't leave you hanging; if no goal has been reached by 7/11/10 I will draw a winner at 9:00PM PST. All entries must be received prior to that time!