Sunday Morning Coffee and Etsy - 12/28/08

Wow, the last Sunday of 2008! Where did the year go?? Hope you all had a lovely Christmas - we sure did here at Lavender Cottage! My mom has been here since the 23rd, and we have been relaxing - watching House marathons on TV and just generally wasting time! Today we are actually going to start easing back into normal life. Right after we finish our coffee, yeah, that's it.....

So, continuing on with my Wet Canvas friends who are on Etsy, today we meet Paula from IslandTop Glass Art. I've always admired Paula's bead sets and jewelry creations, but today I discovered her little doggie beads and fell in love! Check out Ben and Bingo - how could anyone possibly resist these cuties!!

In addition to her Etsy shop, she also has a new shop at 1000 Markets where she is showcasing her lovely lampwork jewelry. I adore this lovely pink bracelet and earring set, positively yummy!



Hope you all have a lovely day, and for those who have to go back to work tomorrow, hope it's the start of a great week!

Christmas musings on the Sunday before Christmas...

Good morning to all on this Sunday before Christmas! (Sunday morning Coffee and Etsy will be back next week, by the way). I am sipping the last of my coffee, sneaking a piece of chocolate and thinking about putting up the tree and wrapping gifts. Yes, I am a bit late in that area, but happily so - I've had a lovely time all month creating jewelry for my customers. Although it was a wee bit stressful getting everything finished, I loved being a part of so many people's Christmas giving. I enclosed personal notes for friends, hid return addresses to keep the contents a surprise, collaborated on designs for parents, children and wives, and generally had a merry time being one of Santa's elves! I've learned how to be a faster (and better, yay!) metalsmith by making so many pieces in such a short time.



And last, but not least - I've learned to be a lightning quick packer and shipper - you should see how fast I can tie a bow! Here's a peek at shipping central one busy afternoon.....

Now I am off to work on family gifts, start defrosting the holiday bird, and start decking the halls. Hope you are all enjoying the season - talk to you soon!

Sunday Morning Coffee and Etsy - 12/14/08

Today's featured artist continues my Wet Canvas friends series. Rita is a very prolific artist in several mediums - jewelry, fine art, and now glasswork. Her watercolor titled 'Nesting' is one of my all time favorite paintings ever, and her 'Cat's Up' whimsical take on a Catsup bottle is a close second.



Rita's little 'Citrus Dancing' earrings caught my eye when I first saw them on the Wet Canvas Wearable Arts forum. I love both the name and the bright mix of color! Check out Rita's blog for more about her art, and her new passion - glass beadmaking. I can't wait to see some new creations from Rita's handmade beads!

Sunday Morning Coffee and Etsy - 12/7/08

Good morning all! Hope your coffee is hot and your toes are warm this morning! I'm drinking an extra cup before heading down to my chilly studio to work, at least the sun is shining today to warm things up a bit.



Today I'm featuring another friend from Wet Canvas - Shadesongs. Her jewelry is nothing short of exuberant and fanciful. I first fell in love with her style when I purchased a pair of adorable ladybug earrings from her a couple of years ago after seeing them in the Wet Canvas Wearable Art forum. And one of these days I'm going to have to get one of her great tongue-in-cheek altered art bracelets - I love her 'I Read Banned Books' - too funny! Another one that is perfectly adorable for the holidays is the 'Can't Catch Me, I'm the Gingerbread Man' - you just have to smile when you see it!



That's all for today, time to get to work. I feel like one of Santa's Elves!! See you all soon....

My first holiday season as a full-time artist...

I wasn't sure what to expect during the holidays, especially with the daily bad news about the economy. I'm thrilled to say that things are really hopping here at Lavender Cottage! I'm so thankful for my wholesale customers and galleries, as well as the wonderful Etsy shoppers - they are keeping me wonderfully busy. So busy that I've missed a few blog posts. Sunday Morning Coffee and Etsy will be back this Sunday with new featured items, and I'll be writing a blog soon about 1000 Markets, a new venue that I am really excited about. I'll alway be thankful to Etsy and my wonderful customers there, but I'm loving my 1000 Markets shop too!

I have actually gotten a couple of new designs done which I am excited about - a new ruffled piece titled "A Breath of Spring", and the petite "Bright Berries" earrings with red garnets.




Well, better sign off for now, and get down to the studio, lots to get done before Post Office time. Talk to you all soon!