Nature abound

I created this custom necklace for a fellow Etsian Jewelry Designer. Love her work
and was happy to hear that she was interested in a custom piece from me. She send me all these small and precious items - there are shells, small pine cones, wood, ... Just amazing how many beautiful tiny things there are in nature! It was tricky working with them because I was afraid I could break something. Luckily everything stayed save! She also wanted it oxidized. I normally don't do that to my pieces, but I am happy how it came out. Just lets the individual pieces shine and not the silver.
I had so much fun making this special pendant with items that already have a history with its owner. Can't wait to do more!!!

Another Front Page

Since I have been busy creating and making myself be seen in all the different venues of the web (and I know I have been talking about being busy doing that all along, but the web is mighty BIG) and not posting in quite some time, I thought being on the front page is a good one to start up again! He, having my creations be seen is all I want!
And this is such a fun treasury!!!!! Just what my name - Kaleidoscope Style - is all about. If someone happened to have seen it on the front page, I would love to have an actual screen shot of that.

Feature Artist: C Serpent

I saw these 2 beautiful bracelets in fellow Etsian Susan's shop. I find this unusual combination of beadwork band and sterling silver chain very pleasing. They were actually designed for the JET/Etsy Greetings/EtsyFAST Wedding Challenge and won FIRST PLACE. I'm not surprised since they are just exquisite. I love the speckles of teal added to it instead of just keeping it white and black. Susan's, the artist behind these creations, tale of becoming a jewelry designer is quite interesting. So I just share it here in her voice: "Hi my name is Susan and I'm the creator of cserpentDesigns! My husband nicknamed me Sea Serpent during our scuba diving days (picture a tall person in a purple and black drysuit with a pink flotation vest coming out of the water with big black fins on her feet ... yep sea serpent fits!). He even got me a sea serpent stamp to use for my "signature" on my hand made cards.

I got started in jewelry making when one of my soccer teammates got me to go to a wirewrapping class with her. I made my first bracelet in that class (and as I look at it now I want to take it apart and redo it to look a lot nicer!). I then saw a beaded watch band in a magazine and figured I could expand on that idea and make myself a cool beaded watch band in PURPLE! (my favorite color). I started the watch band using gold plated findings, finished it up at another wire wrapping class and got interest from many of my friends and family in having jewelry made for them. I still was just dabbling and got really mad when the gold plated findings started to tarnish in a very short amount of time. From that I learned my lesson about making things that last - don't make them with gold or silver plated parts if you want them to last a long time and remain beautiful!

That 2nd wire wrapping class really drove my interest in making jewelry with beads. I took more classes in basic jewelry making (stringing, knotting, ...) and have been making jewelry for family and friends and other customers for 4 years now. " I love to hear how others come to choosing the hobby they have. For me, it always has bead jewelry making. Although I also tried many, many, MANY other things, I always came back to it. So it is interesting for me to hear from someone that has only recently discovered the pleasures of creating wearable art. And I think that once you do, you can never go back!
More of C Serpents work can be found at http://cserpent.etsy.com
http://cserpentDesigns.blogspot.com

First Time on Front Page!

I knew all this creating and staying busy would soon pay off. And voila - one of my necklaces was featured on the front page of Etsy. I'm so excited because it really was a nice looking treasury. Now the Leaf Necklace is sold and off to its new owner on Monday. I just love knowing that others will appreciate these fun pieces. And the weather was so nice today (even though they predicated rain) that I was sitting outside in the sun with my baby girl all day working away. I started making some really cute embroidered star fishies. I think I will use them for a colorful beach bracelet. Can't wait to get that finished!

Where have the days gone...

I can't believe how long it has been since my last post! I'm just busy, busy, busy. But all in a good way. Being back at work part time, enjoying a bit of the spring weather and having yet another visitor from Germany. I think we will have someone stay with us every month now. And it is actually fun changing up the daily routine with some visitors. So the last 2 weeks I had my best friend from Germany over. We went to high school together and she was my Maid of honor. That is now 7 years ago and she hadn't been here since. Time flies! But even after all this time we picked up right where we left it and had a great time...so good indeed that I totally forgot to post ;) Sorry about that.

I also have been very busy working on all the felt swatches that my sister sent. I already posted a few of the new necklaces and bracelets I made from them and I have another 7 sitting right here that are all set and done. I just need to photograph them and list on Etsy. These are all so beautiful and full of great colors and fun to look at. Just makes me smile just looking at the pile. And there are some new motifs such as elephants and cherries. And I still have so many swatches left to do even more! So look out, here I come!!!!

Feature Artist: That's Headley

The weather has been so nice here lately and I have been working in the garden putting new plants in and making it all pretty for the summer. I just love gardening and being outside. So when I saw this Five Peas in a Pod Necklace, I got all excited. This is a very nice version of the peapod theme and perfect for so many occations. Like, for excaple, Mother's day. This artist can customize the number of peas on it for you so if there are 3 children, you could get 3 peas. I really love that idea! Actually wondering if I will get a Mother's Day present - It's my 1st Mother's Day, so it sure is special!!! This necklace is only one of a series of peapod items and all of them are just darling.
And while we are on the gardening trip, I found these Garden Earrings in Headley's shop as well. So sweet and perfect for the gardener in your life or just as a cute little summer accessory.

http://thatsheadley.etsy.com
http://thatsheadley.blogspot.com

I LOVE packages!

I finally got a new package from my sister from Germany with all these great new felt building blocks! I'm soooo excited. She really outdid herself this time. There are over 40 swatches with some really cool new designs. I can't wait to make them into fun jewelry. My mind already started racing and I made a few sketches. And since I'm having so much fun with them. I will also list a few just the way they are - as swatches - so someone else can have fun creating with them too!

Meanwhile, I have been working on a little pattern booklet of all the different embroidery designs we have. I thought it would be great to offer a how to on our designs for all of you who like to do it yourself! It will be accompanied by a quick reference on the stitches used and available as PDF. Would anyone be interested in that?

Feature Artist: Art 2 the Extreme

Can you guess what this is.. Candy, drops, colorful soap?! At least those where the things going through my head when I first saw this picture. But those are actually Crayons ! Isn't that the neatest idea to just put all the colors together and make some nice rainbow crayons out of them. These look like they would be so much fun, even I want to take one in my hand right now and let the creative juices flowing. Just imaging what your children would say. And I love the idea of using them as party favors. What better thing to give and get!

This is only one item available at Art 2 the Extreme - a shop with all kinds of different goodies from these crayons, over ceramics, to clothing, all the way over to fin art prints. First I thought that this must be a collaborative shop, but it actually just showcases the work of one creative and versatile elementary art teacher. She loves to create with ceramics, printmaking, and fibers most of all, but also creates art to share and sell, as well as scrapbooking.


One more thing that caught my eye was this Llama Lovers Shirt. I really like the strong lines in it and yet the Llama just looks so friendly. You can't find that in a department store! And there are sooo many more things to find and discover at this shop.


http://art2theextreme.etsy.com
http://art2theextreme.blogspot.com/

Another Felt Necklace

So I'm still working all on the felt. Just love all the designs and colors my sister chose for the last ones she sent. It is so much fun that I don't have any time left to work on my silver jewelry. And I keep saying that I will get back to it any day now, but I'm just too caught up with the felt!
Here is my latest Necklace. It has 3 yummy looking leaves on a double stranded handmade necklace. This is a very bold creation - nice and big as it is in style now. I made the necklace using a little wooden figuring that we call *Strickliesel* in Germany. I used to work with it a lot when I was a kid. And because you go round and round with the yarn on it, there just never is a good time where you say: "OK, I can stop now and come to it later." You always feel like you have to do one more round or so. So now I made a few in different yarn thicknesses and colors for many more necklaces and bracelets to come. I should take a picture of that little helper and post it later. I'm sure all of you crafters had one when you were young!

Feature Artist: A Pretty Rock

It is always fun seeing what other jewelry artists do with their wire! I’m especially intrigued by this Bracelet. It looks like it would be so much fun to wear with those vibrant pearls and curly clasp. I also love Yazmin's (that's the jewelry designer behind A Pretty Rock) mantra "Oh Shiny!". And honestly, who doesn't like to own something shiny and gets all excited about those things. Well, I guess some people like it more than others!

The other thing that caught my eye in Yasmin's shop was this Ring. It displays a very interesting, fluid way of wire wrapping with a rather subdued but stunning mother of pearl focal. I just love how this comes together. There are also more rings like this one with different motives in her shop. Definitely worth taking a look!

http://aprettyrock.etsy.com
http://www.aprettyrock.com/blog