Daffodil Season

This is such a beautiful time of year. Everywhere I look blossoms are appearing, flowers are bursting into bloom and the air is so fragrant.  I'm reminded of a William Wordsworth poem I studied long ago in an English literature class: 

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

In this blog I will be showcasing three shops, Joyflower, Yankee Burrow and Ancient Oils.

To celebrate this season, I've  chosen a stunning Spring Fashion Hand Painted Charmeuse Silk Poncho by Kristin Joy Light at http://www.etsy.com/shop/Joyflower?ref=pr_shop_more. Believe it or not, this silk poncho is actually a silk square that can be worn in a variety of ways. I love the rich coral red and magenta colors. If you check this out on the website, you will see illustrations of how to tie it in different ways to achieve different effects. You can also see a brief video overview of the process of silk painting at http://joysilk.com/Painting. 




Having just returned from South Africa, I was immediately drawn to Debbi and Amanda's shop, Yankee Burrow where I found this beautiful  African beaded necklace, brown and green created by Debbi for

http://www.etsy.com/shop/YankeeBurrowCreation

Perfect for spring, the green and brown beads are interspersed with silver and wood to add to the African feel of this unusual piece.  

I love chocolate so, when I saw Mint with Chocolate Swirls Luxury Soap by Lilly DelValle, I was blown away! Imagine bathing in chocolate mint!
This soap is made with real Cocoa butter, peppermint essential oil and real cocoa powder for swirls. Whether you are using this in the day or at night, it is sure to soothe you and leave you with a feeling of well-being. Lilly  works with Essential Oils due to their Healing and Spiritual properties. Be sure to visit her shop for a delicious experience at

http://www.etsy.com/shop/AncientOils?ref=pr_shop_more


I hope that you have enjoyed this blog and that it will heighten your spring experience.

Cuddles, Quartz and Silver

Well, I'm back from a wonderful vacation in sunny South Africa. It was a real trip down memory lane for me. After an absence of about 15 years, I couldn't believe how the country had changed.

Cape Town is still, in my opinion, the most beautiful city in the world. Yes, there is still a lot of poverty and unemployment and crime cannot be discounted, but there is also a lot of entrepreneurial activity and everyone I encountered was friendly, smiling and helpful.

Being a popular tourist venue, local crafts were on display everywhere. I found the intricate and colorful beadwork stunning and inspiring.  My goal is to use this inspiration to be more adventurous in my designs.

While I was away, my fellow BEST team members have been busy and I will be featuring three very talented artists in this blog.

Irith Mashiah is an extremely talented gold and silversmith. In her shop RioRita (http://www.riorita.etsy.com), you can see an exciting array of handmade jewelry. I've chosen to share with you my favorite piece - the Two sided pendant, handcrafted Sterling silver Pendant, which is a combination of two sterling silver disks, one superimposed on the other. The two disks have different textures and enamel ornamentation on the smaller, inner one. There are also matching earrings available in her shop. If you are looking for a truly unique piece, you must visit this stunning shop. 

I remember as a child always having a beloved cuddly toy and being heart broken after it started disintegrating. How I wish I had been able to send it to Coldham Cuddlies for restoration by Isobel Morrell. (http://www.etsy.com/people/coldhamcuddlies)   Isobel has been making these adorable cuddly toys for about forty years and her shop is a veritable children's dream. My favorite is Golden Mohair Bear with a Blue Scarf (a.k.a. Little Ed Ted). He is made from a soft mohair which makes him a very cuddly companion. Be sure to check out the other treasures in this shop and remember that you can also send in your old favorites for rejuvenation.

 Because I make beaded jewelry, I am always interested to see what other bead artists are making and I was delighted to see Patty Coe's beautiful designs. (http://www.etsy.com/people/pcoe00) She uses a variety of beads, pearls and gemstones and her shop offers a selection of necklaces, lanyards and earrings.  A particularly eye-catching piece is the Purple Quartz Drop Pendant Necklace made up of purple quartz beads and light purple glass pearls interspersed with silver beads. The effect is completed with the Purple quartz pendant. Don't forget to visit this shop.


I hope you have enjoyed my blog. I wish these three talented artists lots of success with your shops. 

Cuddles, Quartz and Silver

Blue and White, Wine Charms and Crochet Goodies

Welcome to my latest blog. I'm off to sunny South Africa this week-end so you won't hear from me until I get back. It's the first time in about 15 years that I am going back and I am so excited! Just wish I could take my whole family with me. I hope to come back with my creativity rejuvenated. I'm also looking forward to getting inspiration from the traditional African art and handcrafts.


I love it that our team is so diverse. American born CC lived in Thailand prior to moving to Chile, and the Asian influence is so clearly visible in her jewelry. When I saw CC's (Blue and White Wear) beautiful Chinese Ming Blue and White Pendant and Beads Necklace, I was immediately struck by the pendant created from a porcelain Ming Dynasty shard.  Three porcelain hand-painted  round beads flank the silver framed pendant on each side. The characters on the beads represent longevity, happiness, wealth, love, and good fortune.

I love the sentiments expressed in this necklace - what a meaningful gift to give someone you love.

http://www.etsy.com/people/bluewhitejewelrywear

If you like to entertain and you're always running short of wine glasses because your guests keep getting confused as to which is their glass and so take another clean one. Well, Absolutely Kismet has the answer  - a set of 6 wine charms made from seed beads, focal beads and pewter charms. What a great hostess gift, too. These charms fit around most stemware and some coffee mugs. You can also custom order so that you get exactly what you need to dress up your next party! .http://www.etsy.com/people/AbsolutelyKismet

Ellen Mackler of GMaEllenCrochetGifts was inspired by her very creative grandmothers and her love

of crochet is a result of their influence. I also love to crochet, so I was very taken by her

Drop Shell Crochet Jangle Bracelet/Necklace . She has crochet natural shell beads on nylon thread. This can be worn as a necklace, wrapped four times for a bracelet or an anklet. The possibilities are endless!  I can imagine this worn with a white sheath dress - what a stunning image!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/GMaEllenCrochetGifts?page=4

Please visit these wonderful shops - you will be as amazed and delighted as I was by their creativity.

I look forward to sharing more when I return from South Africa.

When I look at my team members' shops, I am overawed at the variety, novelty and beauty that abounds, and all the artistic talent that is out there.


I felt an immediate kinship with Beader Bubbe as my life is immersed in that of my four precious treasures, ranging in age from 10 to 16. My fourteen year old granddaughter, Micaela, is my constant supporter and design advisor and, in fact, is co- administrator on my FaceBook fan page. I also love to read and Agnes has a wonderful blog for anyone trying to find a good book to lose themselves in. 

My goal is to learn how to use polymer clay and so admire people who are able to produce such professional jewelry. I love the colors on this Rainbow Necklace - they are perfect for lifting our spirits on a gloomy winter day or for enhancing a spring or summer outfit. 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/57978001/free-ribbonrainbow-necklace

Connie Haskell in her Redemption Art Shop has a unique and eclectic collection of wonderful items. If I were an interior designer, I would go no further than this shop. I particularly love the Tea Pot Copper Portugal Vintage.

 With my South African upbringing, tea time was marked in our home every day, and I still get nostalgic when I see beautiful teapots. I remember a copper one in my mother's house.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/79293008/tea-pot-copper-portugal-vintage

In her Empty on the Inside shop,  Annie Olverio has a wonderful display of beautiful cards. I love it that they are empty on the inside so that I can write my own message which is always so much more meaningful than a commercial one. Her cards are so varied in design that there is a suitable one for any occasion. In these days of fast living and instant gratification, how special when someone sends you a card that they have actually taken the time to think about the message.

I chose to highlight the Groovy Greeting Card as it is my favorite, but the artwork on each card is stunning!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/70710950/groovy-greeting-card-blank-funky-flowers

Enjoy my blog - I'm still grappling with the page formatting, how to mix graphics and text with an easier flow. Any ideas?

Unseasonable Season

Usually at this time of the year, when I look out my windows, all I see is white. This year has been different and even the bulbs are confused and starting to appear. Instead of using the usual winter colors and heavier designs, I'm tempted to go for spring colors. I haven't yet seen a color trend for the next season, but I loved the peach, apricot and coral colors of last year.

In three weeks I'm going to South Africa for a vacation and look forward to the beautiful beaches. Cape Town is one of my favorite places - it certainly rivals California with its spectacular scenery. I'm also hoping be inspired to try different styles in my beading.

This is one of my recent designs. Please give me feedback.
Thanks

Delia