Auld Lang Syne

Post Holiday Stress

Are you stressed out form the holiday hustle and bustle? Aromatic Body Oils wonderful etsy shop may have the perfect solution. You've pampered everyone else during this holiday season. Now it's time to think about yourself. Check out these wonderful items and other great products in Aromatic Body Oils great etsy shop .

Aromatic Body Oils

Today's feature is on Aromatic Body Oils. This is the perfect shop to visit now after the holiday stress. Please read the owner's information and bio below:
"We make:

Whipped Shea Butters

Cold Processed Handmade Soaps

Hot Processed Body Washes

Lotions

Body Butters

Deodorants

Perfumes and Colognes

IncenseCandles

Skin Care Products that promote clear healthy skin!

And so much more.

Be sure to bookmark my Etsy store, and visit http://www.zaidat.com/blog

for more updates and information.



If there is a fragrance on the market that you are looking for but I do not have listed, I can order it in for you on any request of $30 or more for that fragrance. I can also list multiple items for you in one quick item.

You can reach my 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at info@zajanatural.com.

I ship anywhere in the world. I ask for 7 working days to create, pack and ship your order. This also gives you time to have the opportunity to add to your order and for me to combine shipping on your items.

I go to school full time (senior in college.) I am a mother of 2, married to a wonderful heartthrob of a man who puts up with my 8 hours of whipping, slicing and dicing up everything except food (he's the cook in this house, thank goodness or we would all go hungry or attempt to eat whipped shea butter and slices of soap on crackers.) I sell on 4 different venues online, which equates to over a hundred packages or more a week that need to go out the door. Its a lot of juggling trying to keep everyone happy, but I promise to always try. I pack all orders during the weekend and make one day a week my shipping day. Otherwise everything else including school, family, and other business aspects etc get neglected and I crash and nothing gets accomplished. As much as I wish I could have an assembly line of robots packing orders and printing shipping labels 24 hours a day, that just is not possible. These 2 hands of mine do it all, right from the beginning, I do not use bases, melt and pour soap bases, or lotions and body washes that come in huge 50 pound buckets. I am not knocking those who do, but I personally choose not to. There is just a certain level of joy in being able to take basic ingredients and turning them into something totally different. I guess its the chemist in me. I make it all from scratch, which takes time and a lot of patience, but I love being able to provide you with quality products made with my love and carefully thought out, tried, and tested recipes, because you deserve only the best for your skin.Due to the nature of my products, I do not accept returns as items do have to be thrown away since they cannot be resold. If you have a problem with something that you receive, please let me know so that we can work something out. I am not all about pretty packaging or cute pink boxes with polka dots, etc etc. I try to recycle supplies as best I can to help the environment. My labeling is simple, elegant, and attractive. The color cartridge on my printer is not my friend, so I try to not use it often. Who wants to spend $50 a week to spend on ink cartridges and toners?! I do not often send business cards, rather I prefer to print out a small note on recycled paper. I would much rather put the money I could be spending on super cute packaging into more ingredients for my products, and in turn be able to offer you more items.I am addicted to smelling good, which is why I have so many fragrances in stock. There is an entire room here devoted to just my fragrance and essential oils, and we are looking to expand soon to make room for more. My family has been in the fragrance industry for over 20 years, so I have access to so many fragrances and so many sources, so if you are looking for something in particular, you have come to the right place. Enjoy your stay here at ZAJA, and please feel free to ask any questions that you may have. I am so happy that you have discovered my shop, and I hope that you find great products here that you will want to try out!"

Fit for a Queen!

Regal Beads etsy shop is aptly named. When you see her amazing bead work you will understand why. The two pieces I chose would be stunning with most outfits and will draw sighs of admiration. Check out her shop and blog for more exciting designs to wear to your next soiree.

Regal Beads

Today's feature is on the gorgeous beadwork of Regal beads. Please read her profile below.

"I have loved doing crafts for most of my life (in fact, my dad loves to tell an embarrassing childhood story on me about this passion ;))Both of my parents are quite creative, and passed this down to me!I started beading over five years ago and took to it like a fish to water. I love the feel of the beads in my hands, the challenge of a new pattern, and the joy of a completed piece!For years this has been one of my hobbies, with my personal collection growing quite large, and with many family members and friends also benefiting.I have now decided to share these treasures with the world."

The work of Danelle of Damdesign is quite unique as you can see in the examples below. Not only does she design wearable art in the form of earrings and pendants, but her brightly colored pieces like the two that caught my eye would be gorgeous additions to many homes. Please check out her wonderful etsy shop.p.

Damdesign

Today I am featuring the lovely artwork of Damdesign. Please read her profile below.

"I have grown up living on art. I have always been a crafty person and my mom always tells this story from back when I was 3 -- I used to get up in the morning and watch the art programs that used to play on T.V. One day I was watching and I brought to my sleeping mom a basket I made all by myself. She said it was cut, there was glue, and it was woven together...and I was only 3. She always tells me that she wishes she had kept it. Well the passion for art and crafty things has been with me my entire life, and I finally decided that it was time to sell my art. I put a lot of time and heart into the pieces of art I create, and I love doing it. "
Links:
Blog- http://www.damdesigns.blogspot.com/
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/damdesigns
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/damdesigns

Wedding Day Jewels

Before you know it, June weddings will be the focus for young couples ready to take the plunge. One of the many decisions that needs to made is wedding bands and what the bride will wear with her gown. This stunning handmade14k gold band by Giftbearer will be a symbol of love for years to come. Perfect for the bride or groom, the braided bands symbolize the intertwining of love, hope and dreams. This ring which measures 7 and 1/4" wide can be given for other occasions as well.


The necklace below is made by Elektra Jewelry Design with top quality freshwater keishi pearls, a crystal studded magnetic clasp and vintage swarovski beads. the pearls have amazing sheen and luster. It measures 18" long and can be worn with the clasp in the front, the side, or in the back. It will compliment a scoop neck, v neck or strapless gown and can be worn again and again with many outfits due to its classic design. Either one of these pieces is sure to become a family heirloom.

Winter Solstice

The winter solstice will arrive this year on December 22, at 1:08 AM. At that point the hours of daylight will increase and night hours will decrease. That is a happy thought for those ,like me who long for warmth,sunny days and flowers. Deabusamor's winter solstice photo seems to depict that longing for spring with the sun behind the icicles reminding us of warmer days to come. Deabusamor's talent is evident not only in her amazing photos but in the stunning polymer bead set below. Check out her exciting etsy shop.

Deabusamor

Today's featured artist is Deabusamor. Please read her bio below.
1. About Me

A college student fallen in love with crafting, I am also a photographer and on-again off-again digital painter.I'm usually friendly (chances increase with presence of chocolate or coffee) and a little too loud, sometimes hyper and mostly crazy.

I don't bite, so don't be scared to say Hi.

Find me at:My blog! http://omgcow.blogspot.com/

My deviantArt! http://deabusamor.deviantart.com/

Have you Ever Been to Spain?

I have never been to Spain, but when I looked at this magnificent landscape photo of Navarra, Spain in Kathryn Short's etsy shop, I decided to add Spain to my list of "must see"locations. Besides taking wonderful photographs, Kathryn also knits adorable hats like the child's hat shown below. I love the bright colors and design of this hat. Take a look at this talented artist's shop before the holiday and have your shopping list with you.

Purple Snowpeas

Take a look at the wonderful shop Purple Snowpeas for brightly coloed knit hats,notecards and photographs. Read about the artist here.
"Kathryn Short, a photographer and all-around artist, attended the Maryland Institute College of Art. She was a photography major, but also enjoys bookmaking and knitting. Kathryn now teaches art and photography at the high school level.Kathryn loves to knit and crochet, take photographs while walking outdoors, craft small books for collecting thoughts, and anything else that keeps her hands busy.Visit my blog where I talk about knitting and ETSY artists!
http://purple-snowpeas-shop.blogspot.com"

Falling in Love with Lampwork

Susan, the artisan and designer of etsy shop Cserpent , obviously loves to design jewelry using lampwork beads. Being a lampwork addict myself, I appreciate the beauty of her pieces. She has the ability to bring out the full richness and colors of these handmade beads with her unique style and design. Take a look at her wonderful jewelry today and have your checkbook handy. Please read more on Susan's blog.

Cserpent

My featured artist for today is Susan of Cserpent. Please take a look at her very interesting bio below.

"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 floatation 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. My jewelry designs are also for sale at a gallery in La Jolla, CA - Art in 18K - so I'm starting to expand my sales base. I have a great time buying the parts needed to make my jewelry. I REALLY like the gorgeous artisan lampwork beads that are available through etsy as well as other online sites. My "inventory" is quite large so I really have to get designing more so I can share these beautiful beads with others. Sometimes I'll find one interesting bead or gemstone and that will be the kick start for a piece of jewelry. I really enjoy the creation process and get excited when I finish a piece and can share it with folks I know and with Etsy I can now share my creations with a much larger family.I'm a member of several Etsy street teams. I'm a member of CCCOE (California Crafters Club on Etsy), JET (Jewelry on Etsy), etsyBEAD (bead lovers of all sorts), BeadHive (started on Ebay and has now joined Etsy a group of jewelry artisans who all use high quality components to create artisan quality jewelry) and TBO (Tranquil Beading Oasis). In these groups we share ideas, provide support to one other, teach and learn all in the name of continuing are respective handmade crafts.My mom enjoys buying beads as well, a little too well if you ask me. Since she won't stop buying them I told her she'll have to start making jewelry for sale with some of the many beads she's purchased (and which I "store"). She has made many jewelry pieces for herself, family and friends but she buys way more beads than she has used in these designs. So my bead bins overfloweth and mom has to help clear them out by making designs to sell.Other miscellaneous pieces of information ....More on Gold Filled versus Gold Plated:---------------------------------------I use gold filled beads/wire rather than gold plated because gold filled is created by a process of using heat and pressure to bond a layer of real gold over some base metal (usually copper). Gold plating is an electro-chemical process which places a thin molecule of gold (or something gold colored) over a base metal and then a second chemical is often used for finishing to add a brightness to the bead. I found early on that gold plating can wear off in weeks if it is really poorly done and heavily used. Since that initial disappointment I've used gold filled beads (when available) and have never seen a sign of wear on any of the pieces I've worn over the years. I even polished some gold-filled beads in some jewelry my Aunt made me 20 years ago and they are now just as gold and shiny as when she first bought them. "

This Year and Next

If you need a few extra holiday cards for special friends this year, this set of four cards is for you. You can find these and other wonderful prints in the etsy shop, Wittyworkshop. The calendar below is a perfect gift for the upcoming year. which will be here before we know it. Don't forget to take a look at Valerie's blog too.

Witty Workshop

Today I am featuring the charming work of Valerie Parizeault , a very talented illustrator. Please read her bio below.

"Valérie Parizeault is a Canadian Illustrator & designer from Montreal. She is the owner of Rose Flash, Playfully spirited Jewelry (www.roseflash.ca) and the creative mind behind the Witty workshop (www.wittyworkshop.etsy.com), a place to buy and enjoy her Illustrations and prints. Inspired by whimsical moments, children’s universe and storytelling, she is living her dream life as an artist with her husband by her side and her black cat Tokyo. Tree hugger and business connoisseur, she blogs both in French and English about Eco-friendly causes, Indie designers and her daily life trough her creative blog Pot aux Roses (www.pot-aux-roses.blogspot.com) and about the ups and downs of entrepreneurship through her business tip blog Bite http://bitethebusiness.blogspot.com/. Valerie speaks of herself in the third person, well, because she is so darn shy!"

Quirkyn Berkley

Today's feature is on the wonderful shop of QuirkynBerkeley. Please read Carol's bio below.


"Love paper. Love color. Love Berkeley. Love Etsy.Beyond that, my style is eclectic and I love to experiment. I get completely absorbed in engineering my varied creations for hours. Each one is a new and unique production, made of treasures from my collection of paper and ephemera, transfigured into a single piece held together by a little glue, a lot of ideas, practice and work, and most of all, a great amount of joy. Some of my custom work can be viewed at http://picturetrail.com/photos/quirkynberkeley. Everything is made in a smoke free environment."

The Finishing Touch!

The anticipation of opening a holiday gift is always sweeter when the gift is beautifully tagged and wrapped. These charming Santa tags will be the perfect finishing touch for your gifts this seasson Quirkyn Berkeley has some wonderful items in her etsy shop The gorgeous flowered card below is sure to put a smile on the face of the reciepient. Don't forget to check Carol's blog too.

Here Comes Santa Kitty

Looking for unique and lovely lampwork beads? Then be sure to visit the shop of Catldy99. This Santa kitty is a perfect lampwork bead for a necklace or bracelet. Check out Judy Richard's shop for more beads and lovely jewelry like the bracelet below. Don't forget to take a peek at her blog too.

Judy Richards

You will find truly unique lampwork beads and pieces in the etsy shop of Catldy99. Read Judy Richards bio below:

" B.A. University of Minnesota Magna Cum Laude in Technical Theatre Coursework in Graphic Design at the Academy of Art College in San Francisco, CA Coursework in lamp working - Portland, OR Member of the International Society of Glass Beadmakersseller on ebay for 5 years - over 500-100% positive feedback Judy Richards resides in Portland, Oregon where it rains this time of year. A well kept secret is that it doesn't rain all year around.Judy is a member of the Portland Bead Society, the ORBS (Oregon Regional Beadmakers Society) and the ISGB (International Society of Glass Beadmakers).Judy makes lampwork beads and designs jewelry - unique and hopefully artful jewelry. She is always striving for new ideas, new shapes in glass. Judy is inspired by nature (flowers, birds) depicted in glass. She loves abstract lampwork most of all with layers of glass and complexity. She is always striving to that goal.She has done the work of reasonably exact glass beads - but yearns to break out of that toward something more complex and deep in an artistic sense. She also has a sense of humor and doesn't take herself too seriously - she is the owner of 2 cats, hence the cat beads. Judy likes to laugh and make others smile with her work.Judy's dream buyer is the Sundance catalog.Probably the best things she has made are jewelry with her own lampwork beads and semi precious stones that have sold. They are really pushing the envelope of what we think of as jewelry and adornment."

Sunflower Power!

George McKim's sunflower lino cut prints will brighten your room and your outlook. Sunflowers have always been on my list of favorites. I love their happy yellow faces. I chose the black and white print to feature because I liked the way the cuts appear on the "face" of the flower. The print below it has such beautiful colors and design, it needed to be featured here as well. George's shop carries some absolutely beautiful work. Don't' forget to check out his blog too.

George McKim

It is easy to see from this list of credentials, awards, and exhibitions that George Mckim is quite a talented artist.
Education:
1986 - Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Skowhegan, Maine - Postgraduate study, Painting
1986 - East Carolina University, Greenville, NC -MFA, Painting and Drawing
1977 - Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Va. - BFA Painting and Printmaking

Awards:
1986 -Full Independent Scholarship, Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture
1991 - Emerging Artist Grant, Wake County
1983- Best in Show, Rebel Literary Arts Magazine Competition, ECU
1984- Best in Show, Rebel Literary Arts Magazine Competition, ECU

Publications:
1998 - New American Paintings – Southeastern United States Region - June

Collections:
2007 - PPD World Corporate Headquarters, Wilmington, NC

Solo Exhibitions:
1991 - Municipal Building Art Exhibitions, Municipal Building, Raleigh NC
1990- Lee Hansley Gallery, Raleigh, NC1987 - Hanes Art Center Gallery, UNC Chapel Hill, NC
1987- Coltrane Art Gallery, Brevard College, Brevard, NC
1985 - College of the Albemarle, Elizabeth City, NC
1984 - Durham Art Center, Durham NC

Selected Group Exhibitions:
2003 - The Perfect Painting, Lee Hansley Gallery, Raleigh, NC
2002 - 200 Under 500, Lee Hansley Gallery, Raleigh, NC
1996- North Carolina Artists Triennial, North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, NC / Curator - Linda Shearer
1993 - North Carolina Artists Triennial, North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, NC / Curator
- Michael Auping
1990 - North Carolina Artists Triennial, North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, NC / Curator - Stephen Westfall
1990 - Greensboro Artists League Traveling Exhibition, Greensboro NC and Pleides Gallery, New York, NY
1987 - North Carolina Artists Triennial, North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, NC / Curator - Roberta Smith
1984 - North Carolina Artists Triennial, North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, NC / Curator - Howard Fox
1986 - Fragments, Grey Gallery, ECU, Greenville, NC1985 - Colors/Marks/Patterns/Planes, Zoller Gallery, Penn State University, University Park, PA
1985 - Tampa Triennial, Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa, FL1983 - Masks, Arabesque Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
1982 - Southeastern Spectrum, Sawtooth Gallery, Winston Salem, NC

Gallery Affiliations:
2007 - Snyderman-Works Gallery, Philadelphia, PA2007 - Kipton Art, New York, NY
2007 - Art Reach, Albuquerque, NM2006 - Eric Schindler Gallery, Richmond, VA
2006 - Art Source Gallery, Raleigh, NC1990 - Lee Hansley Gallery, Raleigh, NC