A Love Affair with Roman Glass

I don't recall how or when it happened, but the very first time I put my eyes on a piece of jewelry made with this amazing glass, it was love at first sight. Perhaps it was at the Boston gift show where I visited the booth of some amazing Israeli jewelry designers who had incorporated Roman glass into their designs. I think it is the colors of the glass and its iridescent qualities that I find so appealing.

Here is a little information about this ancient glass:

The earliest man-made glass was first produced over 2000 years before the Roman Empire. Core formed and cast glass was produced, although in small quantities in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. It was often made to imitate semi-precious stones like lapis lazuli and turquoise.
Glass vessels were initially available only to the very wealthy and only in rather diminutive sizes. They were manufactured by core forming, casting, cutting and grinding, The invention of glass blowing around 50 BC brought glass vessels to the general public in vast numbers, mass produced in great variety of forms and hence brought ancient glass into the reach of the modern collector of even modest means. One can nowadays own a Roman glass bowl, or drink form a Roman glass beaker, or wear ancient jewellery where glass was used widely.

Recently I was able to purchase some lovely Roman glass beads and design a few new pieces with these ancient beads. Stay tuned for more photos of my new jewelry pieces.

Team Work

As you know, getting your items seen on the Internet is a labor intensive and complex endeavor. I have been working with a fellow teammate to feature our items together in the hopes that both items will become more visible on the Internet. Lindabutterfly and I are members of a wonderful team of artisans who work together to help promote our products and websites. Linda is and artist whose incredible work can be seen here and here. We have recently listed two of our items together on our etsy shops to be sold for a discounted price. We thought that these items complimented each other beautifully and would make a wonderful gift item. The listings for these items can be seen on our etsy shops. They can be purchased in either Linda's shop or at my shop. This experience has been a great deal of fun and we think you will be as pleased as we are with the results of our team work.

For Your Girly Girl

Those of you who have little girls that love girly, feminine accessories will enjoy the handmade items offered by Gayle of Whats Her Name, a wonderful Etsy shop. The items featured here are certain to put a smile on the face of your daughter, niece or any little girl you might know. Gayle also caries handbags, spa items, bookmarks,card and wall hangings in her eclectic shop. Pay her a visit today to find something special.

Do you Love to Crochet?

I am a knitter and have just learned some basic crochet stitches. I know I am always looking for new and exciting patterns for my knitted items. Sandy of Sandy's Cape Cod Originals is one very talented lady. Not only does she crochet the most darling items , but she designs patterns as well. Her shop features some very unique and adorable crochet patterns, like the ones you see here. She also sells items that she has crocheted, should you decide the that your crocheting skills are lacking. Be sure to visit Sandy's shops and stock up on wonderful patterns for your children or grandchildren.
Put a smile on the face of a friend or family member when you present them with a lovely handmade crocheted gift.

Sugar N' Spice

Sugar and Spice and everything nice, that is what little girls are made of... Pay a visit to Olivia Reyes delightful etsy shop to find the most delightful little girls' dresses and bows. These darling dresses would be perfect for a special occasion like a wedding. The bodice of the dresses is made with silk duponi and lined with bridal taffeta. The floral designs of the skirt bottom are soft and feminine. So take a look and treat that special little girl with one of Olivia's beautiful dresses or bows. Shipping is free.

Jewelry from the Heart

These are a few of the beautiful pieces found in Debi Levine's etsy shop. Debi's jewelry is unique and well designed. Her shop not only features pearls, but semi-precious stones and swarovski crystals as well. She also carries some Baha'i pieces that are quite beautiful. Visit

Debi's One Heart Jewelry shop here and you won't be disappointed.

A Professional Look

I have been wanting to have a banner made for my tent to achieve a more professional look and to draw customers to my booth at craft shows. I was fortunate enough to stumble across the etsy shop of Paul Wilson at Wilson Graphics a few weeks ago and worked closely with Paul to achieve the beautiful banner you see here. Not only was he patient and creative, he gave me information about how to send large files through email. Paul sent me a number of proofs before we agreed on the final look for the banner. If you need a banner, promo item, decals or wall graphic do not miss this shop. I am thrilled with my purchase!