Blogmania Partner - Second Surf

As promised in yesterday's post, I'm really excited to introduce you to my newest Blogmania sponsor this morning!  Barbara Bechtel from Second Surf is our newest Team Member.  As part of our theme "Our Favorite Things" Barbara is excited to be sharing her custom designed jewlery.  For Blogmania, she is going to be creating a one of a kind piece that showcases her talent and unique style.

I met Barbara through a mutual friend's Lisa's blog when she was showcased as the Designer of the Week.  I fell in love with her "Love is All That Matters" necklace the moment I saw it.  You can see why... it's so delicious you could kiss it!  In reading her blog I found out I love that too!  It's not a wonder she was featured a featured designer.  She's really super talented in lots of areas of crafts.  From jewelry, to vintage items to artwork, Barbara has many irons in the fire and creates beautiful pieces!

Barbara operates her Etsy Stores from her home in Florida.  What fascinates me about Barbara is that she she has yes, 3 Etsy Stores for each of her unique creative outlets.  Floridity is her store where she specializes in handmade polymer clay beads and original one of a kind jewelry using these beads.  Each of her pieces are one of a kind, and custom crafted!

Barbara, we are so blessed to have such an inspirational woman such as yourself on our team.  Thank you fo joining us in helping to make Team Favorite Things' Blogmania giveaway better than EVER!

You can check out Barbara via all of the websites below!  She's a gem, and you'll really be glad you took the time to meet her and see what she's up to!

Second Surf Blog:  http://secondsurf.blogspot.com/
Twitter:  http://twitter.com/2ndsurf
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/SecondSurfcom/168725313514
Floridity Store: http://Floridity.etsy.com
Kit of Parts Store: http://kitofparts.etsy.com/
Second Surf Store:  http://2ndsurf.etsy.com/

Barbara, I don't know where you find the time to do all you do... but we sure are glad you're sharing your talents with the world.  You have many gifts dear!

{Hugs!}
Dawn

Blogmania Update: Ides of June

Tis the ides of June... a.k.a. the middle of June and I wanted to give you an update on Blogmania and our team, Team Favorite Things!  Our prize package is growing steadily and is now over $300!  Yes, that's a $300 prize that anybody can win by visiting this blog during Blogmania, September 15-16th.

Our Giveaway for blogmania is "Our Favorite Things!" because all of the prizes in our HUGE giveaway are some of our favorite things.  Thus far I've introduced you to two of our team sponsors, Azure Islands Designs and Purple Vine Design, both incredibly talented creative women.  Tomorrow, I'm going to introduce you to a brand new sponsor on our team... She's another multi-faceted woman with her hands in so many crafty areas.  You're just going to love her - I promise!

As our team is growing, we're really generating LOTS of traffic.  Sending new eyes (both readers and ready buyers) to each others websites daily.  Using a co-op marketing style, we're able to spread the word  about our sponsors and their great products all over the web.  If you are interested in joining our team and sharing in our co-op advertising all summer long, click here to get more information.  Then in September, when Blogmania takes place, all of our sponsors will be front and center on our blog post and the traffic will be crazy!  I promise!

During our last Blogmania event, there were THOUSANDS of viewers on the participating blogs and their sponsors.  Blog followers increased by 300% and more on many blogs- in that one day alone!  Sales were made and relationships were built.  This time, the event is BIGGER - prizes are bigger, the participating blogs are more numerous and the event is two whole days rather than just 1!  So we're upping the stakes and it's going to be huge! 

I can't wait to share more, but right now I must utilize the sunshine I have and snap some photos for my online store.  Enjoy your day!

{Hugs!}
Dawn

Oh Yummy - Cantaloupe!

Yummy for the eyes that is!  Yesterday I received a package of Swarovski Crystals that I had ordered and one of the shades I really wanted to see in person was Cantaloupe.  Why?  Because in my youth I was fascinated with the Hyper-color T-shirts and mood rings!!!!!

Imagine my squeal of joy when I first saw my beatiful, sparkley crystals... purple when I took them out of the package... but then.... I put them under my desk lamp and they changed to a vivid springy green!  I LOVE THEM!  It's not sunny here today or I'd go outside and take pictures (sorry, Mother Nature didn't get my memo), so you'll have to take my word for it.  In the mean time, here's a photo from Fire Mountain Gems that shows three different colors of the Cantaloupe Crystals in different lighting.  I can't wait to play!  Stay tuned for more delicious updates!

On other news, I'm putting the finishing touches on my new website.  I'm quite pleased with how it's coming along.  As my gift to you, I'll be offering a special discount to my newsletter subscribers when my website goes live!  So, if you want to receive your special invite and discount, sign up for my monthly newsletter on the right!  I promise you'll be glad you did! :)

{Hugs!}

~Dawn

Book Giveaway!

I wanted to share with you about a new giveaway from a dear friend of mine!  Lisa Crone the author of A Bead A Day is giving away a copy of her incredible book, A Bead in Time! 

I purchased Lisa's book about a year ago.  What I loved about it is that she offers great illustrations with her written instructions.  So regardless of your skill level, anybody can follow her tutorials and create beautiful jewelry!

Here's how you can win - head over to Lisa's blog (click here) and leave a comment on her post.  I personally, would love for YOU to win.  I've gained TONS... seriously, tons of inspiration from this book.  Lisa shares with you her inspiration behind each project and it gets your creative juices flowing beyond what you might have imagined before.

If you're impatient Irish like me, you'll want your copy whether you win or not.  So you can purchase it directly from Amazon below.  Good luck and may your inspiration flow! :)

Great Gift Idea!

A while back, I was introduced to a wonderful potter... via his wife whom makes incredible beads!  And this wonderful potter had a giveaway to spread the word about how amazing his wood-fired pottery is.  As it happened, I chose the wrong lottery numbers that day, but my luck was in the his drawing!  Because I won this beautiful wood-fired coffee mug.

The amazing potter is Bill Perrine of Splitfire Pottery.  He and his wife Mary Ann operates MACarroll Beads (which has been an object of my drooling for the better part of a year now.)  :)  Bill and Mary Ann are both wonderful people.  I've enjoyed following their blogs and really enjoy seeing the "reveal" pictures every time they open their kiln. 

Bill is an art teacher by day... but by night, he wears many hats.  His love for art has "fired" is passion for creating one of a kind pottery pieces.  In Bill's Etsy Store, Splitfire Pottery, you'll find coffee mugs, decorative jars, bowls, vases and more all in unique finishes and colors!  Right now, he even has a tea pot that is just beautiful!

The day Bill's package arrived happened to be a really hectic morning.  So imagine my surprise when I open my mailbox and find a package in there!  It put a smile on my face and as I'm sure all of the ceramic treasures Bill creates do for anybody that receives them!

Thank you so much, Bill, for sharing your creativity and talents.  I feel so fortunate to have won your giveaway, and continue to love my mug daily.  It is absolutely my favorite coffee mug. 

Please, take some time to check out Bill's Blog and his Etsy Store, Splitfire Pottery.  http://www.etsy.com/shop/splitfirepottery He's a wonderful potter and a really talented artist!  You'll just love his work!  And what a perfect gift to give someone!

{Hugs!}
Dawn

Up-Cycled Beaded Jewelry Set

So many of us have pieces of jewelry laying around that we aren't wearing anymore, or they've gone out of style, or they're treasures we collected that are attached to memories.  Such is the case for these lovely strands of sea shells.

The story behind these itty bitty sea shells...

Years ago my Aunt Diane took a trip to Kauai, Hawaii.  It was a wonderful trip that she'll cherish forever.  As her momento, she brought back these lovely sea shells.  While they are the perfect souvenir, it wasn't practical to wear on a daily basis.


A short bit of time ago, Aunt Diane won my un-announced contest on a family blog we run for the 300th post.  Yes, I have a big enough family that we all contribute to a family blog to stay in touch with each other on a more regular basis.  We don't let our distance keep us a part.  So for posting our 300th post I announced Aunt Diane had won and I was going to make her a special bracelet.


But rather than making something new, Aunt Diane asked if I could "do something" with these sea shells.  I love a challenge and was tickled she asked.  So she sent me the sea shells (and some absolutely delicious homemade caramels) and gave me free reign to do whatever I wanted.


I started with the necklace and was inspired by the tropical colors of the painted abalone pendant.  Sea shells were the perfect compliment to make a special piece.  But I can't stop at a necklace... after all, I had promised her a bracelet.  So I completed the set with a 4-strand sea shell bracelet and matching earrings. 

Here's my finished products!  I'm so excited for Aunt Diane to receive her package.  As a *Bonus* this year our family Christmas has the theme "Christmas in Hawaii!"  So I'm hoping the extra sea shell bling will accessorize Aunt Diane perfectly!  Love you Auntie D!

{Hugs!}
~Dawn

New Blogmania Partner - Purple Vine Designs

I'm so excited to introduce you to our newest Blogmania Sponsor.  Kelly Jo Guastello operates Purple Vine Design.  As purple is my favorite color, Kelly Jo fits into Team Favorite Things perfectly.  Kelly Jo creates one of a kind, custom greeting cards.  From Thank You's to Congratulations to Get Well Soon, Kelly puts her heart into every piece she makes.

Based out of her home in Pawtucket, R.I., Kelly Jo started Purple Vine Design to share her creativity with the world.  I met Kelly Jo through Twitter and we have become wonderful friends.  She's a busy mother, grandmother and furry mother (she has 4-legged furry kids just like I do.)  Each card that Kelly makes is durable, adorable and guaranteed to put a smile on the face of whomever is receiving it!

When Kelly Jo contacted me about creating a set of custom cards for our Blogmania event, I was thrilled.  See, I love sending out handwritten impromptu cards all the time.  Call me old-fashioned, but people really appreciate knowing you took the time to tell them you care.  So for Blogmania, Kelly Jo is making a set of custom Thank You cards that the winner will be able spread smiles many times over!

Thank you Kelly Jo and Purple Vine Design for partnering with me for Blogmania in September.  Please Show Kelly Jo some love.  She's been selling online for quite some time, but she's just getting started blogging!  Check out her blog and her Etsy store so you can see more of her great work!  Here's how you can get in touch with Kelly Jo:

Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/purplevinedesig
Etsy:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/purplevinedesign
Blog:  http://purplevinedesign.blogspot.com
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Purple-Vine-Design/129374660411331

Kelly Jo added this about her special notecards for Blogmania: "I'm sitting in my little craft space (I work in our spare room which houses the 2nd refrigerator, overflow of can goods, treadmill and my closet--we live in a 900 sq ft 2 bedroom condo)  and I wasn't sure what I wanted to create.  I thought about your giveaway...My favorite things.  Then it hit...I had picked up some paper a few months ago and although there were so many things I could make with it, I kept holding onto it because it was my favorite paper.  I knew I could part with a few pages to make these cute little notecards.  The pink paperclip hearts were already sitting on my table and when I glued the paper to the cardstock, I knew I had to put them on the front! The other embellishments were easy to use, work very well with this paper and even though the notecards are very simple, I really like them!  I hope you do too!"

Kelly Jo, I love the pictures and I know you're going to get a tremendous response from all our wonderful friends and readers.  

If you'd like more information about Blogmania or Joining our Team, please visit the Blogmania page on the top of my Blog.  As a team we're working together to create an incredible prize package, drive lots and lots of traffic collectively to our team sites and blogs and in the meantime, meet some great people and have a lot of fun!  Who wouldn't want to have a lot of fun and get boatloads of traffic on their website?

{Hugs!}
Dawn

Spiral Stitch Beaded Rope Project

This week I tried something I have never done before... I went where my beads have never taken me... I traveled to the land of BEAD WEAVING!  I know, now you're thinking... "Oh geez Dawn, yet another obsession..." and you just might be right.  But how cool is it to be able to create chunky beaded chains like the spiral rope chain to hang beautious chunky pendants on? 

I have seen the spiral rope chain created by very, Very talented beaders on their blogs and in their Etsy & Artfire Stores.  I love the look of it, and I've wanted to try it, but had no clue where to start...

In steps my MIL.  She happened to see the Best of Step By Step Beads Magazine at JoAnn's when she was picking up her flags for Memorial Day.  She flipped through and saw the bead weaving and equated it to the wire crochet that I love so much.  So she picked it up and the love of seed beads continues from there...

So over the last week I couldn't wait to get my hands into some thread and itty bitty beads.  I created this pink and chocolate spiral rope chain, which I'm going to put some cone ends on w/ a clasp and call it mine forever because it was my first-born bead weaving project.  :) 

I also created a crystal necklace using some seed beads and 6 mm crystals.  It too turned out sparkley and beautiful and will go in my jewelry box as a treasure forever.  :)    I love trying new things, it opens the mind, expands the creativity and challenges us to create something new. 

If you're looking to break through a plateau, I encourage you to pick up a book, magazine or online tutorial about something you haven't done before.  Challenge yourself to complete it and see what you can learn!

Have yourself a wonderful weekend!  On Monday, I'll be sharing with you all about a new Sponsor we have for our Blogmania Giveaway!  You'll just love her - promise! :)

{Hugs!}
Dawn

New Blogmania Partner - Azure Islands Designs

 
I'm so excited to announce the first partner for our HUGE Blogmania Giveaway!  Heather Cote, owner of Azure Islands Designs, has been a dear friend of mine for quite some time.  She and I met on our blogs and share a mutual interest in artisan crafted jewelry.  Heather resides in beautiful Canada and is a busy woman!  From organizing the Buskers & sitting on the Board at the local farmer's market in the summer months to participating in craft shows and continuing to design new jewelry, Heather is never at a loss for what to do in her free time!

For Blogmania, Heather is creating a one-of-a-kind, special design.  I'm excited to see her design, but more importantly, I'm grateful to have her on Team Favorite Things.  Heather is one of my Favorite Bloggers, so it's appropriate she's on Team Favorite Things!

Won't you please take some time in your browsing to check out Heather's custom jewelry? 

Here's where you can find Heather and Azure Islands Designs:

Heather's blog - http://azureislandsdesigns.blogspot.com
Heather's Facebook Page - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Azure-Islands-Designs/353012479650?ref=ts
Heather's Website - http://www.azure-islands.com
Heather's Etsy Store - http://www.azureislands.etsy.com

As a team, our theme for Blogmania is "Our Favorite Things!"  If you are interested in joining our team and sponsoring a giveaway for Blogmania, check out the Blogmania Page above for more information or click here to view the post about Partnering Up!  Our goal is to make an incredible giveaway, meet some great new people, and support each other's businesses.  We'll be working together from now through Sept. 15th and 16th to spread the word, build up a great following of readers and have a great time!

A special Thank You to Heather for joining us for Blogmania and for your friendship!  I appreciate you so very much!

{Hugs!}
~Dawn

Summer Colors - Bright, Bold and Cheerful!

Summer means - days at the beach, bright cheerful flowers, bold, vivacious colors, popsicles & ice cream cones... and bees, but we won't talk about those! :)  It also means we can proudly adorn our ankles with beautiful baubles and our feet in sandals for the world to see!

Having celebrated Memorial Day weekend here in the US, it begins the "unofficial" start of summer.  Kids are nearing the end of school, parents are dreading excited about summer beginning, and with the beautiful weather we've had for the past month, our flowers and gardens look like we're nearing the end of June!  So thus, I'm beginning my "Day at the Beach" designs!

While I don't wear many bracelets, I'm always happy to adorn my ankles with a fun anklet in the summer... different chains, sparkly beads, jingle bells, sea shells... are just a few of my favorite embellishments.  So in the spirit of summer... here's an ode to the start of summer fun and a toast to great summer memories in the making!  Click here if this Anklet is a Must-Have for your summer wardrobe!

Cheers!
~Dawn