Impressions By Heidi, Featured HAF Artist

Meet Heidi, she is a self taught artist from Summerville, S.C., so in a respect, she is a neighbor of mine! Heidi loves working in copper, and it shows in her lovely creations...here, take a peek at some of her stuff in her Etsy Shop, Impressions by Artisian Jewelry by Heidi. The following pictures are some of my favorites of hers...

Heidi even uses her copper medium combined with her peruvian threding technique, which makes for gorgeous earrings...see just above.

Heidi's blog, full of good reads, and I love her wordless Wednesday posts, is full of good reads and pictures of her recent works or art. I am going to use her "wordless" thene to finish off my post with only pictures. Make sure you visit her shop, there is plenty more where this came from!

TRusk4U, Featured HAF Artist

I am here with yet another featured HAF Artist, Teresa Rusk, owner and operator of Hollyhocks, LLC., her brinck and mortar store in Hillsborough, NC.. She was born and raised in the upper Michigan peninsula, and now resides in North Carolina with her hubby. Teresa has 2 grown children who are on their own and live elsewhere, and a rescue dog who is just the cutest pup you ever did see. Teresa has an Etsy shop that is full of gorgeous beaded and wire worked or wrapped jewelry.  and beautiful tote bags in yummy spring florals and colors. Her blog is interesting reading, where she features artists, her favorite recipes and reads. Treat yourself and visit her shops, and browse her blog. Here are some pics of her lovely jewelry from her Etsy Shop:

Trusk4U blog: http://www.trusk4u.blogspot.com/

Trusk4U on Etsy: http://www.trusk4u.etsy.com/

Trusk4U on Handmade Artists Shop: http://handmadeartistsshop.com/trusk4u.html

And the last three pictures are from her Handmade Artisit Shop, T.Rusk4U

Great Gaboon Ebony Bangle Giveaway

Well, here we are, and as I have promised, when my blog following reached 50, I would give away one of my gorgeous exotic wood cuffs. I thought about which wood to use, and a favorite Bible verse came to mind, when a man asks for your cloak, give him your coat also. My interpretation of this is if you are going to give something away, give the best, not the worst you've got. So, since I love working ebony wood, this is my first choice. It is glamorous, showy, sensual, earthy, ethnic, and sexy all wrapped up into one, but best of all, it polishes like glass! Absolutely none other like it, in my mind. And here is the bangle you will receive if you are the lucky winner:

These are the requirements that will count towards how many times you are entered into the drawing to win:

Please post all in the comments below, the more you can help to promote me, the more chances for you to win. Each separate action counts as one more time your name will go into the pot.

1.  You must be already following or follow my blog, and post your blogger id in the comments below.

2.  You must follow or like my Jewelry by Janelle Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jewelrybyjanelle50-at-Etsycom/101935135915?__a=1

3. You must post a link to your favorite item in my Etsy shop, and tell me why you like it. http://www.etsy.com/shop/jewelrybyjanelle50 

4.  You must follow me on Twitter, I am exoticsjanelle http://twitter.com/exoticsjanelle . Please post your handle on Twitter below so I know who you are.

5.  Writing a blog post about me and my exotic wood jewelry isn't a must, but gets 3x your name in the pot. If you do this, be sure to post your blog link below.

6. You must Twitter this givewaway blog post with the link to my blog at least once, and post a link to it below.

7.  You must promote this at least once on your Facebook page, and post the link to it below.

7  Big chances to win! Spead the word to your friends and family. Be sure and  post your email  in the first post you make, so that I can notify you if you are the lucky winner. The drawing will take place on January 31, 2011, and winner will be notified by email for contact and shipping information.

Best of luck, and most of all, have fun! 

Artist Spotlight Part 5- Meet Briskmama

This week, hailing from Croatia, is a multi-talented artist named Briskmama. Sewing is almost a lost art, as well as embroidery, but she defines them both well, as you can see in her grocery bags, double sewn on the seams. Get rid of those pesky plastic bags that seem to pile up everywhere.!

They are made of what looks like white sackcloth, and one is lined with vintage style fabric, and the other is beautifully embroidered in the old redwork style, gorgeous...just see for yourself...

Briskmama also makes hand appliqued ornaments...

and reusable gift bags...

All of these handmade pretties can be purchased in her Etsy Shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/briskmamma.

:et's not forget her prints, which are hand drawn and colored by her, then made into prints, wow...here are a couple or three of my favorites...since I am a chocoholic, lol

And then there is this one. For some strange reason, it makes me think of that nutty, disco freak who sang,"I'm Too Sexy For My Shirt" song, and it makes me laugh out loud.

Way too cute though...LOL!

Now go check out Briskmamas blog for some yummie looking recipes. Anything I have ever eaten that was Croatian baked was waaayyyy too good for words.

http://www.briskmamma.blogspot.com/

Happy reading and baking!

Artist Spotlight Part 4 Meet Eye Candy

Eye Candy has recently left the mean world of Corporate America to seek her fortune as a small indie business owner! The next step in the process – setting up shop. She's recently moved Eye Candey into a new home to serve as the office/showroom for our products. Scary…yes, exciting…yes, easy….hell no! After spending the past few weeks getting licenses, insurance, fixtures and waving wistfully at her old friend sleep she's thrown open the doors and she'soff!

Her new address: 12225 N. 56th Street, Suite A, Tampa FL 33617. Gonna be in the area? If you are local, drop in – now you can order your custom t-shirts, place an order for custom fabric, wall decals, and stretched canvas art, as well as ordering your custom edible frosting sheets right in the shop. Bring in your pictures and she’ll scan them and get started with your custom order, or bring your digital camera, or flash drive and we’ll download them right there! Of course you can also e-mail your pics as well. Not sure exactly what you want? Take a look at their wall of designs and see if you find something you like. Shee can change the colors of any of these images, or add text or pictures to them as well and make them into any one of theirr products!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/eyecandey Visit her Etsy shop if you're not local, you can still get the same great services! And her blog is always good reading at http://eyecandey.com/blog/.

Artist Spotlight Part 3-Dalish Knits

My next featured artist is Dahlish, of Dahlish Knits on Etsy. She knits clutching toys, puppets, and faceless dolls that she calls Waldorfish. Most of these are made in gorgeous pastel baby colors, also bright jewel tones, and of cotton so they are washable.

This is one of her puppets,

This is one of here waldorf clutching toys

But I think the dolls have to be my favorites, the don"t have any loose or small parts that a small child could choke on, and come in some fabulous colors... 

Don't you just love the whimsy and colors of the mermaid doll? You can check out all of her work, and reasonably priced, too, in her Etsy shop, http://www.etsy.com/shop/dahlish?ref=seller_info. She always has something going on at her blog too, so be sure to check it out! http://www.dahlishknits.blogspot.com/

Artist Spotlight Part 3-Twiddletoes

Have you ever made something because what was already available wasn't working?  Stacey did, and it was socks. It made her cringe each time she would see a family member cram their feet into a pair of flip flops, wearing a regular pair of socks. She calls this line of socks her 'tabi socks'.

Now doesn't this make MUCH more sense? And just as warm, as Stacey hand knits these wonderful socks from wool, cashmere, and alpaca.

Stacey opened her Etsy Shop to make these warm socks available to everyone, visit her shop here http://www.etsy.com/shop/twiddletoes.

You can see some of Stacey's fabulous knittings on her Flicker photo site http://www.flickr.com/photos/37786550@N06/

And you can read about what she has been up to on her blog  http://www.twiddletoes.com/blog.html.

Oh, I almost forgot, Stacey has had her socks featured on the front page of Etsy, you go girl!