eNVe Designs

How to get more styles from your eNVe 50-inch Wrap necklaces!

2012-01-25T18:15:00.001-06:00

Add a couple loose knots to the eNVe 50-inch Wrap Necklace and Voila!

As I was taking photos of one of my 50-inch Wrap necklaces to list in the shop, I stumbled upon a couple more quick and easy ways you can really add some edge and even more variation to how you style this classic piece of jewelry!

I wonder if I'm the only one to get excited about things like this, but I really do! As I am with clothing in my wardrobe, I like to mix things up as often as possible because I get bored of wearing the same outfits and the same jewelry in the same configurations all the time. This may be a little nutty of me, but throughout middle school and high school, I actually had a calendar where I wrote down what I wore every day just so I don't repeat the same outfit for at least a month. I didn't have a lot of clothes so this was a fun challenge for me. (Please tell me someone else out there did this too.. if you must, just lie to me so I don't feel like a super dork). Obviously more important things in life took over and I let go of this ridiculous calendar, but my natural inclinations are still there--it's just no longer at a clinical level. ;) Anyway, that just explains why things like this make me happy.

If you own one of my 50-inch necklaces or are familiar with them, they're quite simple really.. just a single strand of beads (either strung or wire wrapped) that is 50 inches in length, closed with a toggle clasp. Obviously this was not something I invented. Extra long necklaces have been around for ages. Before I began designing jewelry, I had several extra long necklaces in my personal collection. I loved them and appreciated the versatility, but still felt limited in how I could wear them. Many of them didn't even have a clasp to open and close, just one continuous strand that I had to pull over my head. I finally decided to make my own, adding a toggle clasp and an extra 20 inches to the typical opera necklace length (which is usually around 28 to 34 inches), just to maximize the versatility. This style is seriously a staple for me in my personal wardrobe.

Here's a sampling of how I would typically wear this necklace.

Another favorite way to wear is as a multi-strand bracelet.

Then I began playing with it a bit more just to see if I could come up with any other ways to wear it, I realized that with a couple of loose knots, I could change the look dramatically. Here are a few versions:

CAVEAT: Before I start, I just want to caution that if you're working with a strand of beads strung on a single wire or thread, be mindful of the tension in the necklace while you're looping and knotting it. You don't want to force anything while doing this because the necklace may break under too much tension and you'll have a pile of beads to sweep up. The size of the beads on your necklace will influence how much "give" your necklace will have (the smaller and rounder the beads, the more flexibility you'll have). If you're working with a knotted strand of pearls or a necklace with individually wire wrapped beads, you don't really have to worry about this tension issue. (And if you're trying this tutorial with an eNVe 50-inch wrap necklace and you happen to break it, I'm happy to restring it for you for free). :)

The Series Knots

1) Open the toggle clasp so the necklace is one long strand. Find the center of the necklace and place it around the back of your neck so the toggle is open and in front of you.

2 times over and under, creating the first loose loop in the series

2) Take the open ends of the necklace and cross them in front of you, weaving one end over and under the other end (just like when you start to tie your shoelace). Repeat 2 more times (so 3 times total). You'll now have a vertical series of 2 loose knots, with the open ends of the necklace below that.

3) Take the ends of the necklace and bring them up behind your neck and close the toggle. You'll instantly have this look below.

4) Or you can continue to add another over-and-under weave to get another loose knot in your series...

...bring the ends up and behind your neck to close the clasp...

...and you'll have something that looks like this...

The Side Knots

1) Open the toggle clasp so the necklace is one long strand. Find the center of the necklace and place it around the back of your neck so the toggle is open and in front of you.

2) Loosely knot each side once. Make sure the knots are asymmetrical so they don't overlap later.

3) Cross the open ends of the necklace in front of you, bringing them up and behind your neck to close the clasp.

You could probably make multiple knots on each side (if the tension in your necklace allows), for a shorter, chunkier look.

The Random Knots

1) Open the toggle clasp so the necklace is one long strand. Find the center of the necklace and place it around the back of your neck so the toggle is open and in front of you.

2) Cross the open ends of the necklace and begin looping over and under. For this look, I just randomly twisted and knotted, following what the tension of the necklace would allow.

2) Once finished with the knots, pull the open ends up and behind your neck to close the clasp.

3) When the necklace is clasped closed, you can still make some adjustments to your "focal" by gently pulling and tucking the strand into your desired positioning.

And there you have it. Have fun with it and let me know if you try any of these styles or have discovered some of your own! I'm always up for expanding my versatility arsenal!

Have you tried some "out of the box" ways to wear your jewelry? What have you discovered?

Happy Lunar New Year!

2012-01-24T16:12:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Lunar New Year (if you celebrate it)! We spent the weekend in my hometown with family, and had a great Tết (Vietnamese new year) celebration.

We played traditional games, ate delicious food, and took the kids to see the Dragon dance. This year was the first year they weren't crying and terrified of it, so that was a nice bonus! It's considered good luck to feed the dragon "lì xì" (red envelopes containing lucky money) and we attempted to get the kids to feed them, but again, it was a no go. Maybe next year. Jax gave me his money to feed to the dragon (that's my blurred hand in the pic below).

My parents had a Hoa Mai tree (a tree with yellow blossoms that's native to Vietnam, traditional decoration for the new year) with fluttering red lì xì envelopes with different amounts of money in them. We each took turns cutting down a lucky red envelope. True to my luck, I picked one with only a dollar in it. :) But hey, it's a lucky dollar!

Chúc mừng năm mới (Happy New Year) and cung chúc tân xuân (gracious wishes of the new spring)! I hope the year of the Dragon brings you much prosperity and happiness. I know we're looking forward to meeting our little luck dragon, scheduled to arrive in April. ;)

What are you looking forward to this year?

What I Miss...

2012-01-16T12:17:00.000-06:00

I miss...

... writing. There was a time in my life when things were most turbulent, yet in the spaces between the chaos, I was able to find my breath and feel at peace with myself. And I owed it all to writing. Reflecting and journaling was a necessity and I was often with pen in hand, scribbling away. Poetry poured out of me, sometimes quicker than I could capture it in ink. It was painful, exciting, and incredibly freeing. It has been at least 3 years since I've even seen my journal (it's still packed away from our last move) and it's been at least 5 years since I've actually written in it. I just miss purging my thoughts onto something tangible.. something that made sense of all the rattling noise in my head. I suppose this chapter in my life doesn't demand much of a transcript. The noise is gone, the pain is gone. There's no longer the urgent need to pull at strands to piece together meaning. I've since turned to other forms of expression (taking a million photos, for instance) and am at a higher level of appreciation for simplicity, and what's truly important. Having children will do that to you. :) So while I'm at a happier, more stable place in my life, I miss the openness and readiness for inspiration that vulnerability afforded... and the way I was able to lose and find myself in writing. But pen and paper will always be my comforting friends, and when time can stop for a few seconds, I'm sure they will be the first two things I reach for.

What about you.. what do you miss?

P.S. Thank you to my dear friend Ashley (OneInTheHand) for inspiring this post with her post!

Warm Hearts Whereabouts :: Can't get enough of Boston!

2012-01-15T18:31:00.000-06:00

Where has the Warm Hearts Necklace been???

Gardening in Belmont Anne!

And making pizza...

...hanging out at Boston's Quincy Market...

Anne, thank you for participating in the project. I miss you guys! Hopefully we'll get a chance to visit you in Boston soon. :)

Next stop: Wichita, KS!

You can still sign up to participate in Warm Hearts Around the World!
(my traveling necklace project, raising awareness for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital)

Click here to read more or just email me

at warmhearts[at]envedesigns[dot]com to be added to the list.

Warm Hearts Whereabouts :: catching up with Dr. Chan

2012-01-06T09:38:00.001-06:00

Where has the Warm Hearts Necklace been???

With Dr. Connie Chan
at the Center for Multicultural Training in Psychology

Dr. Chan, thank you for sharing the project with the wonderful faculty and interns at CMTP! It's so nice to see your familiar smiling faces (I miss you all)! And a huge thank you to CMTP for your generous donation to St. Jude on behalf of this project. The faculty's support for all the interns meant so much to me during my internship there, and is truly an unrelenting strength of this program.

Next stop: Belmont, MA!

at warmhearts[at]envedesigns[dot]com to be added to the list.

Happy 2012, everyone!!! I hope the new year brings you many blessings and lots of love and laughter. I've been "away" for too long, I think. Hopefully you'll see more of me around here in 2012.

Weekend Project :: Memorabilia Necklace

2011-08-22T13:14:00.002-05:00

I was digging through my jewelry box Saturday and came across a bunch of my old letter jacket pins from high school. Immediately, I thought of the idea to upcycle them into a charm necklace so I ran into my studio to whip it together. After some bending and a few jump rings, voila!

I also added a few trinkets from the pieces of jewelry I wore back in high school, along with a couple new beads to balance it all out. I stuck with the blue scheme because those were my high school colors (although they were slightly different shades of blue). I was searching for some old necklaces that I handmade back then so that I could weave them into this piece, but couldn't find them anywhere. I'll keep digging...

I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, but I may revise it a little more... like clustering the charms more toward the bottom of the necklace so they're not so spread out. That would make it more wearable for me.

This was super simple and quick, and makes for a meaningful one of a kind piece of jewelry! I bet you could pull together some trinkets and breathe new life into them too!

What kind of upcycling projects have you done? Please share!

Warm Hearts Around the World :: Hearts and Hula Hoops

2011-08-19T09:33:00.000-05:00

Where has the Warm Hearts Necklace been???

Hula hooping on the Boston Harbor Islands with Andrea!

(ah, Boston... I'm so jealous!)

Andrea, thanks for taking the necklace for a spin around one of my favorite places in the world. I love the different ways you rocked the necklace! It's so nice to see your beautiful face... and by the way, you still look as fabulous as you did in high school. :) (Go Blue Aces!)

Next stop: Belmont, MA! (Yes, we are lingering around Boston for a little while. It's the next best thing to being there myself.)

at warmhearts[at]envedesigns[dot]com to be added to the list.

It's a beautiful Friday here and I'm so happy it's the weekend! No big plans for us, just time for me to work on jewelry. I have a lot of new pieces coming down the pike!

What are you up to this weekend? Have a happy one and enjoy the remaining days of summer! :D

Featured Artist :: WiredbyBud

2011-08-15T12:05:00.000-05:00

It feels like an eternity since I last posted, but I'm getting back into the swing of things. And what better way to kick things off than with a new featured artist! I recently spotted Bud Bullivant's Etsy shop, WiredbyBud, and his work really caught my eye. At first glance, I thought they were line drawings, but I soon discovered that each was a unique 3-dimensional wire sculpture! I haven't really come across much work like this on Etsy and knew I had to spotlight it. Let's meet the artist himself and get to know more of his one of a kind work!

.......................... the interview .........................

Please tell us a little bit about yourself and where you're from.

I am an artist living in central Minnesota. After 24 years of teaching high school I resigned from my tenured position to become a full-time artist- sounds crazy doesn’t it! It has been an amazing journey. I divide my time between creating watercolor paintings (budbullivant.artistwebsites.com) and wire sculpture. My wife, Joan and two children, Emily and David are the greatest gifts in my life. They are my strongest critics and most passionate supporters.

A random fun fact about yourself:
I am a storyteller. It’s a skill that was passed down to me from my parents. I tell stories from my adventures, experiences and my imagination with great enthusiasm and creative embellishment. My favorite stories come from my fishing, hunting and camping experiences. I approach my art in a similar fashion; with the goal of creating a piece that has a story to tell and that connects with your own story in some meaningful way.

If you could be any place in the world right now, where would it be?
I’ve always wanted to go to Maine, or Alaska, or the Galapagos Islands. Over twenty years ago my wife and I backpacked through Europe. I’d love to be in Amsterdam, Paris or Florence again. I never got to see St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice or the Last Supper in Milan… I’d just love to be traveling…anywhere really.

Up to this point, what is something that you're truly proud of?
I am very proud of my career as an art teacher and the amazing students that I worked with over the years. I’m also very excited about this new chapter in my life.

How would you describe your work?
My wire sculptures are one of a kind, hand-made, three-dimensional drawings; simplifications of the intricate designs inspired by nature. They seem to delight viewers as their appearance changes depending on the angle from which they are being viewed. I find them interesting to make and intriguing to photograph. The three photos below are of one of my sunfish sculptures and you can see how the sculpture changes depending on the angle and the lighting.

I most often use discarded wire and found materials to create my sculptures. It is my hope that my work reflects my love of the natural world and that it is kind to the environment as well.

Any advice for those having a bad case of artist woes?
Being an artist is like fishing, even the bad days are better than the alternatives.

When not hard at work on your designs, what would we most likely find you doing?
There are a great many possibilities, but I would most likely be outdoors with my family.

In a parallel universe where you are not an amazing artist, what would you be?
I would be a writer and illustrator of wonderful childrens books. Actually, that may be a parallel dream in my current universe.

And, as a fun tribute to my inner psychologist, what might this be?
It’s a night view out the porthole window of my spaceship in the parallel universe (it could be a black hole I suppose…)

.......................... end interview .........................

Bud, thank you for your time and keep up the amazing work!

Warm Hearts Around The World :: EPE VIP

2011-07-01T09:00:00.008-05:00

Where has the Warm Hearts Necklace been???

The Warm Hearts Necklace is traveling once again, with the first stop in Seattle, Washington! Kicking off the second leg of the tour is a special group of ladies from Etsy Project Embrace whom many of you may already recognize, Cait (of barefootweaver), Ginny (of ginnyhuber) and Kristin (of loveartworks; the first fearless leader of EPE). They call themselves three "EPE Oldtimers", but to me, they're EPE VIP. :) They recently had the opportunity to meet in person and I'm incredibly honored that Kristin brought the necklace with her to share in the spirit of this meeting!

Here are a few words from Kristin: "Cait (of barefootweaver), Ginny (of ginnyhuber) and Kristin (of loveartworks) TOGETHER in person.....YAY!!! Etsy Project Embrace is not only an amazing Team of caring, loving and wonderful people who have supported each other across the miles and the cyber world, but it's also an organization that has spawned lasting friendships and an amazing online community. It was an absolute Honor to have the "Warm Hearts" necklace be a part of our gathering and know that the Energy we have given it will be passed through many hands, over and over again, all over this Big, Beautiful World. Thank You so much Ngan for all you have done to create such a wonderful way for people to share their love, hope and strength!"

Thank you for being a part of this project, Kristin, Ginny, and Cait! Your positive energy will travel great distances! :)

Here are a few of my favs from these amazing artisans...

from loveartworks

from ginnyhuber

from barefootweaver

Next stop: Jamaica Plain, MA!

at warmhearts[at]envedesigns[dot]com to be added to the list.

Have a happy and safe 4th of July Weekend, everyone!!!

Finding Extra (in the) Ordinary :: A Little Luck

2011-06-27T17:06:00.000-05:00

I found this four-leaf clover on the side of our house, next to the garden. I hope it brings a little luck to our garden. Hubs worked really hard building 2 big raised beds and we've only filled one. Looking for some free time in the next couple weeks to work on the second. It's our first official family garden and so far, so good! We've had a ton of rain lately so it is thriving! I'll have to post pics of it sometime.

In my lifetime, I'd say I've found close to about 25 four leaf clovers. Is this typical for you too? Not sure if it is or isn't, but my husband says I'm good at zeroing in on them for some reason.. something about pattern recognition. I think it's because when I see a clover patch, I do a quick scan to see if there are any. I don't think many people do that, so therefore, my odds of finding the four leaf kind are a bit higher than normal, just because I'm actively looking.

How many four leaf clovers have you found???

Finding Extra (in the) Ordinary :: Silhouettes

2011-06-21T16:34:00.000-05:00

I took the first photo during a sunset sometime in the spring. It's of a little bird nest in a tree in our front yard. I didn't even mean to do a silhouette photo, but I love happy accidents!

This was taken recently on one of our days at the park. Jax and Kaili were playing at the top of a hill, with the playground in the background. The rope pyramid thing you see is only the tippy top of it. At one point, there were so many kids swarming this thing, it made me so nervous watching them.. it's high up and so unsteady because it's all made of rope (except the pole in the center). Crazy how perspectives change as you get older. If I was 10, I'd be trying to swan dive off the top with no second thought to safety. Now that I think of it though, the rope is in some ways much safer than the steel and splintered wood jungle gyms we played on as kids, where the bottoms were lined with sand, gravel, or concrete. And I did flips off of those and I'm ok, I think. Anyway, what was I talking about?... ;)

After the playground, we went for a walk along a trail and I noticed a single little bird perched on this Tim Burton-esque looking tree in the middle of a field. The branches looked like a hand desperately reaching for the sun. I had to capture the image somehow and I don't think I did it justice at all. I think I need a better lens, not to mention some photography lessons.

So how have your summer ventures been so far?

Why I've Been Missing...

2011-06-17T17:17:00.001-05:00

eNVe Design's first local boutique appearance!

My apologies for being invisible lately. I've been extra busy the past couple months with an assortment of things on my plate, some of which was making lots of new jewelry for three shows, and brainstorming/building my display for Runways, a brand new collaborative boutique in Leawood, KS. If you're in the Kansas City area, you can now shop eNVe in person! And speaking of shopping, the Runways Grand Opening Event is tomorrow night! 10% of sales all day tomorrow and 100% of ticket sales to the Grand Opening Party tomorrow night will be donated to the Young Survivors Coalition of Kansas City. If you're in the neighborhood, stop by. I guarantee you'll have a blast!

So back to the display. I didn't anticipate it, but putting together this display was time intensive!!! There were many late nights, many moments of trial and error, many hours searching for the right tables (at yard sales, estate sales, furniture stores, etc.), and many hours at home depot. Thank the high heavens for my amazing husband for taking my crazy idea and actually making it happen!

It all began with the idea that I wanted a wall of floating frames where I'd be able to display the necklaces and earrings. I wanted the look of it to be consistent with my art show booth, with mismatched but cohesive frames. But I only had a 4x5 space to work with so we needed to build up to utilize the vertical space. I didn't know the logistics of how this floating frame wall would happen so I enlisted my engineer husband for that part of the job.

Here's a peek at part of the process, from start to finish. I originally intended to do a tutorial, but then things got so hectic and I didn't get a chance to take more pictures during the construction. We just had to crank it out. So if you really want to know all the materials and supplies we used, and what we did exactly, just email me and I can share that with you. :)

This was our first garage sale find. It was perfect.. solid wood, good for refinishing, small enough to fit in the allotted display space, and it had these cool brass connector pieces (a tiny detail, but I am a big fan of detail).

With limited time, we couldn't sand the whole thing down for repainting, so instead, we went with "liquid sander", which cleans and deglosses the surface all at once, making it ready for paint as soon as it was dry.

I went with the color palette used in the boutique so the display would have a cohesive look that complements the boutique decor. I also wanted an "industrial chic" look and knew I wanted my tables to look a little distressed. The three colors I used were a light grey, avocado green, and dark grey. I painted the entire table the light grey, then once dried, painted a few sections green (the areas I would be distressing later).

Once all that was dry, I went over the entire table with the dark grey. I wasn't sure what to do about the brass pieces, but ended up painting over them as well. Then once the paint dried, I took some sand paper and went to town. I sanded down most of the surface lightly, then used a little more elbow grease on select spots so that the green and light grey could show through. I've actually never painted any kind of furniture before so this was a first for me. I'm not even sure how it's supposed to be done, but I am really really pleased with how it turned out!

This first table was originally the one that was supposed to hold up the frame wall, but the more we thought about the structure of the floating frames, we decided it wouldn't be sturdy enough for it. So after searching endlessly for the right table and not finding anything that I felt would work, my husband ended up building one for me! All I wanted was a 3x4 table top and some sturdy legs. It's crazy that I couldn't find anything like that anywhere, especially anything made of solid wood rather than particle board! My husband definitely came to the rescue. :)

Here's the table top (upside down) with a coat of primer on it. Next are the legs and the frames, primed and ready for paint.

Rather than doing the 3 layers of paint (light grey/green/dark grey), I just painted the backs of the frames dark grey because I wasn't going to distress it at all. I also skipped the light grey on the table (because the primer was white and pretty close to the light grey color) and painted the whole thing green, then dark grey. Same thing for the legs. Those got spots of green, then covered with dark grey.

Here are the frames (front side) in the arrangement that I wanted. Hubs built a vertical wooden support structure in the shape of this arrangement (which I didn't get a pic of) and attached each frame to the structure (much easier said than done). Prior to attaching each frame to the support structure, hooks or wire mesh were added to the frames for hanging jewelry. I also had a custom mirror cut to put inside the large green frame. Can't sell jewelry without a mirror. :)

And here's a close up shot of the finished table. The legs were bolted on with large bolts, to enhance the "industrial" look of it. I distressed it the same way I did the smaller table and was pleasantly surprised by how the natural wood grains showed through! I really want to repeat this project with some furniture for our home because I had so much fun with painting and sanding it down. I just have to find the perfect furniture... and some time!

And here I am, placing my jewelry onto the finished display in the boutique. Done, Voila!

Here's the back view of the display. The small table was the perfect size for the all the accent display pieces I found. I need to figure out what to do about that black area (the backside of the mirror). I could either do a large product photo, or adhere some sort of decorative paper/fabric to it and add more hooks to the top of the frame to hang more necklaces... or??? If you have any ideas or suggestions, please please please share! I hate that it's just a blank black space.

Here are some more views of the display. Some earrings.....

The centerpiece -- my Signature Wrap and Thread Necklaces..........

And some delicate sterling and gemstone necklaces.

I'm really thrilled at how the whole project turned out! I'm also happy that it's complete because while it was fun to brainstorm and build this display, it was definitely not conducive to adequate sleep.

What fun projects have you been working on lately?

Sneak Peek :: Remember these sparklies?

2011-05-27T11:35:00.001-05:00

I've been busy using them all up, but have not had much time to take photos and list. But here are a couple finished pieces. The first is available here in my shop. The second piece, I'm still debating whether to list it or to keep it for my personal collection. We'll see. :)

I'm so in love with lepidochrosite! All the glittery inclusions are so mesmerizing!

What do you think? Should I keep it or list it???

How to get more styles from your double stranded necklaces

2011-05-11T13:39:00.000-05:00

If you are a jewelry lover (translation: addict) like myself, chances are that you have a double stranded necklace somewhere in your arsenal. And maybe you've already discovered for yourself how surprisingly versatile these pieces are! Here are some different ways that I like to style mine.

Of course there's the classic way--how it was meant to be worn.

Or you can change it up slightly by wearing the clasp toward the front,

or twisting the strands before putting it on.

And again, if you're an addict like me, you probably have amassed a nice collection of brooches, pendants, etc. which you can easily add to your necklaces. Here, I have a vintage rhinestone brooch and a vintage gold clip on earring.

I just attached them to the toggle clasp, one on each end.

Now you can start playing with the different looks!

For a different layered look, open the necklace up to one big loop, pull it over your head,

then twist and pull over your head again.

Or you can wear it as a long necklace.

The contrasting colors in this piece allows for a couple different options.

The necklace by itself, without brooches added on.

Or add a large brooch as a focal pendant to create a unique statement piece!

If you like this featured piece, Sun at Sea, it's now available in my etsy shop.

How do you like to wear your double or multi-strand necklaces?

Here are some fun double strand necklaces found on Etsy that could work well with these ideas.

by BeadsNBling

by edithandlulu

by DeniseJewelryDesigns

by minouc

by BrioBaubles

Now go get more mileage out of your jewelry! ;) And if you happen to take any pictures of your ideas, I'd love to see them on the eNVe Designs facebook page!

Finding Extra (in the) Ordinary :: Fun with Bubbles!

2011-05-05T11:30:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite things to do when the weather warms up in the springtime is play with bubbles. They're just so much fun and the kids love it too. :) I always try to take pictures, but bubbles are so hard to photograph! This time around, I think I got a few good ones. I love how colorful they are against the sunset! Completely serendipitous. And have I mentioned how much I love my camera's auto setting? I'll say it again! I love this camera and its auto mode! All I did was point and click. No skills required on my part.

The kids had such a great time chasing the little elusive orbs around the deck. Jax was trying to pop them with his head and his mouth.. so entertaining, that little dude! And of course Kaili followed suit and did what big brother was doing. Gotta love this age. They're just so much fun to watch. :)

Love this shot because it looks like Jax is juggling the bubbles!

And here's Kaili balancing a bubble on her little finger!

And this last one is a picture I took a couple years ago when we were still living in Boston. I just love it for so many reasons. :)

What's your favorite springtime activity?

Hope you're all enjoying spring!

Brilliance :: Creative Shelving Ideas

2011-04-23T13:53:00.002-05:00

I'm trying to come up with some shelving and display ideas for my jewelry display at a local boutique and came across so many clever and amazing solutions to shelving. Hopefully I can think outside the box like this when I figure out what I'm doing with my own display! Here are just a few that I had to share with you (just click on the images to go to the source). Many of these are DIY projects that you can do yourself! And for the designer shelves, maybe you can come up with a DIY version! Which are your favs?

So what shelving solutions have you used in your own home? I'd love to hear your ideas!

This is so brilliant to me. I think I'll have to go hunting for some vintage furniture so I can do this at home!

Finding Extra (in the) Ordinary :: Fresh Beginnings

2011-04-07T14:16:00.000-05:00

Growth is such a magical and beautiful thing.

Warm Hearts Around the World :: at home with my daughter and I

2011-03-25T08:50:00.000-05:00

So where is the Warm Hearts Necklace now??? I think it just arrived in Seattle, WA!

It's been several months since the necklace made its way home following the international tour. I didn't want it to get lost among the influx of all the holiday packages and mail going around so I held onto it for a bit before sending it off again. Then I blinked and turned around a couple times and it is now almost the end of March!

But I'm so excited that the project is on again! Slowly but surely. Can you believe that it's been a year and a half since this began? I feel like it's the slowest progressing project/contest ever...but I guess traveling around the world takes time. To those who have participated and are still on the list to receive the necklace, thank you for all your patience! I promise, the best things come to those who wait. If you're not familiar with my Warm Hearts Project, or can't remember what it was about, you can read about it here in this post and see where it's traveled to here.

Before I sent it off, I figured I should snap a few photos to contribute to the collection. Here is my little firecracker playing around with the necklace. She just loves being in front of the camera (and that's probably my fault for always being in her face with one). I hope I'm not creating a little monster!

Cheese!

While I was taking some product photos for Noelle (of Xenotees) and Brian (of Western Art Glass), I figured I could do some Warm Hearts photos as well. It's not often I'm in front of the camera (for a plethora of reasons, including the fact that I feel like a complete goober and that I'm sure most people don't want to see me in my usual pajama attire), so I took advantage of the opportunity. I think this is actually the first time I have ever modeled my jewelry in photos aside from my wearing them in regular family photos.

I gotta say, modeling is hard work if you're not a natural, and I feel as unnatural as they come. Good thing I had my husband yelling out directions. I think he had a good time trying to enhance my dork factor in this whole process. Thanks, honey! :)

Hey! What's that on the wall?

Gooberriffic! I'm glad you can't hear me snort through these pictures.

Your fly's open! Wha?.... Your shoes are untied! Not falling for it.. I'm not wearing any shoes.


Changing it up. :) Modeling is exhausting! Good thing I have a mannequin.

With almost 30 upcoming destinations (and counting) I hope you'll continue to follow along on this journey! Stay tuned to the next Warm Hearts post to see who's wearing the necklace in Seattle! ;)

You can still sign up to participate in Warm Hearts Around the World!
(my traveling necklace project, raising awareness for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital)

Click here to read more or just email me at warmhearts[at]envedesigns[dot]com to be added to the list.

Have an amazing weekend, everyone!

Featured Artist :: Elemental Alchemist

2011-03-16T11:27:00.000-05:00

Have you ever viewed a work of art and immediately connected with it because you could feel the artist's heart and soul exuding through the work? That's just how I felt when I stumbled upon today's featured shop: Elemental Alchemist. There's something very natural and effortless about these designs, from the raw gemstones to the organic, rustic feel of each piece, reflecting so much personality of the designer as well as of the potential owners of each piece. When I discovered this shop, I actually had my eye on one ring in particular, which has since sold and I'm a little sad I didn't buy it in time. Hopefully, the right ring will again come along at the right time and it will be mine. And you better believe I have my eye on this shop. Let's meet the artist behind Elemental Alchemist!

.......................... the interview .........................

Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
My name is Sunyata. I live in Vancouver with my wonderful artist husband and my most amazing 16 year old unschooled daughter. I am a retired homeopath. Currently my passion is a psychotherapeutic method of assisted self study called Hakomi. www.hakomitransformation.com I am interested in human being-ness in general.

A random fun fact about yourself:
I can get a wee bit addicted to collecting things; I have 50 or so shades of Mac eye shadow, 40 + tarot card decks and hundreds of cook books! Not to mention my vast collection of crystals and gems.

The first 3 random words that pop into your mind:
Curiosity, compassion, kindness.

What's your favorite read of all time?
Impossible to answer! I’m not much in to novels but love to read subjects that I’m interested in.
My last read was ‘The Boy Who Was Raised As a Dog: And Other Stories from a Child Psychiatrist's Notebook: What Traumatized Children Can Teach Us About Loss, Love and Healing’ by Bruce Perry.
I love all of Daniel Siegal’s work on Interpersonal Neurobiology, Mary Oliver’s poetry and the spiritual writings of Adyashanti.

Any guilty pleasures?
‘Unwrapped’ on the Food Channel. What can I say…I love watching candy running through massive conveyer belts!

If you could be any place in the world right now, where would it be?
I’m right where I want to be in this moment.

(Ok, now onto business)
How would you describe your work?
Earthy, organic, raw and slightly edgy.

How long have you been at it?
I’ve been dabbling on and off in jewelry designing for years. Taking my metal smithing ventures to a more serious level has been quite recent.

So for you, is it an innate talent or practice makes perfect?
Both. At this point my imagination surpasses my technical ability! Although, this doesn’t seem to hinder my desire to try new things. There is no method to my madness just yet.

Do you dabble in any other forms of art? I use to design, sew and sell children’s clothing way back before my daughter was born. I consider cooking an art and I love cooking for friends. There’s a rumor flying around that I’m a good cook. I won’t mind if you spread that bit of gossip about me ☺

From where/how do you find inspiration?
I’m mostly inspired by the stones, specimens and jewels I work with. They seem to dictate what they will be made into. Other artists who think outside the box also really inspire me.

Share something about your creative process that most people wouldn't know.

It’s hard my to explain but I’ll try to convey my common practice…in my experience ideas it seems are born somewhere prior to their arrival to ‘me’. I hang out with materials in hand and wait until an idea arrives in my body/mind and then use my skills to bring it forward. Sometimes an idea comes as a gentle wave, and sometimes like rolling thunder. Often I’m nowhere near my studio so the idea moves on and likely finds its way to someone else. Try to follow an idea you think was yours back to its source. Very mysterious indeed!

What was your most memorable creative experience?
Helping my husband come up with ideas for some of his bigger works. He has two large installment pieces at the Vancouver International Airport and brain storming around those was quite exciting.

What do you do when your inspiration and creativity is tapped?
It has not happened to me yet. It seems the collective pool of pure creative potential, fortunately, is endless.

Any memorable low points that you've learned from?
I’ve had a few torch accidents. It took me three fire ball experiences before I realized my torch was faulty!

What is your formula for success?
It would depend on one’s definition of success I suppose. Success it appears, means very different things to different people. My formula…hmmm… I would say do what you love. Be open and trust in that love. If that results in happiness, then I’d call it a success.

Was there a moment when you realized that you'd achieved success?
It doesn’t seem like an arrival point so while I’m satisfied with my progress, I see there is always room for moving into a deeper process with it.

Any advice for those having a bad case of artist woes?
Let them be…seems what we resist, persists. Sit mindfully and fully experience the woes…everything passes or transforms eventually. I’ve noticed the more I try moving away from a feeling state, the longer it stays with me!

When not hard at work on your designs, what would we most likely find you doing?
Spending time with my family and friends, perusing Etsy, cooking something new, walking by the ocean or in the forest, practicing Hakomi.

In a parallel universe where you are not an amazing artist, what would you be?
I would be an ‘interpersonal’ neurobiologist.

What are some of your favorite etsy shops?
So many! Too many to list. Recently I found Temi Kucinski and love her designs. Barby303 has an adorable shop. She sells patterns and tutorials for creating the most whimsical little felted animals.

What's at the top of your etsy wish list?
Any wool clothing by Sandmaiden

And, as a fun tribute to my inner psychologist, what might this be?
White square with black circle ;-)
Ok, I’ll play along…it’s an abyss and I’m about to fall into it……………

.......................... end interview .........................

Thank you so much for sharing your art, Sunyata! :)

Finding Extra (in the) Ordinary :: Waiting for Sun

2011-03-07T16:08:00.000-06:00

It's still chilly and gray here, but here and there are hints of spring. I cannot wait! Wherever you are, I hope you're finding warmth and light! ;)

View all photos in my Finding Extra (in the) Ordinary series.

Sneak Peek :: New GEMS!

2011-03-03T11:23:00.000-06:00

Things are about to sparkle around here! ;)

Versatile Find :: Fleece Knit Jacket by ErinAlexandraKlym

2011-03-01T11:44:00.000-06:00

How incredible is this jacket!!??!! I'm glad you can't see me drooling on my laptop right now. Not a pretty sight. Super chic and comfy, plus you can style it however you want!? That's everything I want in...well, everything! I think my closet is screaming for this jacket. Dear husband, if you are reading this, please consider. Thank you. :)

Finding Extra (in the) Ordinary :: tracks in the melting snow

2011-02-23T15:35:00.001-06:00

A little melt away spot I saw during one of our walks. We were helping the kids find tracks in the snow and thinking about who/what created those tracks.

What kind of tracks do you leave behind? ;)

View all photos in my Finding Extra (in the) Ordinary series.

Winner of Shabby Apple Dress Giveaway

2011-02-21T08:34:00.000-06:00

CONGRATULATIONS to KATIE!!!

Thank you to everyone who entered!

Shabby Apple Dress Giveaway! (plus a couple extras)

2011-02-14T07:30:00.036-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day! I'm so glad you checked in today because you're in for a treat, my friends! And what a perfect way to treat yourself on Valentine's Day -- with a beautiful, flirty dress from Shabby Apple! If you aren't familiar with Shabby Apple, their philosophy is to provide "great dresses that make dressing simple...a return to what dresses were always meant to be -- a one piece outfit". Their various collections reflect so many styles ranging from classic, to sophisticated, to flirty, to edgy. I dare you to not find something you'd like to add to your closet! Chances are, you'll spot several pieces you never knew you were missing until now. ;) On top of providing adorable dresses, Shabby Apple is committed to helping women worldwide by donating 5% of their net sales to support the fight against global poverty. By partnering with Unitus, they aim to accelerate access to life-changing financial services for those at the bottom of the economic pyramid. Every $100 donation from Shabby Apple Dresses provides at least 20 women with access to financial services - and the chance to live a life without poverty. Incredible mission, incredible company, incredible dresses. What's not to love?

Shabby Apple is generously offering one lucky winner her choice of one of the dresses pictured below! Just click on each image to visit their site for dress details.

*TO ENTER*

(1) Visit Shabby Apple and browse around, then come back and leave a comment on this post (it can be about anything.. your favorite dress or collection, etc)

(2) "Like" Shabby Apple on Facebook.

You must complete both criteria to be entered into the giveaway. One entry per person please. Open to US residents only. The winner will be announced here on the blog in one week (Monday Feb. 21, 2011) selected via random.org. Good luck! Oh, and can I mention how jealous I am that you get to enter this giveaway and I can't? Yep, I'm jealous. Supremely. Ok, carry on.

So which dress would you choose if you were to win??? Decisions, decisions! Happy decisions. :)

And if you're not already in love with Shabby Apple, this might help. They're offering eNVe Designs readers 10% OFF purchases! Just use the code "envedesigns10off" during checkout.

Win an eNVe Designs necklace!
And while you're in the giveaway mood, hop over to the Buggie and Jellybean blog to enter my eNVe Designs giveaway! The prize: an Open Heart Sterling Silver Necklace! (your choice of shiny sterling, oxidized sterling, or 14kt gold fill). It'd be a wonderful complement to a Shabby Apple dress I think. ;) And if you happen to win both giveaways, you are one lucky ducky!

Again, good luck and HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, lovelies!!!

Finding Extra (in the) Ordinary :: Blueberry Memories

2011-02-12T17:22:00.000-06:00

Blueberries make me happy. And it wasn't until adulthood that I discovered this, because it wasn't until adulthood that I had ever even tried this delicious little fruit. About 5 years ago while my husband (then boyfriend) and I were spending the day on Long Beach Island (along the Jersey coastline) with some friends, we discovered some blueberry bushes lining the road leading up to the beach where we had parked. I don't know who started picking them off the trees, but I decided to try some. And OH my HEAVENS, they were so amazing! Perfectly sweet and tart and fresh off the tree. They were so tasty that I had one of those where-have-you-been-all-my-life moments, very much like how I felt when I met my husband (maybe I'll tell you that story some day). Before we knew it, all four of us were on a blueberry picking mission, going from tree to tree and stuffing our cheeks like chipmunks. Or maybe it was just me stuffing my face. I guess I was trying to make up for all those blueberry-less years of my life. Needless to say, we left with a big bushel of blueberries. I don't know how much a bushel really is, but it seems like a fitting amount. We were snacking on them the whole ride back to Philly. So now, every time I have blueberries, I think of that incredible summer day at the beach, discovering something unexpected in something so simple. Gotta love when that happens. :)

Here's to you finding your "blueberries", whatever they may be. ;)

View all photos in Finding Extra (in the) Ordinary series.

PS. Tune in on Monday for a super fabulous giveaway you don't want to miss!

Finding Extra (in the) Ordinary :: Dragons and Igloos and Dresses, OH MY!

2011-02-10T04:55:00.000-06:00

I've been having a lot of fun with my "Finding Extra (in the) Ordinary" project and have been snapping pictures left and right. But finding the time to upload them and blog is another task in itself. And that is why I am sitting here at 3 AM, reliving my college days of burning the midnight oil. So I hope you will stick with me on this photo project, despite it not being the daily post that I had originally hoped for. :)

Last weekend, we celebrated the Lunar New Year in my hometown. One of our traditions is watching the dragon dance, which is one of my favorite highlights of the celebration. I tried to get a good shot, but they moved so much and the lighting wasn't great so these were the best of the bunch. Photography is so challenging!

It's considered good luck to feed the dragons "lucky money" so they were dancing through the audience and people were feeding them the lucky red envelopes. We tried to get Jax and Kaili to feed the dragons...

...but they were terrified! Just look at the grip Kaili has on daddy's arm. I guess they do look a little menacing, with those crazy hypno-eyes.

Then my brother-in-law tried to offer the dragon his first born child, which I'm pretty sure is not considered good luck. :)

We also got to spend some time during the weekend playing in the snow. With all the crazy snow we've been getting, we had to put it to good use. And by we, I mean my cousins and my husband. And by good use, I mean they built an igloo.. or a "snow fortress" as my husband called it.

Almost big enough for the four of us!

And yes, I did mention dresses earlier. (who needs segues anyway? not me.. not at 4:30 in the AM..holy cow, it's 4:30??) I'm definitely cutting this post short. I was going to tell you about an AH-MAZING giveaway I have lined up for you, but this is the short version. Keep your eyes peeled for my next giveaway! You won't want to miss it! Hint: you could win a fabulous dress!

Until then. Happy dreams! I'm off to la la land.

Finding Extra (in the) Ordinary :: Snow Topography

2011-02-03T09:59:00.001-06:00

With all the "snowpocalypse" hoopla earlier this week, there's no avoiding some pictures of more snow. I actually thought the big blizzard was going to skip right over us because nothing was happening... but then there was the sudden onset. The wind was so intense and the snow was so powdery that it was snowing sideways! The snow wasn't really settling in some parts, while in other parts, it was piled over a foot deep. That combination of wind and snow created some really beautiful effects around our house! So of course I'm wading up to my knees to try to capture these shots.

These are not black and white pictures, by the way. I only played with the levels in photoshop to really bring out the tiniest undulations in the shadows.

Now that I've taken my pictures, it's time to get the sled out and go zooming down the hill! I hope you're all keeping warm, staying safe, and having fun in all the snow!

View all photos in Finding Extra (in the) Ordinary series.

Finding Extra (in the) Ordinary :: Tiny Toes

2011-01-31T15:22:00.002-06:00

It's hardly ever quiet when the kids are awake, but when "quiet" happens spontaneously, it is heaven. Especially when it's our little firecracker, Kaili, who rarely sits long enough for me to read an entire story at a normal pace. I'm happy to know that she does like books after all.

I hope you can find a little quiet too, exactly when you need it.

View all photos in Finding Extra (in the) Ordinary series.

Finding Extra (in the) Ordinary :: Day 1

2011-01-29T10:51:00.000-06:00

After finding a spark of inspiration, I decided to go forward with my personal photography challenge -- capturing something extraordinary in my otherwise ordinary day. I'd like to do this as a photo-a-day, but admittedly it's a bit ambitious. But what's a challenge without it being challenging, right? So here are a few from Day 1. It was unusually warm yesterday so Jax and I were outside playing with the melting snow and ice. Pretty ordinary, but certainly not through the eyes of a 3-year-old! He found a sheet of ice in the back of his yellow toy dump truck and we both examined and admired each tiny detail.

I love how the sunlight played with the cracking surface of the ice... and the gentle gradation of colors shining through is so beautiful to me. I'm happy I snapped these photos before I (fumble fingers) dropped the ice and shattered it.

We then built a tiny snowman. One arm was three times longer than the other, but he was a happy little guy. I say "was" because by the end of the afternoon, all the snow on our deck was gone, and all that was left of our little friend was a tiny pile of twigs.

Here he is with Jax. :) So what's the moral of the story? Enjoy the little things before they're gone. ;)

Have a beautiful Saturday, everyone!

Brilliance :: A Visual Life

2011-01-28T12:06:00.001-06:00

Ever since my first (and only) photography class in the 7th grade (which is like an eon ago), I've been a silent admirer of brilliant photos and of brilliant photographers. I suppose that's redundant because they go hand in hand. Since then, my interests refined in other directions and I never really pursued photography as a form of art or self expression. But, as with anything else you can think of, it is never too late.

At the blogger meet up last weekend, Sandy had mentioned a video about the photographer behind The Sartorialist. I had heard of this blog, but had never visited before. The video sounded interesting so I went digging. It didn't take much digging at all of course. I quickly found it and just as quickly, found myself feeling truly inspired by it. If you're not yet familiar with The Sartorialist, it's a hugely popular fashion blog where photographer Scott Schuman posts daily photos of everyday people who catch his eye (albeit his ever-searching, former director of fashion in New York City, style-radar-having eye). He has documented people in NYC, Paris, London, Milan, and Seoul, just to name a few. If you're into people watching, this is definitely a blog to keep an eye on.

A couple of things he stated in the video really resonated with me. He mentioned that he didn't have a formal background in photography, but his initial lack of knowledge helped him to refine what little he did know into something that ultimately worked for him. He strives to capture "the most beautiful image...in the most simple way" that he can. So camera in hand, on the streets, with natural lighting, every day sights, and passersby. Simple. Brilliant. So doing this required a lot of patience... and waiting... and "just reacting" to his environment. And the end product--amazing photos that capture a definite mood that is sure to elicit something from the person who views it--perhaps something different every time, from picture to picture. I love that. And that is the thing I love about photography (as an onlooker of course. I can only dream about being the one who actually captures brilliant photos).

I love the idea of being immersed in your own environment, yet viewing it with a new eye, each and every second. So I was sparked and excited to think about how I could translate that idea into my own everyday, as a photography exercise. It was tough and somewhat defeating in my mind. Do you know what my everyday is? Some of you can probably guess. I'm at home full time with my 2 kids (my 3 yr old son and my 1.5 yr old daughter), plus I take care of my 8 month old nephew several days a week. How in the world would I find anything interesting or eye-catching about my visual environment, which usually looks like a toy tornado just ripped right through it? And there's not much happening on the streets of Kansas in the middle of January, much to your surprise, I'm sure.

So this is a definite challenge for me... one that I wasn't sure if I could take on.. and may still be unsure about it as I type this. But now that I've jotted it down in virtual ink, I suppose I've committed to following through. So now I'm going to embark on this personal photography exercise -- finding extra in the ordinary. I'm not really sure what will come of this, or if I can even rise up to this challenge. But dammit, I'm going to try! Anyone else up for the challenge? Who's with me??? Let's grab our cameras!

Here's to finding inspiration in your everyday.

KC Blogger Meet Up

2011-01-24T17:51:00.001-06:00

This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of meeting up with several bloggers from the Kansas City area for lunch at Blanc Burger. I'd never really considered myself a "blogger" per se, rather just someone with a blog... that I update.. *ahem* rather sparsely. Therefore, I don't think I'm quite deserving of the blogger title, at least not just yet. So it was a sweet surprise when out of the blue, Sandy (of Sandy a la Mode) invited me to join the meet up. Of course I was in!

Before Saturday, I'd never met any of these ladies nor was I familiar with their blogs. And I don't think any of them had ever met in person either, though I think they knew each other from the blogging world. What a treat it was to meet a group of genuinely interesting and fun girls! And on top of having awesome personalities, they're all super adorable, each and every one of them! I had such a blast chatting it up over fancy burgers and truffle fries (which are served in tiny shopping carts! can we say super adorbs?).

Taken by Angga's husband, who is 10-feet tall (ok, not really)

Then, as would be expected when six bloggers meet, the cameras came out! So each of us has our own version of these pics. The above two were the only ones I had where all six of us were mostly within the frame. Thank you to Angga's husband, who volunteered to be our paparazzi. :)

From left to right: Ashley of A Hasty Life, Sandy of Sandy a la Mode, Shea of Bon Chic Bon Gastronimique

From left to right: Angga of Reserverade Fashion, Michelle of Second Street East, and me.

After lunch, Shea, Sandy and I trekked out into the cold to do a little window shopping at the Plaza. Despite it being freezing out, these ladies braved the cold for an impromptu photo shoot for their blogs. Now that is some dedicated blogging! I just volunteered to take the photos because I am no model! Sure I used to choreograph hip hop, but thinking of modeling poses baffles my brain. Not sure why there's a disconnect there for me, but there is a definite gap. So I'm not sure how they managed to do so, but Shea and Sandy convinced me to step in front of the camera. Here are some snapshots that I lifted from Sandy since all the pics were on her camera (hope you don't mind, Sandy!).

So this is how the pros do it. Laid back, even while balancing on a bench!

Fierce!

And then it was my turn. Poor Sandy and Shea had to coach me the whole time. Did someone say "horse stance"? Nope! That was all me.. and that is why I need coaching.

Kohl's catalog, here I come!

The last two are my favs because I don't look like a total goober in them. Thanks to all you ladies for a really fun day! And thanks to Sandy and Shea for showing me how to model! Maybe from now on I'll come out from behind the camera a little more. Maybe. :)

Hope you all had a phenomenal weekend!

More updates to come this week (including the whereabouts of my Warm Hearts Necklace)!

2010 :: views from my back porch

2010-12-23T13:02:00.000-06:00

One thing I have always loved about being in Kansas is the chance to witness some gorgeous skies. And with our house being on top of a small hill, I feel like I could just touch it sometimes. I especially love watching the seasons change and seeing a different sky every single day. All from the comforts of our humble deck--an ordinary place to be, yet full of extraordinary sights.

Through all the undulations between happiness and tears, I hope your year was filled with magic and moments that left your heart in awe. Here's to the wonderful memories with our loved ones, the experiences that have helped us grow, and a new year brimming with hope and surprises.

Wishing you the warmest and brightest of Holidays! See you in the brand new year!

Mystery Revealed

2010-12-04T12:21:00.000-06:00

Remember when I asked if you could guess what this was?...

Well, I had no idea it was so far beyond recognition, but a few people did guess correctly that it was something that came out of my oven. No one really knew what, and most of you were probably afraid to find out.

So drumroll please......

This is what it was supposed to look like.

Yummy mashed sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top! It only took me 2 tries. So lesson learned. DO NOT set your oven to "Broil" hoping you can brown the top for "just a minute". That is, unless you want to recreate the surface of the moon after it's engulfed by hot molten lava. Good thing I didn't ruin Thanksgiving dinner with this mishap. My husband got everything else right.. the turkey, the stuffing, the gravy, the cranberry sauce, the pumpkin rolls. All made from scratch. And all I was responsible for was putting the marshmallows on top and baking this dish.. and what do I do? burn it to high heaven. I was also in charge of the green bean casserole (something I've made many times before) and guess what? I burned that too because I had it in there with the sweet potatoes! Not my proudest moment, but thought I'd share so you don't goof up like I did. Anyone else have any cooking disasters to share so I don't feel so alone? ;)

Hope you're having a fabulous weekend!

Can you guess what this is?

2010-12-02T17:11:00.000-06:00

Here's a quick and fun little contest for you. Guess what this is a photo of!

The prize: knowing that you are a genius.

Some hints:

This is not a macro shot.

This is not what it should look like.

I am responsible for this.

I am not proud of it.

I'll post the answer tomorrow. :)

Featured Artist and GIVEAWAY :: One in the Hand

2010-11-24T09:02:00.002-06:00

Cozy up this holiday season!

I'm so happy to introduce my latest Featured Artist, Ashley from One in the Hand! In real life, she is one of my greatest long-time friends ever. And I'm thrilled she's now on Etsy with her super adorable shop. Ashley makes sewn and knitted cozies for mugs and those boring paper cups. Why not make your warm, fulfilling beverages even more special and save the environment at the same time? I know how much my morning coffee means to me, so why shouldn't it get the cozy treatment? Even though I may still be in my jammies, at least my coffee mug can look good. Ashley uses an eclectic mix of patterns and textures so there's something for everyone. Whenever possible, she uses re-purposed materials (such as the insulating lining on the inside of the cozy). Ashley also donates 10% of each and every sale to her local charity. Currently, donations are going to Streetwise, a Chicago-area publication that helps homeless or near-homeless people get back on their feet. It's no wonder that I adore her--she just has a giant, generous heart.

And speaking of generous, Ashley is giving away a set of THREE cozies (winner's choice)! These would make great stocking stuffers or gifts. Or you could keep them for yourself! One for the office, one for the car, and one for home. Giveaway details are below the interview. She's also having a BLACK FRIDAY SALE (11/26 thru 11/29) - Everything will be 15% off plus free shipping; purchases of 3 or more cozies will be 25% off plus free shipping.

Thank you, Ashley! Now let's get to know this lovely lady. :)

.......................... the interview .........................

A random fun fact about yourself:
I greatly enjoy those icebreaker sort of activities that you have to do at work retreats.

The first 3 random words that pop into your mind:

field

Kansas

fire

What's your favorite read of all time?
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver.

Any guilty pleasures?
Jersey Shore. I can’t help it – I love Pauly D! AW YEAH, ETSY YEAH!

If you could be any place in the world right now, where would it be?
At a magical concert in a small club where I get to pick the musicians.

(Ok, now onto business)
How would you describe your work?
Cute, bright, practical.

How long have you been at it?
I listed and sold my first item in November 2009. I spent the year prior to that learning to knit and sew and slowly coming up with the idea. First I just wanted to make gifts for people, but they said I should try to sell them, and I thought, why not?

So for you, is it an innate talent or practice makes perfect?
Both. I’m somewhat of a tactile learner; I suppose I must have some talent since I was able to pick up knitting and sewing pretty easily . . . but I practice all the time and learn what works best through trial and error.

Do you dabble in any other forms of art?
I doodle. No, really, I have some impressive notepads from office meetings! :) I am a former musician and dancer as well (I say former because I don’t create or perform anymore, I just appreciate).

Share something about your creative process that most people wouldn't know.

I really enjoy waiting until my family has gone to bed, and then sitting down at the kitchen table with my laptop and sewing machine. I’ll listen to music or watch entire tv show seasons, movies . . . It’s meditative and I get a lot done. I’ll stay up all night sometimes, doing this.

What do you do when your inspiration and creativity is tapped?
I take a break. This isn’t how I earn my living, so I have that luxury.

When not hard at work on your designs, what would we most likely find you doing?
Cracking up with friends, trying to stay off of Facebook, hanging out with my husband and 3 kids.

In a parallel universe where you are not an amazing artist, what would you be?

Oh, to be a singer/songwriter with an acoustic guitar strapped to my back. Wait – a singer/songwriter who saves the world!

What are some of your favorite etsy shops?

Blue Order – Awesome music-themed practical art

Circa Ceramics – Modern, bright bowls and cups

Just Hatched – Wooden toys inspired by nature

Besu – Funky accessories – pouches, buttons, wallets . . .

What's at the top of your etsy wish list?
This kelly green messenger bag from theleatherstore

And, as a fun tribute to my inner psychologist, what might this be?

It’s the Japanese flag in black and white! Duh.

.......................... end interview .........................

And now for the GIVEAWAY!

The winner will receive

a set of THREE cup cozies

of his or her choice!
(winner will be selected on Wed. Dec. 1st)

CONGRATULATIONS to Scott (Blue Order)!!!!

How to enter (required):

* Visit OneInTheHand and tell us what your favorite pattern is (you can also browse the sold section)
* Leave a separate comment about what you'd like to see more of (e.g., a particular theme, pattern, color, texture that you don't already see in the shop)

(you only need to answer one or the other to enter, but you'll get 2 entries if answering both. you must leave some way to contact you (email, blog, or etsy shop) so we can reach you if you win.)

Bonus entries: Please leave a separate comment and contact info for each entry (each comment will be assigned a number and the winner will be selected by a random number generator).

1) "Like" One in the Hand on Facebook
2) follow Ashley's blog: http://thirstybabies.blogspot.com
3) follow Ashley on twitter: @ashjray
4) tweet the giveaway (include @ashjray and @eNVeDesigns for verification)
5) "Like" eNVe Designs on Facebook
6) follow me on twitter: @eNVeDesigns
7) follow my blog
8) join the mailing list

You have one week to enter. The lucky winner will be selected at random next Wednesday, Dec 1st. Good luck! :)

Have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving holiday!

Demystifying the eNVe Wrap and Thread Necklace

2010-11-14T17:26:00.002-06:00

You know, sometimes I get so wrapped up in my own brain that I forget that others may not share my perspective or view things with my personal frame of reference. My Wrap and Thread necklace design is a fitting example of this. While doing my first shows the past couple months and getting to meet customers in person, I was really surprised by how many intrigued and perplexed looks I saw on people while they browsed my Wrap and Thread necklaces.

Frequent questions included, "so what is this?"... "how does this work?"... "where's the clasp?"... "how do I close the necklace?". It did help when I displayed photos of various necklaces worn several different ways along with a brief written description, but more often than not, I was asked to demonstrate how to create the different looks, like the styles below.

[For those of you reading this who are not familiar with my Wrap and Thread Necklace design, it's a long, open-ended strand of gems and chain interspersed with at least one link along the strand. There's no closing clasp so you wear it by wrapping it around or doubling it up, and threading the end through the link, which you place in front (like a lariat necklace). My original Wrap and Thread designs included one or two links, but have now evolved to include designs with up to 5 links, some with handmade toggle-like closures, as well as double-stranded styles. The more links there are in the necklace, the more styles you can create.]

I'm really happy that everyone spoke up because it was definitely a lot of fun getting to share with folks how this design came to be and showing them how super simple it really is to change up the looks! And if people didn't ask me, I wouldn't have had this realization. Even after my demo and explanation, some people joked that they would still need a written tutorial to remember how to wear it. It never really occurred to me to write a tutorial because it isn't a complicated design, and I thought having a few photos of the different ways to wear it would be explanatory enough. But after those shows, I had an epiphany. Wearing this necklace is intuitive to me, but that's because it's my brain child and I've been experimenting with it for years! Since the inception of this idea about 5 years ago, it's been in my mind and on paper in so many different iterations. And I've thought about it so much, have done so many revisions on the design, and have taken hundreds of photos of all my different Wrap and Thread necklaces that creating the various looks with one necklace is second nature for me. Obviously, this may not be the case for most people browsing my jewelry. Sorry for the momentary lapse of clarity, everyone. I'm happy to announce that I finally got a clue. :)

So for the next few installments on my blog, I'll highlight the different Wrap and Thread styles I've come up with so far, and maybe include with each post a tutorial on how to create several key looks. Do you think a tutorial would be helpful at all? I'd love to hear your opinions on this!

Warm Hearts Whereabouts :: last stop before heading home

2010-11-03T15:18:00.000-05:00

Where has the traveling necklace been?

sunning in Sweden with Carita!

Being a bracelet girl, Carita wore the necklace as a layered bracelet. And is it just me, or is the grass greener in Sweden? ;) Thank you for taking the time to participate in the project, Carita! And what a lovely ring you've paired with the Warm Hearts necklace!

Carita makes incredible jewelry pieces featuring gorgeous rough, raw gemstones, fresh from the earth. I adore the organic nature of her work. Here are just a few of my personal favorites from Jealousy Design:

This is the final stop of the first international tour. Next stop: USA!

You can still sign up to participate in Warm Hearts Around the World!
(my traveling necklace project, raising awareness for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital)

Click here to read more.

Featured Artist :: Lilliput Loft

2010-10-20T09:41:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone, I'm back! And I'm so thrilled to be featuring the lovely ladies behind lilliputloft! I discovered the amazing work of Vicky and Jill, a mother-daughter duo, when searching for some quiet books for my kids. When I found their shop, I was instantly enamored by the Curious Garden activity book--their unique and clever take on exploring the world of Alice in Wonderland. I can definitely see my daughter captivated by this book. Heck, I'm turning 33 this week and even I would have fun with it! :) Aside from their wonderful fabric books, there's a wonderful selection of enchanting and whimsical mobiles, dolls, wall hangings, etc. The detail and imagination in their work is just incredible. I hope you'll take a moment to explore!

.......................... the interview .........................

A random fun fact about yourself:

Vicki: I have a very strong sense of smell. Some perfumes, etc. that most people enjoy…I find unbearable.

Jill: I am very addicted to organization and storage systems!

The first 3 random words that pop into your mind:

Vicki: white; garden; green
Jill: discombobulate (I’m serious!)

What's your favorite read of all time?

Vicki: The Heaven Tree Triolgy. (The Heaven Tree/The Green Branch/The /Scarlet Seed.)

Jill: anything by Phillipa Gregory

Any guilty pleasures?

Vicki: Cream Buns with mock cream and a dollop of red jammy stuff (must be first left in the fridge so the mock cream forms a hard solid lump)

Jill: Good coffee and great food.

If you could be any place in the world right now, where would it be?

Vicki: Paris/France

Jill: A gorgeous old castle in Europe

(Ok, now onto business)
How would you describe your work?

Vicki and Jill: whimsical with a touch of childhood nostalgia and elegance.

How long have you been at it?

Vicki: Creating?...all my life. Etsy Shop(Lilliput Loft)?..just under one year.

Jill: Since having my daughter (now 2yrs old) I have really been able to let the creative juices flow. Before that, I worked in the Early Childhood Education industry so most of my creativity was focused on having a very fun and,creative classroom.

So for you, is it an innate talent or practice makes perfect?

Vicki: Natural talent, but practice makes better.

Jill: I definitely inherited some of my mother's talent, but I lack a bit of confidence in my own ability.

Do you dabble in any other forms of art?

Vicki: drawing; pottery; sewing; papier mache.

Jill: Scrapbooking (though I never have time for it at the moment!)

From where/how do you find inspiration?

Vicki and Jill: Really, inspiration can strike at any tick of the clock anywhere at all. Could be from a photo or song or thought or thought process.

Share something about your creative process that most people wouldn't know.

Vicki: Just start with an idea. If it starts to fail, assess whether it can be salvaged or abandoned.

Jill: Organization! I have multiple folders full of sketches, templates and notes regarding how items are to be made….all neatly catalogued of course! See…I am addicted!

What was your most memorable creative experience?

Vicki: Would have to be my Enchanted Trees.

Jill: Creating the ‘A Curious Garden’ fabric quiet book. It was a request from a potential customer. It took sooo long to design and create but it is the item that makes me the most proud!

What do you do when your inspiration and creativity is tapped?

Vicki: Move on it! There is nothing like when you start a new project, and you are on a roll! So invigorating. Everyone needs a project, of some sort.

Any memorable low points that you've learned from?

Vicki: Yes. The first night after I started working with the papier mache on my very first tree. In the middle of the night, we heard a loud bang. It was the tree completely collapsing in on itself from the weight of the thoroughly saturated wet paper.

Jill: Realizing how much I could realistically sell my Fabric Quiet Books for. So much work for so little profit! Not worth it at all, other than the pleasure from knowing that there is NOTHING else like them available on the web.

What is your formula for success?

Vicki: Just keep chipping away at it.

Any advice for those having a bad case of artist woes?

Vicki: Don’t give up. Just try to think outside the square a little.

When not hard at work on your designs, what would we most likely find you doing?

Vicki: Gardening. Playing with our 2 year old granddaughter. Housework.

Jill: Playing with my gorgeous daughter, Elliana.

In a parallel universe where you are not an amazing artist, what would you be?

Vicki: I would also need a few extra inches of height and a slimmer body shape…Then I would be a fashion addicted girly girl and dress up a lot. So my wardrobe would be filled with all manner of clothing and accessories in many boxes …instead of all manner of craft items in many boxes.

Jill: I am actually living my dream life right now! I always wanted to be doing crafty things and being a stay-at-home-mum.

Anything else you'd like to add that I didn't ask about?

Vicki: Creating items for Lilliput Loft, in partnership with my daughter Jillian, is a dream come true. A dream I never actually dreamed, but one that has eventuated.

What are some of your favorite etsy shops?

Vicki: I love amazing art dolls and slightly weird things that don’t actually do anything, but just be. And I am addicted to creating treasuries, so I have very many shops that I frequent for beautiful photos of items for my many treasuries.(just check our ‘favourites’ and you’ll see what I’m talking about!)

Jill: I love girly shops that sell elegant accessories, clothes and toys etc for little girls. I don’t like fashion for me, but love little girl fashion!

What's at the top of your etsy wish list?

Vicki: To be a ‘name’ (Lilliput Loft) that people remember with fond thoughts and delightful memories….and lots and lots of sales would be very nice.

Jill: To be able to make enough ‘supplementary income’ from this ‘crafty’ thing, to be able to stay at home with my daughter and not have to go back to ‘normal’ work!

And, as a fun tribute to my inner psychologist, what might this be?

Vicki: “Down the rabbit hole!”

.......................... end interview .........................

Jill and Vicky, thank you both for taking the time to share some thoughts behind your beautiful creations!

Warm Hearts Whereabouts :: Sunny day in Serbia

2010-10-11T13:57:00.001-05:00

Where has the Warm Hearts Necklace been?

spending a sunny day in Serbia with Zorana!

Zorana, thank you for taking part in my little project and allowing the necklace to visit Serbia! And thank you so much for telling your students about the Warm Hearts Around the World project and its mission. Big hugs to you and your beautiful boy! Alex says hello too. Maybe sometime in the future, we can all go back to Boston and hang out again! :D

Next stop: Sweden!

You can still sign up to participate in Warm Hearts Around the World!
(my traveling necklace project, raising awareness for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital)

Click here to read more.

Warm Hearts Whereabouts :: on the coast of...

2010-09-29T11:45:00.000-05:00

Can you guess where the Warm Hearts Necklace has been?

visiting one of my dream destinations!

On the coast of Greece with Mari!

and watching a sunset over Athens.

Sending a warm shout out to Mari, a dear friend and former colleague (as interns at BU's Center for Multicultural Training in Psychology). Thank you for taking part in my little project! And thank you for sharing your amazing view of Athens! Looking forward to our internship reunion in Greece! Someone's planning that, right?? :)

Next stop: Serbia!

You can still sign up to participate in Warm Hearts Around the World!
(my traveling necklace project, raising awareness for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital)

Click here to read more.

Art Fest #2 :: guess what happened...

2010-09-21T10:39:00.000-05:00

It rained!!!

So that makes it 2 for 2. I hope this isn't going to be a consistent trend for me. At least this art fest was a 3-day show and it didn't rain the entire time--just half the day Saturday. And Sunday was gorgeous. Here are a couple of booth shots. This time, my booth looked much more cohesive and put together than the first time. And you better believe I had lighting! No browsing in the dark this time. :)

Unlike my first show, I had plenty of product pics this time, for which I received great feedback. People thought it was really helpful to be able to see the different ways pieces could be worn. And rather than being in separate boxes, lying flat on the table, my signature pieces were front and center, hanging from pretty frames, which made a HUGE difference.

At the start of day 2. You'd think it would be nice and sunny all day, but nope.

I got such great feedback about my jewelry, especially my Wrap and Thread necklaces and these chain and wire wrapped pendant necklaces! It really made my weekend to hear what people had to say about my work. I heard the words "unique" and "unusual" frequently. I've never really thought of my work as "unusual" but I guess it's because I look at it every day.

All in all, it was a successful weekend despite the rain and sparse turn-out. Thank you to those who stopped by my booth! The face to face contact with customers is really nice and that's something that is missing when you sell online. Maybe some day I'll have a real boutique! Now it's time to restock several pieces and gear up for the next show, happening in less than 2 weeks! Please keep your fingers crossed that it won't rain for the 3rd time. If you're in the Lee's Summit area, stop by and say hi!

Warm Hearts Whereabouts :: beautiful in Belgium

2010-09-13T11:52:00.000-05:00

It's been a short while, so where has the Warm Hearts Necklace been?

In beautiful Belgium with Greet!

There she is! ;)

And I just love how she paired the necklace with such gorgeous vibrant colors. Though this is certainly no surprise, given her innovative and equally vibrant creations! Here are but a few of my personal favorites from Greet's beautiful shop, fleurfatale.

Thank you Greet for being a hostess to my traveling necklace project for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Next stop: Athens!

You can still sign up to participate in Warm Hearts Around the World!
Click here to read more.

Brilliance :: New Dress A Day

2010-08-24T12:57:00.000-05:00

I recently came across the New Dress A Day blog and had to share. This brilliant idea came to Marisa, a young woman entering her 30's, who found herself wading in what she called "a personal creative-funk-crisis". To get herself out of the rut, she decided to stop shopping for an entire year! I know what you're thinking ladies, "yea, that would make a girl feel better alright...in OPPOSITE WORLD!" But that's just what she has been doing for the past several months--forgoing the traditional clothing shopping. Instead, Marisa is only buying vintage/pre-worn clothing and only allotting herself a budget of $1 per outfit, per day, which she then transforms (with the help of her trusty sewing machine and some sharp shears) into chic, current, fashionable garments, giving each old outfit a new life. That's it.. 365 days, 365 "new" outfits, for 365 dollars. That's definite brilliance if you ask me!

Here are just a few of my favorite transformations.


Before

After


Before

After

Before

After

So clever, right?? Makes me wish I could sew! Now go visit her blog for some inspiration! :)

Featured Artist :: Lionsgate Designs

2010-08-13T09:36:00.002-05:00

I was perusing Etsy one day (okay, so that's every day) and discovered Lionsgate Designs, home of the most beautiful and unique bridal bouquets I've ever laid eyes on. And if my husband and I ever get around to having a "real" wedding (we kind of eloped) or formally renew our vows, I may have to walk down the aisle with one of these beauties. They're just bursting with color and life, just like fresh flower bouquets, but unlike fresh flowers, they'll last forever! The artist behind these gorgeous arrangements is Marie Jenkinson, who has been in the wedding business since 1990. Outside of creating her one of a kind bouquets, she has designed and built some incredible homes, two of which have been transformed into perfect wedding locations.

Read on to find out more about Marie's inspiring work... and how she discovered that her wedding venues are haunted! Happy Friday the 13th, everyone! *cue sinister laugh*

.......................... the interview .........................

A random fun fact about yourself:
I have a degree in design and love to create just about anything. I have designed and built several unique houses, 2 event venues, remodeled several other houses, designed hundreds of weddings, designed and created wedding brooch bouquets and jewelry and am currently buying, staging and flipping houses in Palm Springs. I love auctions and buying and selling things on eBay. I also love antiques and anything odd and unusual and therefore really like to go "picking." I also love to cook. In the end, pretty much anything that is creative. I also really want to have a reality TV show about my business, as our staff is crazy fun, our clients are really interesting (both in a good and bad way) and would make for great TV watching - sort of Designing Women meets Deadliest Catch.

Another thing you might find interesting is that our two event venues are haunted - and I mean really haunted - we have had 2 local TAPS family members do 2 investigations each and have gotten TONS of cool evidence - you can see 2 short youtube clips at the links below. Jason and Grant, from the TV show "Ghost Hunters" are scheduled to come out and do an investigation next year - very excited!

(Be sure to visit the links! Aside from the scary ghost sounds, you can also see images of the gorgeous venue!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9Mzl-YdWI0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79HrH8ss3_s

The first 3 random words that pop into your mind:
wedding, designing and colors

What's your favorite read of all time?
Michael Crichton's Sphere - I couldn't put it down.

Any guilty pleasures?
shopping on eBay and watching cooking shows on TV

If you could be any place in the world right now, where would it be?
Right where I am sitting now.

(Ok, now onto business)
How would you describe your work?
Very fun, busy and creative. Sometimes requiring juggling several things at one time but always new and interesting.

How long have you been at it?
In the wedding business it has been 20 years.

So for you, is it an innate talent or practice makes perfect?
A talent to start of with for sure, but with a LOT of practice to become any good at it.

Do you dabble in any other forms of art?

Oh heck yeah! You name it, computer design (as in ad layouts, business cards, web sites, etc.), photography, interior design, architecture, wedding planning, my new brooch bouquets of course, cooking, etc.

From where/how do you find inspiration?
There is inspiration pretty much everywhere as long as you keep in the front of your mind that you are looking for something to trigger that new thought. Sometimes it is just the color combination from something I see on TV or on line that gives me an idea. The secret is to stop and look at whatever you think is beautiful and think (sometimes out loud) how can I put that into what I am working on? Watching creative contests on TV is one of my favorites, like Top Chef or The Next Great Artist shows where you can sort of do the challenge with them and see where it takes you.

Share something about your creative process that most people wouldn't know.

I often wake up with a good idea, or early in the morning when I am sort of awake and my mind is relaxed I will start to think about a marketing plan or project and that is when I get some of my better ideas.

What was your most memorable creative experience?
When I designed my current home which is a 100 year-old horse barn with a silo that my husband and I renovated and added on to, to create a very unique home. There are clear glass floors in the different levels of the silo so you can see all the levels from each floor. We incorporated a 200 year-old staircase that came from the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires Argentina. There is a four car garage with a deck on top that has a moss rock water fall wall along the entire back and a water fountain that has natural gas so you can actually light the water on fire - really great for parties.

What do you do when your inspiration and creativity is tapped?
Sometime I take on too much and get a bit overwhelmed. I just have to stop and deal with one thing at a time and try to get through it.

Any memorable low points that you've learned from?
In 1995 when I was trying to get funding to build out 2nd wedding venue the bank we were working with really messed us up and we lost the loan which cost us over $150,000 and pushed our building schedule back over a year. That was a very bad year for me.

What is your formula for success?
Keep a positive outlook, try to find the good side of everything and it is okay to ask for help occasionally. Also to always be looking for how something can be improved to be more efficient, marketed better, given a fresh look, etc. Never feel you are totally done with something because everything can be made better at some point.

Was there a moment when you realized that you'd achieved success?
I guess the first year we made more than 1 million dollars. But I have always felt rather successful because I have a job/business I love to do every day, I love our staff, my husband, son and home, so that is truly what is success . . . but having a good income and creating jobs and careers for other people is pretty cool too.

Any advice for those having a bad case of artist woes?
Do something different! Whatever it is that got you stuck, change it! Either take a drive, walk around the neighborhood, take a vacation, watch inspiring TV or a book, but just do something different to break out of the funk and put yourself in a position where you can get some inspiration you weren't expecting.

When not hard at work on your designs, what would we most likely find you doing?
Cooking and veging in front of TV or reading a book on my deck.

In a parallel universe where you are not an amazing artist, what would you be?
The general manager of eBay

What are some of your favorite etsy shops?
Anything wedding or jewelry

What's at the top of your etsy wish list?
The It's Raining silver slider ring by Mujoyas

And, as a fun tribute to my inner psychologist, what might this be?

It looks like passageway into another universe - I like sci-fi shows :-)

.......................... end interview .........................

You can visit lionsgatecenter.com for more info about her work and wedding venues.

Marie, thank you so much for sharing a little bit about yourself and your work with us!

Sneak Peek :: items in the waiting room

2010-08-12T08:30:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to share some snapshots of just a few of the many new items just waiting to be listed...

My signature "Trickle" necklace featuring African Opal

My signature Wrap and Thread Necklace featuring Sunstone pebbles

A wire and chain wrapped Chalcedony pendant accented with Moss Green Apatite

A simple wire wrapped glowing Green Onyx drop on an oxidized sterling satellite chain

But realistically, these may never see the light of Etsy because I'm so busy prepping for 3 upcoming shows! I'll be at the Zona Rosa Art Festival in Kansas City (Sept. 17-19), the Longview Art and World Music Festival in Lee's Summit (Oct. 1-3), and Haute Market in Overland Park (Oct. 7). Both art festivals are 3-day shows, so I'm a little nervous about whether or not I'll have enough inventory. So I'm just creating away, every waking second I have to spare (which isn't much). I guess it was a blessing in disguise that my first art fest was rained out and I have a lot of pieces left over from that show. I'll keep you posted on my progress. Maybe a few sneak peeks here and there. Til next time!

[oh, and tune in tomorrow for a brand new Featured Artist!]

Oh my... How quickly a year goes by!

2010-07-14T09:19:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's already been over a year since we welcomed our little baby Kaili into the world. And just as we did during Jax's first year, we also did for Kaili. Here is her 1 to 12-month collage. I'm still in awe of how much change happens during that first year, not just physically, but developmentally! And just what did she get for her first birthday?? Her two front teeth..finally! : B

No matter how much I try to take mental pictures and notes of those "priceless" moments, if it weren't for the miracle of video and photography, I really would see it all as one big blur. And thank heavens for digital photos! I had to take about a thousand frames to get these. And thank heavens for photoshop because she outgrew that pink blanket I used for a backdrop. They grow so fast! So enjoy your little ones while they still are. :)

Where are we?

2010-07-12T09:00:00.001-05:00

We packed up the kids and went on our first family road trip (well, excluding for the cross-country move). Can you guess where we went? It should be pretty easy. Here are some more snapshots.

I'm trying to be a little artsy fartsy and mysterious with these pictures. I really love that this sculpture looks like a giant dew drop in the middle of the city.

It was a fantastic little 4th of July vacation and we all needed it. The kids had a blast. Hope everyone had a relaxing break! Sorry I fell off the earth for a bit. I'm back now and I hope *fingers crossed* I'll have time to do a shop update soon. Until then, check out the Christmas in July sale going on in my shops! ;)

Warm Hearts Whereabouts :: hearting Canada

2010-06-30T13:16:00.001-05:00

Where's the Warm Hearts Necklace now?

Still hanging out up north, in New Brunswick

(and doing home renovations) with Karon!

Karon is working hard on beautifying her cottage and gorgeous yard. Who says you can't look fabulous while doing work around the house? :) Karon, I hope you'll share pics of your completed cottage. It looks like an amazing space!

I'm sure it will be a fantastic and inviting place, given her wonderful eye for color and design. Just look at her amazing jewelry and photography! Here are just a few of my favorites.

Thank you Karon for supporting my little awareness/fund-raising project for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Next stop: Belgium!

You can still sign up to participate in Warm Hearts Around the World!
Click here to read more.

Featured Artist and GIVEAWAY :: Sleepy Moon Design

2010-06-23T09:01:00.002-05:00

For all my fellow jewelry lovers out there, here is another fabulous interview and jewelry giveaway! Meet Zoe of Sleepy Moon Design! She creates gorgeous jewelry featuring beautiful gemstones as the centerpiece of all her designs and does a wonderful job showcasing the natural beauty of those gemstones. You wouldn't know it from her creations, but she's a relative newbie in the art of jewelry! Let's meet this natural talent.

.......................... the interview .........................

A random fun fact about yourself:
My middle name is Adrian

What's your favorite read of all time?
Honestly I don't have enough time in the day to read. :( I always end up staying up way to late reading then I am exhausted in the morning. So usually all the books I read are good or else I don't finish them I really liked the last book that I read called The Gargoyle.

Any guilty pleasures?
Handbags on Etsy and Pickles!

If you could be any place in the world right now, where would it be?
I kinda like it here in Vancouver! I have had this urge to go to the lake recently though. Relax in the sun go for a swim and everything else you can do at the lake!

(Ok, now onto business)
How would you describe your work?
Edgy, dreamy, with a kind of chic, dark fairy tale vibe like each piece holds a secret. My jewelry is easy to wear and any one who loves gemstones will appreciate how I make them the focal point in each piece.

How long have you been at it?
I've been making jewelry since January 2008. I have learned a lot in the last year and a half and I am excited to learn so much more!

So for you, is it an innate talent or practice makes perfect?
For some things it really does come naturally, but with everything you do get better over time with practice! Some things it is practice practice practice from the start.

Do you dabble in any other forms of art?
Before jewelry I was into photography. Now I use those skills to do my product photography. I don't get out much with the camera as much as I like to so I started posting a Random Daily Photo on my blog so I would… http://sleepymoondesign.blogspot.com

From where/how do you find inspiration?
My favourite thing to do is start playing with the metal or gemstones and see what happens from there. I also take pieces of nature and try to replicate the shape or the colours.

Share something about your creative process that most people wouldn't know.
I work well with a deadline! lol

What do you do when your inspiration and creativity is tapped?
I stay the heck away from my jewelry! I know now that when I am not feeling creative it is best not to waste supplies on designs that don't turn out! Instead I will relax and take a day off. That usually does the trick.

Any memorable low points that you've learned from?
A low point for me was when I realized that getting 4 sales a month was just not enough!!! It was also a turning point for me because I then sought out a solution to fix the problem.

What is your formula for success?
Hard work and doing what I love!

Was there a moment when you realized that you'd achieved success?
It wasn't the moment I realized that I had achieved success because I am still working hard at that! It was the moment that I realized that I could achieve success.

Any advice for those having a bad case of artist woes?
Don't even think about giving up! Look inside your self for inspiration and direction instead of on the internet or wherever else you might look.

When not hard at work on your designs, what would we most likely find you doing?
Hanging out with my two year old son Wyatt or around Vancouver checking out the sites.

In a parallel universe where you are not an amazing artist, what would you be?
In a parallel universe I might be a youth addictions worker of some sort or a marketing rep for small businesses. Though when I was little I always said I was going to be a vet. Or an artist like mommy and a carpenter like daddy.

What are some of your favorite etsy shops?
LittleHouses
lamorez
feltmeupdesigns
orglamix

What's at the top of your etsy wish list?
This jacket by a local designer (Little Houses)

And, as a fun tribute to my inner psychologist, what might this be?
My first thought was a black and white Japanese flag and my second thought was a hole.

.......................... end interview .........................

And now for the GIVEAWAY!!!
(winner selected on Wednesday, June 30th)

Drawing closed :: CONGRATULATIONS, SOM!!!

Zoe is giving away this Green Onyx Suspension Necklace to one lucky winner!

Here's how to enter:

* visit Zoe's shop, sleepymoondesign, and tell us what your favorite piece is (don't forget to check out the sold section).

* you must include your contact info (email, blog, or etsy shop)
so we can contact you if you win.

Bonus entries:

Leave a separate comment with contact info for each entry.

1) follow Zoe on twitter: @SleepyMoon
2) follow me on twitter: @eNVeDesigns
3) tweet about the giveaway (include @eNVeDesigns and @SleepyMoon and a link to this post for validation)
4) fan Sleepy Moon on Facebook
5) fan eNVe Designs on Facebook
6) follow Zoe's blog

7) follow my blog (upper left column)
8) subscribe to Zoe's newsletter
9) subscribe to my mailing list (using the form in the left column)

You have one week to enter. The winner will be selected at random next Wednesday, June 30th. Good luck! :)

Warm Hearts Whereabouts :: visiting our Northern Neighbors

2010-06-18T09:02:00.002-05:00

Where's the traveling necklace now?

In Ontario, Canada with Emily!

Photos by John Bagnell

Emily is among the many fabulous friends I've gotten to know through her Etsy shop. And true to Etsy form, she is wearing the necklace as a mustache! So clever, you. ;) But I'm not at all surprised, being the brilliant artist she is. If you're not already familiar with her illustrations, just wander around mchenwears.com. You'll be amazed. Here are just a few of my favorites.

Emily and her sister Serena also just launched theD.A.D.project - a "Drawing-A-Day" art-based fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society, in honor of their father who was recently diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. They take turns posting an illustration each and every day, which are then available for purchase as prints through their collaborative Etsy shop: thedadproject. $10 of every sale is donated to the Canadian Cancer Society. You can also donate directly via their CCS team page. Below are a few prints from theDADproject.

Emily, best of luck with your wonderful project! Thanks so much for being a part of mine!

Next stop: New Brunswick!

You can still sign up to participate in Warm Hearts Around the World!
Click here to read more.

My first art fest :: a complete wash

2010-06-15T16:40:00.000-05:00

In case you were wondering why I had fallen off the face of the earth for the past couple weeks, I was prepping for my first show ever. There were many questions I had to address and many details to attend to (what will my booth look like? how in the world will I display my jewelry? what new pieces should I make? how many? how do I accept credit cards?...). Being the obsessive nut I am, I naturally obsessed over every detail. Thank heavens my family and my husband's family were all in town (for our daughter's first birthday and baptism) so there were plenty of folks to hang out with the kids while I secluded myself in the studio. And down to the last minute, I was prepping for the show. It was exhausting! Fortunately, I had help from my sister, mom, husband, and in-laws, which made things go so much more smoothly. So by the morning of the show, I was nervous but excited. The day looked promising. But as soon as we were done setting up my booth, the storm hit.

It was a continuous downpour for about 7 hours straight. And the first couple hours, was torrential! Despite being beneath a huge covered tent, I was wading in about 2 inches of water for a good part of the day. And it was windy!!! Thank heavens the artist next to me was a photographer who had huge walls for her booth. If she hadn't been there, or if I was at the end of the row, my booth would've been a gonner. The rain finally subsided by the afternoon and the sun actually came out during the last hour. My water-logged feet were very thankful.

This was about as crowded as it was the entire day, and it was basically all the artists, visiting each other's booths. At least I got to meet some really nice people, so that was a big plus. And I managed to make just enough sales to cover the cost of the show so that was another plus.

Here are some snapshots of my booth. Apologies for the poor pictures. The lighting was so awful and weird that day so I couldn't get any good pictures.

The left side. Those floating branches were individually screwed into the bases of those candle holders. We also framed some perforated aluminum sheets to hang the earring cards. Both worked beautifully, thanks to my husband and his father's handiwork.

The right side of the booth. I had another framed aluminum sheet for my Daily Dose line (other side was my original line). And can you spot some polymer 'crystals' by the talented Lynn of UnaOdd? Please excuse the giant cup of coffee. I had very little sleep the previous night. :)

And here's the front (right) side of the booth. The sign was a last minute effort. I wanted to make my own unique banner, but I couldn't find an idea that I really liked just yet, so black paint on white canvas just had to do for the time being. I wasn't crazy about it at first, but I ended up really liking how simple and elegant yet strong it looked, just bare bones.

A view from the far right side.

And here's the entire booth. I hate how bare naked the back is. I was originally going to put a 3 panel screen there, but the winds were so strong and beating so furiously on that tent wall, it would've fallen over, so I didn't bother. I also wanted to have large product pictures displayed somehow, like along the backdrop, but hadn't quite settled on an idea that I liked and just ran out of time. It was just another one of those things on my to-do list that I never got to do. Oh well, next time will be better.

Oh and here's me and my highwaters, during the beginning of the flood (man I need a haircut. I hate how ponytails look on me). Wow, you can see the water creeping up my tablecloth. By the end of the day, it was soaked more than half way up.

My trusty model and I. She's wearing a hand-painted original dress by Aidah Collection.

The kids and the rest of the family stopped by for the remaining hour of the show and they completely cheered me up. I was trying to get a picture of both kids in front of my sign because they are my eNVe Designs originals. But these shots were as good as I could get. One and two-year-olds are tough to take pictures of!

And here is Kaili giving her daddy a spelling lesson...

"That's an "S" and don't forget the squiggly loop.. or squiggle-oop"

So all in all, I'm glad I ventured out of my comfort zone and finally did a show. It didn't turn out well, but at least I'll be much more prepared the next time around.

And now, I have about 300 new items to list! It's daunting just thinking about it. I better get started on those photos. I'll be back again shortly to post about my warm hearts necklace whereabouts. Stay tuned!

Featured Artist and GIVEAWAY :: GlitzGlitter

2010-05-25T10:13:00.002-05:00

I'm so excited to be bringing you this week's featured artist, Celia of GlitzGlitter! Celia is yet another exceptional jewelry designer (what can I say.. I'm addicted to jewelry!) and I am often in her shop trying my hardest not to gobble up all her delicious gemstone creations. Her designs are classic yet eye-catching. She is just brimming with natural talent and an eye for gorgeous gems. It's no wonder why she has found such huge success on Etsy after just one year! She's super sweet and a little shy, so it's an honor she decided to share a little bit about herself here. Thank you, Celia!

.......................... the interview .........................

What's your favorite read of all time?
Bones of the Moon by Jonathan Carroll

Any guilty pleasures?
Buffy the Vampire Slayer all day marathon :D

(Ok, now onto business)
How would you describe your work?
Simple. I never really wore jewelry until I started making it. I think I make jewelry for the kind of woman who doesn't wear jewelry.

How long have you been at it?
A year. Seems like forever, like I was looking for this kind of outlet my whole life, but it's only been a year.

So for you, is it an innate talent or practice makes perfect?
Practice! And some more practice. I love and hate that I look back on my earlier work and wonder "who the heck made that?"

Do you dabble in any other forms of art?
I knit... slowly and poorly. The fantastic colors yarns come in always call me back when I decide to give up.

What do you do when your inspiration and creativity is tapped?
When my creativity is tapped, I go into my workroom, turn on my ipod and listen to a book. I fiddle around with my beads until something jumps out at me.

When not hard at work on your designs, what would we most likely find you doing?
Tweeting with my friends. Not having a day job is wonderful, but not having coworkers can be lonely. I have so many Etsy friends to talk to on twitter, I feel that I have all the benefits of coworkers without having to go to an office.

What are some of your favorite etsy shops?
Too many to name! From KnitFrekkles' gorgeous knitting, to waterrose's embroidery, Lori411, Chefjen137 and Raceytay's photography, Polestar, littlebugjewelry, and onegarnetgirl's amazing jewelry, wickedsoaps' and blushie's tempting soaps. I could just go on and on. I find new and amazing shops on Etsy every single day.

What's at the top of your etsy wish list?
this satchel

And, as a fun tribute to my inner psychologist, what might this be?
Looks like an eclipse to me.

.......................... end interview .........................

And now for the GIVEAWAY!!! (winner selected on Tuesday, June 1st)

*** GIVEAWAY CLOSED *** CONGRATULATIONS ANDREA! ***

Celia is giving away this gorgeous Swarovski crystal necklace to one lucky winner! (international entries welcome)

Here's how to enter:

* visit Celia's shop, GlitzGlitter, and leave a comment about what you'd like to see more of

* you must include your contact info (email, blog, or etsy shop)

Bonus entries:

Please leave a separate comment and contact info for each bonus entry.

1) follow Celia on twitter: @Glitz_Glitter
2) follow me on twitter: @eNVeDesigns
3) tweet about the giveaway (include @eNVeDesigns and @Glitz_Glitter and a link to this post for validation)
4) fan GlitzGlitter on Facebook
5) follow Celia's blog: http://glitzglittergossip.blogspot.com
6) fan eNVe Designs on Facebook
7) follow my blog
8) subscribe to my mailing list (just fill in the form on the upper left column of my blog)

You have one week to enter. The lucky winner will be selected at random next Tuesday, June 1st. Good luck! :)

I'll be back next week to announce the winner, and post updates about prepping for my first art fest! See you then!

If I were... I'd be...

2010-05-05T08:42:00.001-05:00

my photo: taken while apple-picking last October

If I were a month I’d be October.

If I were a day I’d be Saturday.

If I were a time of day I’d be sunset.

my photo: partial view of Boston skyline along the Charles

If I were a planet I’d be Saturn.
(it's wearing jewelry!)

If I were a sea animal I’d be a jellyfish.

my photo: a jellyfish at the New England Aquarium

If I were a direction I’d be East.

If I were a piece of furniture I’d be a huge cozy bed
with lots of pillows you actually use.

If I were a liquid I’d be rain.

Raindrops print by bluedreamsunshine

If I were a gemstone I’d be Sunstone, Emerald, or Aquamarine.

If I were a tree I’d be a bonzai.

my photo: hanging out with the bonzai trees at Longwood Gardens in PA

If I were a tool I’d be glue.
(mushy and helps keep stuff together)

If I were a flower I’d be a daisy.

my photo: wall of daisies

If I were an element of weather I’d be a breeze.

If I were a musical instrument I’d be a piano.

If I were a color I'd be London Blue.

London Blue Topaz gems from rmcgems.com

If I were an emotion I’d be Gratitude.

If I were a fruit I’d be a Kiwi.
(sweet and tart ..and a little hairy..
lol, ok no more hair jokes I promise)

If I were a sound I’d be
the light clinking of a bamboo wind chime.

If I were an element I'd be Oxygen.

my photo: soap bubbles in an empty bottle

If I were a car I’d be a convertible.

If I were a food I’d be anything made by mom.

If I were a place I’d be "home".

Neighborhood cup/vase by loveartworks

If I were a material I'd be cotton.

If I were a taste I’d be savory.

If I were a scent I’d be fresh linen.

Fresh Linen Shea Butter Soap by dennisanderson

If I were a body part I’d be eyes.

If I were a song I’d be a lullaby.

If I were a bird I'd be a hummingbird.

If I were a gift I'd be
one that is simple and from the heart..
and handmade.

If I were a city I'd be Boston.

my photo: view of Boston skyline while walking along the Charles River

If I were a door I'd be vintage french doors.

If I were a pair of shoes I’d be
super stylish kicks that you can dance all night in.

If I were a poem I would be
flying off the tip of a favorite pen.

my photo: a poem I wrote
(ps. my handwriting is only this neat when I concentrate real hard)

There you have it, a smidge more about me you may have not known before. Thank you to Andrea, whose "if I were, I'd be" post inspired this one. So dear readers, I'd love to see your version of this so I can learn a little more about you (so if you do a similar post, please let me know)! :)

Supreme Giveaway Alert! :: Polarity Locket Set

2010-04-29T09:45:00.000-05:00

Remember my Versatile Find feature of the modern locket? Well, here is your chance to win a cornucopia of these magnetic lockets! I already own a necklace set, but they're so much fun I just had to try my luck in this giveaway. Who could pass up a golden opportunity? If you pass it up, that's just better odds for me, so thanks! :)

Click here to enter

Warm Hearts Whereabouts :: back on track!

2010-04-21T13:18:00.001-05:00

Where's the Warm Hearts necklace now??

In Milpitas, CA with Lynda!

Lynda, thank you for taking the necklace out for a night on the town! You looked fabulous and the necklace looked great as a headband! I know it had a great time hanging out with you and your friends. :)

Thanks again, Lynda!

You can still sign up to participate in Warm Hearts Around the World!

Click here to read more.

Next stop, Canada!!!

Featured Artist and GIVEAWAY :: Bijoudally

2010-04-12T08:47:00.010-05:00

I'm super excited to bring you this week's Featured Artist, Andrea of Bijoudally. I 'met' Andrea soon after opening up shop on Etsy and we became quick friends through our long string of convos, tossing ideas and encouragement back and forth. Her creative vision and drive are just two of the many things that I really admire about her. In a short amount of time, her jewelry line has skyrocketed from being just sketches in a notebook to landing in boutiques and specialty chains all across the country! Her inspiring designs are her own original illustrations of botanicals, vintage art, architecture, and urban cities. They're glamorous, earthy, fun, and visually intriguing all at the same time. Let's meet the mastermind behind these designs and find out how you can win one of her amazing bracelets!

.......................... the interview .........................

A random fun fact about yourself:
I’m gluten-free and grain-free. Woohoo. ;)

The first 3 random words that pop into your mind:
Telepathy. Travel. Mountains.

What's your favorite read of all time?

This is a hard one! I am currently reading the series ‘A Song of Fire and Ice’ by George R.R. Martin. It’s VERY good. I really loved ‘His Dark Materials’ trilogy by Philip Pullman as well (Golden Compass was the first book).

Any guilty pleasures?

Ice cream and Keeping up with the Kardashians.

If you could be any place in the world right now, where would it be?
Europe. Specifically Italy and France, going to both countries in September.

(Ok, now onto business)
How would you describe your work?
Our company produces laser cut leather jewelry in silver, gold, and black leathers. Laser cut jewelry is a great way to materialize graphic art or illustration skills, so our line is a reflection of my many small works of art.

How long have you been at it?
I started jewelry as a hobby one year ago and launched our laser cut line in August of 2009. It’s been a fast progression, but I tend to want to make a business out of everything I do so I figured it out real quick.

So for you, is it an innate talent or practice makes perfect?
Well I’ve always been an artist, but I worked most of my career as a journalist and then copywriter. Art and music were hobbies I did at night or the weekends. As for jewelry design, the collection I have now was very natural to me, but jewelry in general is not. I still attend continuing education classes for casting and soldering! Jewelry to me is like sculpting in a way, there a million different ways to do it and a million different mediums to use. I could never claim to be a master of any.

Do you dabble in any other forms of art?
Well like I said I was a writer all of my career, I also sew (horribly), knitted for a few years, and I have a growing interest in designing shoes and other accessories. I also minored in music and play the guitar and piano when I have the time.

From where/how do you find inspiration?
Everywhere! Art, architecture, restaurants, food, dreams, naturally occurring designs in plants, fruits, and vegetables. I do also pay a lot of attention to trends and what is selling right now – and whether customers would be open to a product that no one has seen before.

Share something about your creative process that most people wouldn't know.
The largest part of my process is frustration and epiphanies. I will wake up in the middle of the night with an idea or go for a run and conjure up something in my head, then realize later those ideas completely suck. I am definitely the stereotypical obsessive artist who has trouble putting work down and ultimately hates everything I create. Nothing is ever good enough, which makes me push my ideas a lot further than most.

What was your most memorable creative experience?

When I first designed our bouquet necklace, I just designed the small parts to it with no idea how I would put them together. I actually had all these little parts cut and laid out on my table with no direction as to what I would do with them. Then I started messing around, putting them together like a puzzle. It took me a couple hours, but ultimately I ended up with a pretty modern looking statement necklace that remains our most popular piece to date. I look back and think how silly I was to have designed that way, but then the artist side of me says ‘all ways of designing are the right way.’

What do you do when your inspiration and creativity is tapped?
I sketch furiously or play around with materials.

Any memorable low points that you've learned from?
Highs and lows are regular guests at my studio. They both over stay their welcome.

What is your formula for success?
Good business acumen + originality + keeping your ego in check = success

Was there a moment when you realized that you'd achieved success?
I’m pretty excited about our growth in 2010. We are in over 30 stores across the US, in cruise ship gift shops, and Whole Foods coming soon.

Any advice for those having a bad case of artist woes?
Don’t give up, don’t be lazy, and keep educating yourself about the industry, business, and art.

When not hard at work on your designs, what would we most likely find you doing?
If I’m not working (which is rare), I’m outside on my bike or walking around neighborhoods. I also really like this bookstore near my place called Third Place Books - they have an organic café and food court, magazines, and a decent sized bookstore. It’s a wealth of inspiration and knowledge.

In a parallel universe where you are not an amazing artist, what would you be?
I fantasize a lot about being a male rock star. They have it all.

What are some of your favorite etsy shops?

Enve Designs is my all time favorite etsy shop. No joke. I found Ngan’s work when I was first starting out and found her work to be very inspiring, innovative, and beautiful! I own a few of her pieces, which I get compliments on all the time. She also happens to be one of the few designers I’ve met who is also one of the nicest people I’ve met – how did I get so lucky?

And, as a fun tribute to my inner psychologist, what might this be?
A window into another universe, preferably one that resembles Egypt and has magic.

.......................... end interview .........................

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, Andrea! I'm humbled by your kind words about my work (and felt a bit weird posting that on my own blog). I really appreciate all your support and encouragement! Keep on doing what you do and we'll see you at the top! :)

Here are just a few of my personal favorites from Bijoudally. Aren't they fabulous? And for a limited time, she has reopened her etsy shop, so get them while you can!

And now for the GIVEAWAY!!!

(winner selected on Monday, April 19th)

* Drawing is CLOSED. Tune in to Bijoudally on twitter for announcement of the winner *

Andrea is graciously giving away this super stylish 'Lovely Hula Hands' bracelet to one lucky winner!

Here's how to enter (required):

* Leave a comment about what colors you would like to see from Bijoudally in the future.
* Follow @Bijoudally on twitter
* you must include your contact info (email, blog, or etsy shop) so we can reach you if you win.

Bonus entries: Leave a separate comment and contact info for each entry.

1) fan Bijoudally on Facebook
2) tweet the giveaway (include @Bijoudally and @eNVeDesigns for verification)
3) fan eNVe Designs on Facebook
4) follow me on twitter: @eNVeDesigns
5) follow my blog

You have one week to enter. The lucky winner will be selected at random next Monday, April 19th. Andrea will be announcing the winner via Facebook and Twitter next week. Good luck! :)