SNAGGED! yEllOw MellOw...

I can't TELL you the last time I was able to "snag" a treasury on Etsy, but today, thanks to the wonders of Facebook "psst, hey, buddy...," Marcy gave me the "heads up" that they were about to open up, I happened to have some time, and wandered over -- didn't have anything planned but with "almost-spring" sunshine streaming in the window, the song "Mellow Yellow" suddenly came singing into my head, LOL!

Enjoy these fun finds...and remember, the "Etsy" treasury "veni, vidi, vici" mission is to "come (visit), click (on each item), and comment" in order to make the treasury "rise" in "hotness" :-)

So, how did Marcy, of StudioMarcy, do in her race to treasury- snagging? Successful, of course! You can also visit her "Beelightful" treasury and find some wonderful honeybee finds, and BEE sure to stop by Marcy's studio to pick up Jill the Preppy Bee (how adorable is she!!)

Thanks for the "buzz," Marcy!!

CAN YOU EVER HAVE ENOUGH???

Chocolate, Flowers, and Lace....of course! Well, then the Artisan Beaders have a GREAT sale ready for you now, just in time for ♥ Valentine's Day ♥.

All items in my "VALENTINES SALE" section of the SignatureSterling Etsy shop are available at 15% off original list prices (prices already adjusted for you for easy checkout!).

You can find more beautiful creations by other Artisan Beaders (the talented ABSTEAM!) by viewing the Artisan Beaders Gift Guide.

Be sure to start shopping now for best selection!

FALL INTO COLORS ~ The Rest of the Story...

These gorgeous creations are worth the wait, I promise....here are more challenge pieces from the ABSTEAM's (Artisan Beaders Street Team) "Fall into Colors" October color palette challenge.

First, from Lee of AbeleesHandcrafted are these beautiful autumn earrings using a "Fall Orchard" palette.

And, I think you'll agree that the chainmaille handiwork on this necklace by Meri of Merigreenleaf is absolutely awesome!

Nicole, of Beadwright, shows her intricate artisan design skills and handiwork ~ amazingly beautiful ~ with this necklace, truly fit for a goddess!

Speaking of detail work, check out these "yummy" APPLE SPICE (what a great name!) earrings from Donna of Creative Treasures by Donna ~ hmm! One of my favorite parts of fall!

My other favorite part of fall? The changing leaves....captured here so perfectly by Brenda of The Jewelry Box (and with the lovely lampwork leaf by our own Deronda of DerondaDesigns)!

I am SO honored and thrilled to be a part of such a talented group of wonderful artisans (and great friends, too!) :-)

Talented, Busy Beaders..."Must-See's!"

Some of you know that along with my association with Etsy, I've been fortunate to be a part of some incredible "street teams" ~ groups (some large, some small) of artisans who come together in a common mission for creative, marketing, and support purposes. One of my newest, smallest (and therefore, most intimate and friendliest!) and most talented (IMHO!) teams has been the Artisan Beaders Street Team which formed earlier this summer. We are a juried group and keeping our membership limited (small) has allowed us to develop close bonds of friendship and support across not only the country, but the world - we are an international group!

The mission statement of ABST (Artisan Beaders Street Team) is "Begin with a passion for beads. Combine with creativity. Mix with encouragement. The result is Artisan Beaders; a charismatic group committed to providing the knowledge, resources and support to help members succeed in their entrepreneurial dreams." I know that I feel so blessed to be a part of such a talented group of women, willing to share freely their art and journeys. Each of these artisans has her own shop on Etsy so be sure to check out their beautiful work:

Abelee's Handcrafted
Beadwright
Broken Teepee Designs
Catie's Blue
Creative Treasures by Donna
Crysallis creations
Crystal Impressions
Deronda designs
Elbit Enterprises
Jael's ArtJewels
Kaskaad Handmade Jewellery
M. Augusta Woodland
Orion Designs
Shiny Adornments
SignatureSterling
Studio Marcy
The Jewelry Box

Two other special ABST "must-see" sites are the Artisan Beaders blog where you'll see regular updates on "Color of the Week" and featured items, and MORE importantly ~ NOW through the holidays....a weekly GIVEAWAY!! Whatta Deal!

And, if you want one-stop shopping for the holidays, be sure to "bookmark" the Artisan Beaders Holiday Guide where all of the ABST shops are listed, linked and highlighted with wonderful pics of some beautiful creations from each shop. It's a great holiday shopping resource to keep in your "internet favorites."

August Afternoons

The August afternoons are quickly slipping away, but that doesn't mean they're not yet to be enjoyed ~ this stretch of warm, sunny weather has been perfect for afternoons on the dock and floating in the pond. Who knows how many more days or weeks I'll have left of such sweetness!? I think the water has been on my mind again as I go to the "designing board"...

~ SETTING SAIL Necklace


~DIVING IN Earrings

English Gardens and Beautiful Sunsets!

Well, proof that beautiful sunsets can happen anywhere! :-)

And...some new pieces inspired by the beautiful artisan lampwork beads of DerondaDesigns which made me think of rich, wonderful English gardens...a matching set if you like! Check out the new listings in the shop.

ENGLISH GARDEN Necklace

ENGLISH GARDEN Bracelet

ENGLISH GARDEN Earrings

Last Day to SAVE!

Today's the FINAL day of the Artisan Beaders' "No Fuel Required" SALE! Members of the team are offering discounts and/or free shipping.

Through MIDNIGHT (EDT) tonight, all items in SignatureSterling, are 20% off (except for custom orders and gift certificates). Simply check out as usual, put "NO FUEL" in "Notes to Seller" and WAIT for a revised invoice before making payment.

You can find ALL of the ABS Team items by searching tags on Etsy using ABSTEAM.

Whatever Happened To?

Remember early this past spring when I was working with Laurie of Glassbead on the etsyBEAD and Creative Glass Guild of Etsy (CGGE) creative collaboration challenge? So, whatever happened to "Spring Reflections," the necklace I created using Laurie's gorgeous lampwork beads? Well, it is available for sale in the HOST (Helping Others Street Team) shop on Etsy - wish I could afford it :-)) but hey, would LOVE to see it go to a "good home" :-)). You can check it out, along with some other wonderful listings at the HOST shop - all proceeds are used to help Etsy sellers in need, a terrific mission.

While you're surfing, be sure to stop by and check out Laurie's shop, Glassbead - beautiful artisan beads - what talent!

"Spring Reflections" CMC Submission

You may recall that a couple of months ago I mentioned a collaboration activity I was going to participate in ~ Creative Minds for Charity ~ artisans from CGGE (Creative Glass Guild of Etsy) and etsyBEAD (one of my groups) partnering to support HOST (Helping Others Street Team of Etsy).

I was so fortunate to be paired with the very talented lampwork artist, Laurie, of Glassbead (Isinglass Design) who donated these beautiful blues for me to work with and the "playing with beads" began...

The finished piece, called "Spring Reflections," is double-strand elegance in blues and creamy white. The artisan lampwork focals by Glassbead are accented with Swarovski pearls in white and Tahitian blue and Swarovski crystals in capri blue, Indian sapphire, and white opal. Sterling silver rounds and spacers throughout add beautiful light-catching highlights.

Beading is done on professional grade stringing wire and all findings, including the toggle closure, are sterling silver. Necklace is approx. 23" in length.

This necklace will soon be available for purchase, along with the other beautiful CMC submissions, in the HOST Etsy shop, with ALL proceeds going toward the mission of HOST ~ as described by one HOST member "Our goal is to give unconditional support to any fellow Estian in their time of need - Support being prayers, thoughts, hugs; a shoulder to cry and lean on; money; sales. We only care about the person, not their race, religion, or nationality... We are a community here of caring hand made artisans who just want to extend a helping hand all year long." (You can read more about HOST on their shop profile page and their blog.)

AND...there's MORE! YOU can also vote for your favorite CMC piece and win a terrific prize - watch for details on the Creative Minds for Charity blog - this will be coming up SOON (I'll be sure to update you here as well!).

Want to see more pics of "Spring Reflections"? Check out all the pics at flickr (CMC Submission Set). And again, many, many thanks to Laurie of Glassbead for sharing her inspirational and beautiful "blues" with me! :-)