Welcome New Angels!!

INTRODUCING...The Newest Members of the Etsy Angels Street Team!


You may or may not know about the Etsy Street Team, ♥ Angels ♥.

A little background information:
Our Team was formed after the many hours spent together promoting for Dawn’s Boys; an effort that began in late December 2007 after a Jewelry artist who was on both Etsy and Ebay lost her life in an automobile accident. She left behind two little boys. Several "Angels" came together to help. After spending countless hours promoting donations from more people than we could imagine that wanted to help, many friendships were made. We couldn’t imagine it all ending without creating a Team for Dawn’s Angels. ♥

Our group is a Self-Representing Team of Artisans that create a variety of unique handmade items including Artisan Jewerly, Lampwork Glass and Polymer Clay Beads, Bath and Body Products, Quilts, Knits and Plush, children's clothing and accessories, and Paper Products to name a few.

Our goal and strength as a group is helping others in need. ♥ We select various charities to give our hearts to. ♥ During our Charity Events, we donate portions of the sales of handmade items in our shops to the cause in which we are helping at that time. There's not a better feeling than to know you are helping someone or something in need! Yes, we donate to both our 2-legged friends, and our 4-legged friends!

Over the last couple of months, we've accepted 6 new members. Please take the time to "get to know" our new Angels, and visit their Etsy shops! ♥

1. ♥ Cindy of Bundles of Joy
Bundles of Joy creates high quality, one of a kind, handmade baby gear. A stay at home Mom with a need for a creative outlet, she focuses on creating things that appeal to both parents and children with her sometimes modern, sometimes retro, sometimes playful, always graphically appealing colorful cotton prints and soft plush fabrics. Given to fits of whimsy, she also feature onesies appliquéd with prints of art by young artists and will sometimes throw other things in the mix from my varied interests. Call it artist ADD, and you won't be too far off. The artist gets paid for each onesie sold – part for now, part for college.



2. ♥ Michelle of Silk Creek Gallery

Michelle loves making jewelry. It helps her unwind in the evenings. A friend/coworker took her to a bead show about 3 yrs ago so she could find turquoise beads to make a necklace (she loves turquoise). She has since become a bead addict. Michelle's favorite materials....silver, faceted gem stones, and lampwork. She loves sharing her designs and hopes you'll enjoy them!!!


3. ♥ Sharona of Raisin Like

She's an illustrator, puppeteer, jewelry maker and an enthusiastic craftster in general. She enjoys everything colorful, beautiful and soft and keeps experimenting with new techniques and genres.



4.♥ Sarah of Princess Tiffany's Creations

She has been making and selling bows~n~such for 2 years. She was inspired to start making her own bows when her niece came into this world. Funny thing is that she rips the bows out immediately! She loves working with ribbon and crocheting.


5. ♥ Peggy of Arriving Angels

Peggy has been sewing since she was around 8 years old. She did her first 4-H fair when she was 9. Her Granny taught her how to sew. She went to a quilting club with her mom a few years back and the club was working on a rag quilt for charity and Peggy just loved it. She tried one and was hooked!
She gets her inspiration from a variety of things. She finds herself getting up when she can't sleep to sew, she loves to sew for babies, so they definitely inspire her! And her son, it's a place for her to go to work, to keep her mind busy and to talk to her son! Peggy's granddaughters come to her house and if she's sewing, they love to be there with her. Her oldest granddaughter opens the door to her sewing room and says..."I just love the smell of this room". *Smile* She is the only person on her husband's side of the family that sews or for that matter crafts, so anything handmade is much appreciated and loved! She loves creating for all of them! She does, however, miss sitting with her Granny and sewing!




6. ♥ Elaine of Brynn Alex

Elaine's Shop, Brynn Alex, was created in remembrance of her beautiful daughter Brynn, Dec/94 to Jan/07. Brynn was always designing, crafting, drawing, painting, writing! Elaine is working to preserve the memory of her gorgeous Brynnie. Everything is crafted in loving memory of Brynn. The proceeds go to her bursary fund, so that someone may go to fashion design school or an arts program in her name.
http://www.beheartstrings.com
Thank you! As Brynn said - Always follow your dreams!

*~SALE~* *~SALE~* *~SALE~*

Perfect time to accessorize your spring/summer wardrobe...buy gifts for upcoming birthdays...shop early for Christmas!!!!!

VISIT MY ETSY SHOP: Chloe Boutique

¤´¨) ¸.·´¸.·*´¨) ¸.·*¨) (¸.·´ (¸.·`¤~ PRE-SUMMER SALE!!

Now through June 20th, enjoy 15% off my entire shop! Please put "SUMMER" in the comments to seller when completing your purchase. I'll follow up with a revised invoice! *Also, if your purchase is over $50, it ships on me!

Hurry, you have till June 20th to take advantage of this great sale!

Lots of earrings, necklaces, bracelets; GEMSTONES, PEARLS, LAMPWORK GLASS

Come on over! You don't want to miss this sale!

From the heart of the Smokies, I bring you...

Merkaba Jewelry

A wife, mother and jewelry artisan, Jennifer of Merkaba Jewelry grew up in New England where she became the nature lover she is today. She says her inspiration is all around her. I believe it since she now lives in the Smokey Mountains of western North Carolina!

Jennifer uses only the finest materials when creating her gorgeous jewelry. She uses quality gemstones, freshwater pearls, artisan lampwork glass beads, polymer clay beads, sterling silver, and Swarovski crystals.
Jennifer also makes the most amazing scarves and scarflettes. She uses Lion Brand Homespun Yarn; super soft and snuggly! I am a proud owner of a few Merkaba pieces, including earrings and a fabulous scarflette.

I believe I first "saw" her in the many treasuries she was featured in on Etsy. I then got to know Jennifer from the Dawn's Boys Charity in late December 2007. We are now team-members of the Etsy Angels Street Team and I am happy to consider her one of my friends.

If you make your own jewelry, well Jennifer can help you there too. She opened up her Bead and Supply Shop- Merkaba Beads on Etsy at the end of January 2008. She's doing exceptional there as well!

Here are just a few pieces Jennifer has made; most are available in her Etsy Shop!

One Week Till Mother's Day. Are YOU Ready?

We'll be celebrating our Mother's, Grandmother's Aunts, Sisters, etc. one week from today!

I bet you did not know this little tidbit about Mother's Day...I did :)

Jarvis' "Mother's Day"

In 1907, Mother's Day was first celebrated in a small, private way by Anna Jarvis in Grafton, West Virginia, to commemorate the anniversary of her mother's death two years earlier on May 9, 1905. Jarvis's mother, named Ann Jarvis, had been active in Mother's Day campaigns for peace and worker's safety and health since end of American Civil War. The younger Jarvis launched a quest to get wider recognition of Mother's Day. The celebration organized by Jarvis on May 10, 1908 involved 407 children with their mothers at the Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton (this church is now the International Mother's Day Shrine). Grafton is, thus, the place recognized as the birthplace of Mother's Day.

The subsequent campaign to recognize Mother's Day was financed by Philadelphia clothing merchant John Wanamaker. As the custom of Mother's Day spread, the emphasis shifted from the pacifism and reform movements to a general appreciation of mothers. The first official recognition of the holiday was by West Virginia in 1910. A proclamation designating the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day was signed by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson on May 14, 1914

How did I know this information you might be asking? I grew up in Fairmont, WV, about 20 minutes from Grafton! I've visited Anna Jarvis' home/Museum and the International Mother's Day Shrine. Visit my Blog again around Father's Day for more information!!


I've included a picture of what my Fabulous Mother is getting for Mother's Day!
Large freshwater peacock pearls are hand-knotted with gray silk. Matching earrings include two peacock pearls that are carefully handwrapped in sterling silver.

The Natural Beauty and Phenomena of...

This past weekend, my husband and I went camping at Lake Ouachita State Park in southwestern Arkansas. It was a much needed break from the ole daily grind! The weather was perfect; cool, breezy and sunny; for the most part. We got to our camp site on Friday afternoon. It was a little tough getting our tent set up in the windy conditions we were faced with. At one point I thought our tent was going to take us up into the sky like a parachute! We managed to get our tent set up, with rain cover, just in the nick of time as it started to rain. The Park Ranger then advised us campers to "secure our belongings and seek shelter in either our cars or the shower house". Great. We decided to drive around the park instead of sitting in the parking lot. I think we got lucky as we only got a light shower. The worst of the storm (oh did I forget to mention the tornado warnings?) went just south of us. whheeww!!! We were able to get back in time for me to cook chicken fajitas on the grill.

Hubby got a nice little campfire going after dinner. We couldn't help but sit there in silence and watch the flames dancing amongst the red oak logs in the fire pit.

Sitting in front of a campfire; you are transfixed on the bouncing flames. What is it about fire that has us memorized? Is it the array of vibrant reds, oranges and yellows? Or is it the way the fire seems to dance in rhythm with the surrounding air movement? Maybe it is the powerful heat that is associated with the fire. Whatever the reason, we all can admit to being drawn to the natural beauty and phenomena of fire.

From Wikipedia:
Fire is the heat and light energy released during a chemical reaction, in particular a combustion reaction. Depending on the substances alight, and any impurities within, the color of the flame and the fire intensity might vary.

Below is a collage of photos that I took of our campfire. I love the 3 distinctive colors in the "wavelength" of the fire in the first photo. The second photo was a magical dance of flames. The third photo was interesting as the flames seemed to be transected by the logs.




Though I didn't get a photo, we enjoyed our ooey and gooey smores we made. Delicious!

The rest of the weekend was wonderful. On Saturday morning we ventured on a 4 mile hike through a mountainous terrain. The dogwoods and azaleas were in full bloom. Christmas and Maiden Hair ferns were lush and green with an occasional fiddle head here and there. Rocks were covered with velvety soft moss and lichen. The trails meandered around the eastern shore of Lake Ouachita.

While on our morning hike, we were serenaded by the dawn chorus of songbirds including Red-eyed Vireos, Northern Cardinals, Tufted Titmice, Carolina Chickadees, Summer Tanagers, Pine Warblers, Black and White Warblers, Dark-eyed Juncos, Carolina Wrens, Yellow-throated Vireos, House Wrens, American Redstarts, and Tennessee Warblers.

After finishing our hike, we went back to our campsite and had lunch before taking a small tour of the lake in the boat. The water was so rough and choppy. Glad we didn't plan on water skiing or wakeboarding. Also glad I'm still chicken to even try it! I can snow ski, but not sure about water skiing. I think it would hurt much worse falling on water going 30 miles an hour versus falling in fresh soft snow!

Saturday night we went for pizza at some place that was highly recommended to us. It was fair. Nothing to write about, that's for sure! We walked around historic Hot Springs and window shopped. One day I want to try out these hot springs baths and spa treatments!!!

We packed up Sunday morning and drove back home. Chloe definitely missed us and was glad we were home!!!
A great weekend that my Hubby and I both needed. I don't know if I can get back into the swing of things, even if after only 3 days of "vacation"!!


Pictures below are of Lake Ouachita and the surrounding Ouachita Mountains.