New Line of Jewelry Available Online!

I just opened up my new jewelry shop on Etsy- Azure Seas. To my surprise, I was featured in a treasury this morning! Not only is that so awesome, I'm just shocked my jewelry wasn't buried, as I'd expected, so someone was able to find it for their treasury! Here's the treasury and some of my new things.

Circuit Sale!

Click below to read more about cuff links and to purchase them at 10-20% off my usual price! Use password "summer" to access the deal!

Circuit Cuff Links

$25.00

If cuff links aren't your thing, take 15% off your entire purchase at my shop by entering summer in the message to seller. I'll honor the discount by refunding it through Paypal.

Where I've been...

I promise I have not fallen off the edge of the earth! Things have been really busy so the blog needs a little dusting :)

As referenced to in the previous post, I organized an indie craft show with a friend. It was a huge success! More info can be found on the facebook page and blog, but here's a visual recap of the event.

In other news, I'll be a homeowner soon! It's an awesome old house with all of the original hardwood floors. In the coming months, I'll be sharing photos of the improvements and projects that we do!

RNEST Giveaway

I'm providing one of my pendants valued up to $17.50 for my local team, The Rochester NY Etsy Street Team. There a bunch of ways to enter. The following is copied directly from the RNEST blog.

Wednesday Wellspring: Beadwork by Amanda
The well is bubbling over with the excitement of being able to bring you what you requested: a giveaway from Beadwork by Amanda!!

Amanda is giving away any pendant in her shop, valued up to $17.50 - yes, indeed, that includes several gorgeous circuit pendants that you were all so interested in! And here's a little more information about how Amanda creates these upcycled works of art:

Recycled circuit boards are hand cut and ground into a variety of shapes. The boards rest in bezel cups and are covered in clear resin. These circuit pendants also work excellent as key chains.

Now, in addition to being an artisan of amazing beadwork and upcycled creations, Amanda is also planning and hosting a new, indie arts and crafts show: MayDay! Underground. Located right in the heart of downtown Rochester on May Day (May 1st), this show promises to be a feast for the eyes, ears, and soul with lots of beautiful and unique crafts and works of art, plus live bands! Check out the site and apply to be a vendor if you're a local artist or grab a coupon and plan to attend if you're in the area!

Now, for the giveaway rules (This giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY)(Go to the RNEST blog to enter. Entries here don't count):

MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Go to Beadwork By Amanda, heart the shop, and then leave a comment here telling me your favorite item.

MANDATORY ENTRY #2: Become a follower of this blog and leave a comment letting me know- or if you are already, leave a comment saying you're a loyal follower (for this, go to the RNEST blog, since entries here don't count).

BONUS ENTRIES (leave a separate comment for each):
1. Follow the Beadwork by Amanda blog.

2. Follow Beadwork by Amanda on Twitter.

3. Become a fan of MayDay! Underground on Facebook.

4. Follow MayDay! Underground on Twitter.

5. Tweet and blog about this giveaway and leave a comment here with the link.

6. Bonus entry for Rochesterians: Add the MayDay! Underground badge to your blog or print and hang a flier at your place of work.

The winner will be chosen using the random number generator on Tuesday, March 16 and will be announced in the next Wednesday Wellspring.

Etsy Beadweavers Challenge

This month's challenge theme is the ocean. For my entry, I was planning on emulating waves using Swarovski rivolis and delicas. I got the blues going in the piece, but it looks a bit more floral than I was intending.

Visit the Etsy Beadweavers Blog to vote for your favorite between the 9th and 15th of February to see all the beautiful entries for this challenge and vote for your favorite.

Snow + Rainbows

The other day, it took me about an hour to get home, when the commute is usually just 20 minutes. The culprit? A lovely burst of lake-effect snow that started an hour before rush hour. The news stations all went crazy delivering stories from the locals. Some said it was a complete white-out in places. See, it really wasn't that bad, but our several week streak of decent weather and highs almost reaching 50 had people thinking winter was over in the middle of January. Haha!

So, I bring you excellent cheerful-rainbow-y-goodness to bust those winter blues! Even if your winter low is 65, you can still enjoy these awesome Etsy finds!

Here's an awesome gadget cozy from The Rainbow Room. It's handmade using felt, and can be custom made to fit your device.


If you'd rather wear a rainbow, Clara has made these cute rainbow brooches with wool felt.


Here are some amazing handmade glass beads. The first is called "Fire Waves."


Michael makes these beads using a variety of Moretti/Effetre, Lauscha and Uroboros glass. Here's another titled "Rainbow Swirls."



There you go! Hopefully these will take your eyes away from the weather man (or not) who is telling me it will be 13 today. :)

Etsy Twitter Team Treasury

I've been lucky enought to have been featured in a beautiful blue themed treasury with other Etsy Twitter Team members. Give it some love :)

Homecoming Event!

This comes right from the Etsy Twitter Blog! Check out the great recipes and awesome sales!

Fall air as crisp as a freshly picked apple, blue skies, the boom blat of the band, and of course, legions of fans all awaiting the big game- what could be more fun in the fall than Homecoming?

For our friends in other parts of the world, a little information on Homecoming is probably in order!

Homecoming is an annual tradition in the United States. The Universities of Missouri is often given the credit for establishing this tradition as far back as 1891, and it has evolved ever since.

People, towns, high schools and colleges come together, usually in late September or early October, to welcome back former residents and alumni. It is usually built around a central event, such as a banquet, and a game of American football or, occasionally basketball. Activities vary widely among schools, but usually consist of a football game played on the school's football field, activities and dances for students and alumni, and the coronation of a Homecoming Queen and King.

So come join us on the gridiron for a little tailgating party with drinks and great food, then dance the night away with specials and goodies designed to finish Homecoming in style.

For those who like their drinks with a little style, this Tailgate Mimosa is just the ticket:

Prep Time: 1 minute
Ingredients:·

• 1 oz Orange Juice
• 3 oz Champagne
• 1 oz Chambord Liqueur
• * If you are at a tailgate, just eyeball it!*

Preparation:
Pour Chambord and Orange Juice into a tall flute. Add Champange. Add a rasberry or strawberry for garnish and enjoy!!!

and for an awesome tailgate appetizer, this dip will have your guests preferring food to football ;)

GUINNESS AND CHEDDAR DIP

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 2 ounces Guinness stout
• 6 ounces grated sharp Cheddar
• 2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• Assorted crackers and crudités

Preparation

In a small skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add shallot and sauté until soft, 3 minutes. Add garlic; cook for 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a food processor and let cool.Add Guinness, cheeses, caraway and paprika to food processor and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Place in a serving bowl, cover and chill for at least 4 hours. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with crackers and crudités.

Serves 8


Everyone can wrap up warmly for the game and still look good with these:


Jaybird Designs
15% off all custom orders, 10/8 - 10/11 with code "Go Team" in message to seller at checkout.


But there's more to Homecoming than good food and football! There's a dance to prepare for, and a chilly night to think about as you party with friends after winning (hopefully!) the game. Ditch your varsity jackets at the door, and wrap yourself up in elegant hand-knits so soft you'll want to keep them on all night long.

Foxy G Knits

HandmadebySandi

Mindy G Jewelry Boutique
Free Matching Pair of Pink Swarovski earrings the purchase of this bracelet. Use "Homecoming" in message to seller at checkout.

My Sassy Glass

Smutopia Jewelry

Southpaw Studios

Funky, cool and casual? Then guitar string bracelets, chunky natural stones or carefree flip flops may strike just the right note:

Pretty Cheap Jewelry

Free Journal with any purchase of $25 or more. All journals are handbound, hardback and perfect for notes, phone numbers, and appointments! Just ask for it when you check out.

HandmadebySandi

Show off your natural goddess away from the gridiron with these feminine pieces, from Linda B 142 Jewelry

Or, for those who love their jewelry "green" as well as truly unique, try an upcycled circuit board pendant that will get you compliments long after the dance is over:

Beadwork By Amanda

Get 5$ off any $20 order (not including shipping ). Use HOMECOMING in msg to seller at checkout. Discount refunded via Paypal.

And creating a special scrapbook of the day's festivities is a perfect way to remember it:

Scrap With Style

20% off on everything in the shop 10/8 - 10/11 with coupon code HOMECOMING in msg to seller. Shipping fees not included. Refund made via Paypal after purchase.

More to come tomorrow, with great main dish recipes, some Homecoming trivia and more fabulous finds from the Etsy Twitter Team, so be sure and check back!

Kristen

Life in General

I have been so busy! I'm a full time student, taking my last quarter of classes before graduating in November with a bachelors in chemistry. I'm also working at Xerox on a research project, and I'm working for my research adviser at school, plus I'm running my Etsy shop and doing craft shows! I'm signed up to do craft shows for the next 4 weekends in a row. Crazy! I know :)

I just brought my plants inside the other day for fear that I would forget to bring them in before a frost. To my surprise, one of them was flowering! Any guesses as to what plant it is?



A bug was also the source of my amusement. He was just sitting on a stop sign post.


The Etsy Twitter Team will be having a homecoming event October 8-11. I'll be running a special deal so if you want in on the sweet sale, check out the BLOG.

School Supplies

As mentioned in a previous blog post, I promised to use 10% of my sales during the Etsy Twitter Team back to school sale to purchase school supplies to donate. Although the sale is not yet over, I've purchased many of the supplies already. I followed a lot of the ads to make sure I could get the most supplies for the money. I purchased 2 backpacks, a scientific calculator, and bunches of protractors, rulers, pencils, pens, paper, folders, binders, highlighters, notebooks, and erasers. I also purchased a bunch of supplies for the artsy kids including crayons, colored pencils, markers, scissors, glue, and sharpies. I was rocking the free after rebate deals, the penny deals, the nickel deals, and the plain ol' freebie deals! I still have a little bit more that I have to purchase, but what I do have covers my entire dining room table!

Busy Bee!

I've finally made enough pendants to fill my shop to normal capacity again! Here's a cool collage of all the goodies that are now available (or soon to be available) in my shop! Notice I've added some cuff links to the mix so your geeky guy can get his geek on!

Oh, and don't forget to get them now while they are 15% off (use code "back to school" at checkout)!

Back to School Blitz!

The Etsy Twitter Team is having a Back to School Blitz! I am offering 15% off my items. When you check out, write "back to school" in the message to seller box. Pay as usual. When I receive your order, I will send a refund for 15% of your purchase. I'll also be keeping track of my sales for the 2 weeks so that 10% of that can be used to buy school supplies for children in need. I've already begun to collect school supplies to donate to Staples by filling an entire box! I mean, a whole box! I've gotten over 50 folders, packs of filler paper, 66 zillion pens (yes, zillion :P), 6 protractors, a really cool scientific calculator (I love rebates!), crayons, glue, scissors, and colored pencils for the artsy kids, and a lot of notebooks. I've made it kind of a challenge for myself to see how much I can get with a small budget by following the sales. Check back on September 8 to see all of the goodies I will be donating! Also take a look at the Etsy Twitter Blog to see what other sales are going on as part of this event!

I'll be returning to school September 7 too (Yes,I'll be at school on labor day)! It will be my last quarter (10 weeks + finals week) before I graduate with a bachelors in chemistry! Soon, I'll be looking around at colleges to apply to for graduate school. Sometime during the back to school event, I'll be putting together a post for the Etsy Twitter team about applying to college and what to expect in college. Keep an eye out if you are a teen or a parent because I'll have the honest look at all of that (I'm not being paid by a college, lol) as well as helpful advice about anything I can think of that will help nervous teens and parents.

Etsy is Awesome!

I had Beth of BPR Designs make a custom soap dish for me. The package arrived today and it was awesome! The soap dish is absolutely beautiful (and didn't sit without soap for long).

The package came with a really cute glass dragonfly magnet. Can you tell I love lime green?


Even more goodies were tucked inside with samples of soap from Lost River Rags and Candle Lights. You should check both shops out!