Some of My Favorite Things ~ and a Giveaway Winner

So sorry I am late on announcing the giveaway winner for the Ribbon Bezel from Artbeads.  Anyhow- its Cindy Wimmer of Sweet Bead Studio!  I had each person share their jewelry making pet peeve, and hers was, "One of my wire pet peeves?? Using too wimpy of a wire gauge for clasps! Sometimes you can tell just by looking that a clasp could be easily pulled apart, or that it is just too light looking for a design. "

I just found out that she actually has a tutorial on Lori Andersons blog about making clasps!  So if you don't want a wimpy clasp, check it out!  Not only are they strong, but pretty too!

(Since there were only three entries, I put your names on papers and drew from that.) 
Congrats Cindy!

And, since I am still making sea glass jewelry (I must be boring you all to tears) here are some amazing things made by some very talented folks on etsy!  Enjoy!!!

(click on the photo's to go to the listing, and the name takes you to their bio page on etsy)

This ring by ArtigianoJewelBox on etsy caught my eye, and I love it.  The only kind of bugs I really like are the metal kind you can wear.

Look Up by SylviaCPhotography is just a bright and inspiring piece!  The bright colors and the perspective make feel humble and awestruck at the beauty of nature every time I look at it.

When I saw Melinda Orr post this bracelet, I told her its like a party. I love the colors and textures all coming together to make this wonderful and unique bracelet!

Ok- I had to add some sea glass.  I love the imperfection of these pieces.  The little bubbles and the muted greens are so very organic....I just may buy them yet!  They are from HeSellsSeaGlass. He is based in the UK, and I just love the UK sea glass.  See, with all those glass factories that used to be based there, they would throw their slag glass, sometimes still molten, into the sea at the end of the day.  They created the most awesome, rounded baubles, with bubbles and sometimes sand and stones caught in them.  So, the most imperfect ones, have the most history locked inside, and I just love that about them.

It was hard for me to pick just one bead from Mamacitabeadworks.  I love her organic feel and of course, the look of metal in that organic form.  This is a firefly pendant.

Druzys in grey.  Two of my loves in one.  Aren't these great????  I can just picture them bezeled next to some sea glass in a bracelet.  Does anyone else get super inspired (aka wanting to go broke shopping) when browsing etsy???  You can find these in http://www.etsy.com/people/loveofjewelry?ref=pr_profile shop.

I have been REALLY into circles lately.  Spirals and circles, you will see them again and again in my designs.  I love the simple textures of this piecs, the circles that are just a little askew, and of course, the coral....since I am such a beach comber!  I love jaimejo's work- she uses a lot of found objects, and makes them new again!

I just bought a bunch of these in silver and bronzeish copperish.  They are so organic in shape, perfect fit with my sea glass nuggets!  They are ceramic beads by a company called Mykono's Beads, who sell them wholesale.  But, if you don't want to spend $150 until you know if you like them, you can get them here at Linden Avenue Designs on etsy in smaller batches.  They actually use ceramic and then coat them in copper and then fine silver.  Such a nice, natural alternative to sterling silver right now.

No words for how wonderful these are.  Like little sea creatures or something.  From Malodora on etsy.I find something of hers that I love each week.

I haven't seen a handbag this organic in a while.  Beautiful.  Just beautiful.

Check out her shop, TreadLightGear  lots of shoes too~ I very much want to try their boots.  An artsy womens dream!

I am so thankful for the new etsy circles.  Most of these things were found through my fellow circle buddies making them favorites.  What a great idea.  Etsy is really making a lot of changes for the better these days!  Exciting stuff!