Customer Appreciation Day

Did you know that it is your comments and feedback that boosts my days?  It is.  So in honor of my most recent customers and your lovely comments on purchases from my Etsy shop, please check out their blogs, Etsy shops and designs!

Gunilla Bäck's gbkoru blog and Etsy shop.  Gunilla lives in Finland and currently has four sets of my beads making their way across the Atlantic Ocean to her.  :)  She made these pieces using my beads, although I don't see them in her Etsy shop.  Beautiful, yes?

Kat has several pieces that use my beads in her Jewels by Kat Etsy shop, like this bracelet she has on sale.  

Keirsten's Cerebral Diletante blog and Lune Designs Etsy shop.  She highlights one of my egg beads in this necklace. 

KJ's Silver Parrot blog and Etsy shop.  I'm not seeing any of her pieces in her shop using my beads, but don't let that stop you from visiting!

Lorelei's blog and Etsy shop.  She has this bracelet currently listed on SALE using nothing but my lampwork beads and her wire wrapping with a little pewter charm.

Marsha Neal has countless sets of my beads, but I think she may still be hoarding them as I haven't seen any pics shared of her jewelry designs.  I know she has a newborn and is also chasing her toddler around, but I'm still leaning towards the hoarding excuse.  Either way, you can check out her blog and Etsy shop.

Tari's Pearl & Pebble's blog and Etsy shop.  She has this bracelet currently listed and uses my lentil beads in her design.  Love how she matched up all the colors!

Happy Valentine's Day to you, if you choose to celebrate it.  I've got a date with my Owen boy tonight that I am looking forward to with our one-on-one time together.  Todd is supposed to take Chloe on a date to a father/daughter dance that should be fun.

I hope everyone has an excellent weekend!

Jewelry Designers

It's been awhile since I featured other artists on here, but I don't want to get away from doing that. Here are some very talented jewelry designers whose work I love. I also love the fact that they use my beads :D

Lorelei is my most regular bead customer and she challenges me to make new bead designs or color combinations to fit into her jewelry design ideas. She pushes me to be a better lampworker, photographer, blogger and shop owner. Out of this business relationship has grown a friendship that I treasure. I can't imagine not chatting with Lorelei every day. She makes the days go by faster and much more enjoyably!

Cassie is another one of my customers, but first she was a friend and coworker at the phone company. To her, I owe starting up my Etsy shop to sell my beads. Without Cas, my beads would probably not have traveled all the way to Australia, Canada or the United Kingdom. Who knew a little internet site like Etsy would expand my bead horizons to other continents? We have been each other's sounding boards for shop and jewelry ideas, but what I enjoy most is our (not-frequent-enough) dinners, beadshow shopping days evenings sharing wine and making jewelry together. She is slowly rebuilding her Metallo Bianco shop on Etsy since putting most of her jewelry on display at a local day spa, so there aren't any current pieces using my beads. But that's ok. You should check out her rings. They are the absolute best!

Kat is another one of my loyal customers, buying up gobs of my beads on an almost monthly basis. Only over this last year did she open up Jewels by Kat on Etsy to sell her jewelry to the public. Previously, she sold only to the attorneys in the office where she works, but all of her pieces would sell out within hours. Can you imagine how great that must feel?

And for the last bit of eye candy, check out Sarah Skeen's Etsy shop for her jewelry, but also her wonderful Tie Bags! Sarah has a great eye for matching up earthy colors and catching extraordinary moments with her camera. I owe her so much for her unending willingness to share her knowledge on photography and editing experience. Sarah is also another wonderful friend in my daily life whom I can not imagine not talking to or sharing Scrabble boards. She also introduced me through Facebook to another wonderful human being named Tabitha who lives very close to me.

Thank you to all of these wonderful women for being my friend, making me laugh and putting my beads to good use. Hugs to all of you.

Now the rest of you out there in blogland, go check out these great Etsy shops and find something special for yourself to wear before Thanksgiving. Treat yourself.

I give you permission. You can tell your husband I said so ;)