Shirt Revamping Contest

Last Updated on Friday, 27 August 2010 06:12 Written by Chainmaille By MBOI Wednesday, 11 August 2010 11:59

Well this is the first forum wide contest we have run and it’s a tough one. The whole idea of this contest was to get our members out of their comfort zone and get their creative juices flowing.

The challenge our artists faced was to take a pre-made shirt of some kind and turn it into something else. They could add any materials they wanted but part of the shirt had to present in the final design.

The winning member will receive two weeks of free advertising on the Handmade Artists’ Forum, HAF Blog, Chainmaille By MBOI, and Makin’ The Best Of it as well as $25.00 cold hard cash to do with whatever they want!

There is also a prize for voting and leaving a comment! At the end of the contest we will choose one person at random who votes and will give them $25.00 to spend on any item they want on The Handmade Artists’ Shop!

So take your time and pick your favorite, you can vote only once per IP address, and don’t forget to leave a comment to be automatically entered to win $25.00 to spend at the HAFshop!

Ecclectic LadyLand

annmadestuff

Reef Botanicals

Calcedonia Design

Deb Thuman

Greenwycke

Crafted Roots

The voting will end 8/26/2010 at midnight, so get your votes in and don’t forget to comment and be automatically entered to win $25.00 to spend at the Handmade Artists’ Shop

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Elle’s Beads – Funky, Eco-Friendly Fashion

Last Updated on Friday, 30 July 2010 07:26 Written by Elle Friday, 30 July 2010 07:26

Hi everyone!  I’m Elle, the creative force behind Elle’s Beads.  By day I’m a public interest paralegal and by night I’m a committed player in the Handmade Movement!  No, it’s not as exciting as if I donned a cape and roamed the streets fighting crime, but it’s an integral part of my life and something I’ve grown to truly love and cherish.

Elle’s Beads was never intended to be a business venture.  I started beading and making jewelry as an outlet for dealing with some of the depression and anxiety I was going through after starting my first “real” job in a new city after college. After a few months of encouragement from family and friends, I decided to open shop on Etsy and I’ve been selling my work ever since.

The designs I make are almost always one of a kind and reflect my personality and eclectic sense of style.  I have a line of LGBT pride jewelry as well as dozens of other funky, colorful pieces.  This year I’ve added lines of metal bookmarks and beaded cell phone charms, perfect even for those who don’t wear much jewelry.  I also make fabric accessories, including brooches, pins, and barrettes.

Environmental responsibility is a big issue for me and so a lot of my work reflects that.  I only use scrap fabrics for my accessories and often incorporate broken vintage jewelry, vintage buttons, and other second-hand embellishments into my work.  I make beaded and resin magnets and often use recycled bottle caps or even creative items like old keys and eyeglass lenses in my creations.  

You can find Elle’s Beads (and me!) all over the web.  I have shops on Handmade Artists Forum, Etsy, Zibbet and my own website.  I have an active Blogger blog, Tumblr blog, YouTube channel, Twitter, and Facebook page.  I’d love it if you stopped by and dropped me a line.  One of the best parts of starting this business is the wonderful friendships I’ve made with other artisans and lovers of handmade!

Until next time,

Elle

Crescent Maille – Chainmaille with Style

Last Updated on Wednesday, 21 July 2010 04:56 Written by MakinTheBestOfIt Wednesday, 21 July 2010 04:56

There is something so slinky and sexy about chainmaille done well and CMaille, also known as Crescent Maille has found that perfect balance.  From the moment she picked up a couple pairs of pliers, she was hooked for the long haul.

CMaille combines high quality sterling silver jumprings into amazing designs that can be taken from a professional outfit to a night on the town.  Necklaces, bracelets, earrings and more…there is definitely something for every taste and budget.

Love the work but the perfect piece isn’t there?  This is a problem…but not for Crescent Maille!  She is willing to work out custom orders and personalized sizing so that your newest chainmaille treasure is sure to be exactly right in style and fit.

No doubt that you will be able to find the perfect piece for a gift, or better yet, a gift for yourself at Crescent Maille!