What on earth is a Fizzy Bath Bar?

Last Updated on Tuesday, 9 March 2010 04:46 Written by ReefBotanicals Tuesday, 9 March 2010 04:46

Well, at Reef Botanicals, they’re just like bath bombs you see from other suppliers, only we like to think they’re prettier because of the way we mold them.

Romance: scented like roses, made pink with raspberry, and luxurious with cocoa butter!

They work exactly the same, though, and to illustrate that, we’ve created a video to show you how they’re used!

The video: Fizzy Bath Bars (Bath Bombs)

It’s funny, because I hadn’t thought that they might be confusing… which is odd, considering the fact that before I made these, I’d never used one! Now I adore them!

Serenity: scented with lavender and rosemary.

Although they can look similar, these aren’t soap.  They’re used purely for the luxury of it.  The essential oils in them are released as the bars dissolve and fizz, and the scents fill your bathroom.  I tend to stay in the bath until the water is cold and I’m all pruney, but I don’t want to lose a minute of use out of them!

Awaken: scented with sweet orange, lemongrass, and eucalyptus

Check out Reef Botanicals to buy them and other handcrafted bath items, or read more at the Reef Botanicals Blog.  As with all of Reef Botanicals’ products, these bath bars are made from all natural ingredients, never synthetics.

Even the Romance bath bar is colored using dehydrated raspberry rather than synthetic color.  The creamy color of the Serenity bar comes from Yellow Kaolin Clay, a luxury used in spas.  And the green specks in the Awaken bars are sea kelp, also found in spas around the world.

Handmade Artists Forum Etsy Street Team Sale!!

Last Updated on Wednesday, 3 March 2010 10:53 Written by zurdesigns Thursday, 25 February 2010 08:11

We have exciting news!! Selected members of our Handmade Artists Forum Etsy Street Team are coming together to have a sale!  Some will be offering Free Shipping, others will be taking a percentage off their items and all will be showing you their fabulous handmade designs just in time for spring!!  The sale starts Monday, March 1st and goes through Monday, March 15th!!

Take a look at what these wonderful handmade artisans are offering:

Ambient Girl Designs–specializes in custom cards, invitations, gift tags and much more! For the HAF Sale Ambient Girl Designs will offer FREE SHIPPING on all items in her shop! Stop by and see all the wonderful things this shop has to offer!

Dreambubbles–featuring unique jewelry designs using beads and chainmaille. In the artist’s own words: “Recently I started debuting my original one of a kind (OOAK) handmade spiders. They are presently stealing the show from my chainmaille and crystal/pearl jewelry creations.”  For the HAF Sale, Dreambubbles is offering 10% off all items in her shop and up to $5.00 in Free Shipping!! Have a look at these wonderful designs today!!

Jewelry by NaLa–unique, handmade jewelry featuring sterling silver, Czech glass, Crystallized Swarovski Elements, semiprecious stones, freshwater pearls and other fine jewelry materials.  For the HAF Sale Jewelry by Nala will be offering FREE US SHIPPING off selected items in her shop!! Stop by and visit  Nala’s beautiful shop today!!

Lisianblue–featuring wonderful stained glass objects, ornaments, and chimes! In the artist’s own words: “have been a fan of stained glass for many years and truly enjoy making stained glass items. There seems to be something about glass that just draws me to it – maybe it’s the shine, the way it captures the light and even the shadows.”  For the HAF Sale, Lisianblue will be offering 10% off all items in her shop!! Stop by for a visit, relax, put your feet up and browse!  You’ll be glad you did!

My Grandpa’s Pen–featuring handmade cards, albums, and supplies.  In the artist’s own words: “For as long as I can remember my Grandpa would give me a pen at Christmas. I think this helped inspire my love of all things crafty and artistic. As I create my works I find myself using, among other things, stamp sets from when I was a child, paper that I can’t stop collecting and of course, my Grandpa’s pen.”  For the HAF Sale, My Grandpa’s Pen is offering 20% off all items.  Refund will be through PayPal!! Stop by and browse through this delightful shop…and SAVE!!

Penny Farrow Designs–beautiful handmade leather and accessories designed by Penny herself.  In the artist’s own words: “My goal for the design and construction of my products is to be consistent and fresh and original. I take inspiration from every aspect of my life: a distillation of roads traveled, places visited and people who have inspired me.”  For the HAF Sale Penny Farrow Designs will be taking 10%–20% off selected items in her shop!! Take a look at these wonderful handbags, purses, journal covers, and more!!

Pleasant Peasantry–a husband and wife team who experiment with their designs and try to put a unique twist on ceramics and macrame. All  items are sold the way you see them. However, they LOVE taking requests! Convo them with your ideas!  For the HAF Sale Pleasant Peasantry will be taking 10% off all macrame items, and 20% off all ceramics! Be sure to stop by this wonderful shop!!

Rachel Elliott Glassworks–All the item listed here are handmade by Rachel in her studio in Scotland!  She uses a variety of different glass techniques to create unique designs and custom orders are always welcome.  For the HAF Sale, she is offering 28% off all her beads, to celebrate her 28th birthday on March 15th!!! Rachel Elliott Glassworks is a must see shop!!  Stop by today!

Speranza Jewelry–Lisa, the owner of Speranza Jewelry, is a firm believer that jewelry is both art and self-expression disguised as a fashion accessory.  The goal of Speranza is to create quality, affordable jewelry in gemstones and metal, utilizing the various techniques of stringing, metal fusing, and wire wrapping.  For the HAF Sale Speranza Jewelry will offer 10% off all items in her shop!! This wonderful shop needs to be on your list to visit today!

T. Rusk 4 U–featuring handcrafted jewelry for every woman! This shop has handcrafted and affordable jewelry made by T. Rusk…4 U! For the HAF Sale T.Rusk4U will be offering FREE SHIPPING and a gift with every purchase!! Stop by this lovely shop and take advantage of the savings!

Twas Brillig–a wonderland of unique hand-crafted jewelry, handmade bags and totes, original artwork and unusual gifts for you to cherish or share.  For the HAF Sale Twas Brillig will be offering 10% off all items in their shop!! Stop by soon…there’s always something new happening there!

Zur Designs–handcrafted jewelry made from high quality materials such as sterling silver, semi precious gemstones, swarovski crystals, and pearls.  Designs are inspired by life, love, and the beauty of the Berkshire Mountains that surround her.  For the HAF Team Sale, Zur Designs will be featuring 10% off all items in her shop! Take a peek at Zur Designs…you’ll be glad you did!

Click on the links to learn more about the Handmade Artists Forum (HAF) or the HAF Etsy Street Team! Have fun shopping at all these wonderful shops!!  Remember, the sale starts March 1st and goes through March 15th!!

Choosing quality

Last Updated on Saturday, 13 February 2010 08:32 Written by dreamriverdesigns Saturday, 13 February 2010 06:40

Sometimes you just have the perfect piece of jewelry in your head and there’s no way you can find it on the retail market. Bringing your dream jewelry into the world is no easy task and choosing the right designer to do it should be thought out very carefully, particularly when you are considering a high-end piece.

Your number one goal when you begin your search should be to locate professional designers whose work reflects your style. The easiest form of custom design is to find something very close to your idea and have it modified, but even when you’re having something made from scratch, knowing they share your tastes is a big step in developing a piece of jewelry you will treasure forever. Jewelry is a personal experience and the time and effort that goes into it means that you will always associate it with the person who created it. Avoid bad situations and don’t risk hating the piece, by choosing someone whose work you admire and whose personality you are comfortable with.

Ask for referrals from friends, do a search for custom jewelry online, read testimonials and create a list of candidates. Choose a designer with lots of experience in custom work – they’ll have a better time understanding your requests, will be less likely to take on projects above their skill level, and will be able to make suggestions about your design without fear of losing a customer. Listen to their ideas and give honest feedback; never say yes because you’re confused or assume they know what you want better than you do, but be aware that they may have experience with the way your intended design will look or feel that you may not realize.

If you’re creating your custom design with a jeweler over the internet your designer should have clear pictures on their website or blog. There’s no use having them make a necklace if you can’t tell from the picture what it actually looks like. No one likes receiving a new necklace in the mail only to find it looks nothing like the website. If something is unclear, ask for alternative views or further descriptions of the mockups.

Once you’ve found the right person there are plenty of things you can do to make the process go smoothly. Be up front about your budget, the date you need the piece by, and any other expectations or concerns. A designer can’t put you at ease if you don’t ask questions, and it’s hard on everyone when your jewelry designer creates a predesign that’s way outside your budget simply because you didn’t voice it. Discussing your budget early will also give your jeweler an opportunity to tell you whether it’s a realistic goal for the work. If you’ve done your homework about the designer you’ll be able to tell the difference between honest feedback and upselling techniques. Unless you have set an absolute maximum to your budget there will likely be unforseen costs at the end of the process – materials may change from the original plan, the design may take longer than initially estimated, and don’t forget extras like tax and shipping.

Don’t be surprised if the designer asks for a design deposit. Many jewelers will do it for free but if your design is going to be complicated or take lots of hours to create they may want to ensure that you’re serious about buying. Make sure you ask them about their policies in case you change your mind, want to move the design in a new direction, or simply don’t like what you’re sent at the end of the process.

Knowing what to expect and choosing the right designer will make the end piece all the better.With the right approach and lots of research, having custom jewelry created can be a rewarding experience and leave you with a one-of-a-kind treasure you will be proud to wear.

Elena Adams

Article courtesy of Elena Adams at http://www.elena-adams.com/

Elena Adams is a jewelry designer based in the Bay Area. With nearly
a decade of experience, she offers a range of handmade, sterling
silver jewelry at www.elena-adams.com. She is passionate about
updating the look of classical chain maille for the refined woman, and
teaches jewelry technique and photography classes around San
Francisco.

Art of Lapidary.

Last Updated on Saturday, 23 January 2010 05:33 Written by dreamriverdesigns Saturday, 23 January 2010 05:23

WHAT IS LAPIDARY?
The word lapidary is derived from the lapis or stone and means “of or pertaining to stones” or “one who cuts and polishes Stones”. Not all stones are worthy of cutting and polishing and although all can be cut by one method or another the lapidary is concerned only with those stones that are capable of being polished.
Essentially the lapidary process is one of shaping the material with a coarse grinding wheel or disc; then regrinding to obtain a smoother surface until a glossy surface is obtained. The polishing operation is done with various mineral oxides. Some compounds work well on one kind of stone while other compounds work on other kinds of stones. Tumbling is lapidary treatment given to irregularly shaped stones by a mechanical process of continuous agitation or “tumbling” of the stones with a series of coarse to fine grits usually with water and culminating with the polishing of the baroque shapes. Tumble stones are inexpensive and are used in simple jewelry, as “feely” stones and for making novelty items such as key chains and “critters”.
Among the many other types of treatment given gem materials the beginner usually learns first how to cut and polish a cabochon. The cabochon or for short “the cab” is a gem with a flat back, rounded or domed top. It can be round, square, rectangular, or oval in outline. Colored, opaque or patterned stone or stones displaying some interesting phenomena are usually cut as cabs. Jade, petrified wood, agate, and opal are examples of stones that are usually cut “en cabochon”.
Transparent colored or colorless gems are most frequently faceted. This is characterized by a number of flat polished surfaces arranged in such a way that the stone reflects light which enters the stone through the polished surfaces, back to the viewer in hundreds of sparkles. The reflections may be colored as in a colored stone, white as in a clear stone, or in many hues as in a diamond or rutile. The rainbow colors are caused by light being broken up into its component colors within the stone.

I thank Taogem  http://gemstone.smfforfree4.com  for the use of this article.

Defining handcrafted

Last Updated on Saturday, 23 January 2010 09:54 Written by dreamriverdesigns Thursday, 21 January 2010 09:37

What is handcrafted?

Handcrafted as defined by wictionary: English[edit] Adjective handcrafted (not comparable)
Made by hand or using the hands, as opposed to by mass production or using machinery. Why is that important? It’s important to realize the time, skill and effort that goes into handcrafted items. No two are ever alike even when they may look similar. The artist’s mindset always plays a role in the final piece as does the reaction of the medium they are working with at the time. What is Art? Art is the process or product of deliberately arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions. It encompasses a diverse range of human activities. It is the deliberate arrangment that makes a handcrafted item Art. An artist goal is to appeal to the senses and create emotions and memories with a piece.

One other note, I have noticed that many sites are advertising items as handmade, please read the details carefully as I have found that many items are actuallly mass produced or using mass produced items and are being sold as handcrafted. I find it helpful to read the artist bio/profile as it may give details to the originality and origin of the piece.  The Handmade Artist Shop screens sellers to insure that all pieces are indeed handcrafted, created by the artisan seller and are truly “one of a kind’ (OOAK)