Starting the Year Off Right: Blog Giveaways!!

I hope everyone had a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season! In 2008, I was the lucky winner of a few blog contests. I never win anything, so imagine my surprise when I won three different blog giveaways!!

Cat is the amazing artist of Darkling Woods who creates fairy tale, fantasy, goddess, and mythology art. She's a fellow member of the Fantasy Artists of Etsy Street Team and I've loved her work since I was introduced to it so long ago. She had a Halloween Contest on her blog to help name a Pumpkin Girl that she was working on. Although I wasn't the grand prize winner, she certainly sent me all manner of Halloween treats and no tricks!

I discovered Ant's Pottery (aka antb) while browsing around Etsy a long time ago and have been drooling over her work ever since. I happened to see a post from her on twitter to check out her blog for her Saturday giveaway. First of all, she's got a great blog, but I also love the way she does her giveaways: this is the post I responded to. I won this adorable little Rock Box: it really does look like a rock on the outside, but you open it up to a sparkling, green glass treasure.

I was introduced to Julie of SewItsForYou, when I was accepted to vend at the Handmade Holiday Bazaar (she was one of the amazing women to organize the show). Her embroidered work is so beautifully detailed and add to that her wonderfully zany sense of humor and you get some really amazing work. To help celebrate her first 20 Etsy sales, she decided to have a contest on her blog. She asked that her readers respond to her post with a link to their most favorite creations and why. She presented me with a gift bag full of all kinds of goodies including some of her embroidered napkins, an eye pillow, and a little purse as well as some crafting supplies: jump rings (I am a mailler and make jewelry!) and an embroidery how to.

I'd like to return the good karma that was bestowed upon me with these wonderful gifts by doing a few giveaways of my own. Look for an announcement soon!!!!

Chainmailler's Guild Street Team on Etsy

I'm very excited that we finally have a street team on Etsy just for us maillers! It's a very talented and supportive group that I'm proud to be a part of.

We have our very first contest open for voting right now, so go check it out! You can vote for your two favorites (ironically, I have two entires in this contest. . . hint, hint) and if you leave your contact info in the comment section, you have the chance to win a prize just for voting. There really are some amazing pieces in the contest. The entries are anonymous, so check back in two weeks to find out who won and which shop (besides the Armoury, of course. . . hint, hint) has your favorite pieces. Click here to vote.

Another exciting happening with the guild is a trunk show this weekend in the Etsy virtual labs. I'm hoping to be able to show not just examples of my work, but also some pictures of how to coil and cut rings by hand. Check out the info below. Can't wait to see you there

Celtic Myth and Legend Contest

The Fantasy Artists of Etsy Street Team's Celtic Myth and Legend Contest is open for voting! You can vote between now and February 28th with the winner being announced on February 29th (leap year!). Unfortunately, I was unable to participate in this contest (so sad!), but I already cast my vote. It was so hard to choose only one favorite among so many absolutely amazing pieces. Just in time for St. Patty's Day, come choose your favorite!

Jennifer from faeryspellcreations is hosting this contest and offering this beautiful doll as the prize:

FAE Contest Voting Is Open!

I'm mentioned this a few times recently, but the FAE (Fantasy Artists of Etsy) Street Team is having a Snowflake Fantasy themed contest. It's official: the polls are up and running. Well, sort of. Some entrants are still adding their items, but mine is up. Which means you can go vote for it! In fact, you can vote once a day everyday between now and Sunday, December 9 at midnight. Hint, hint, hint. . . Vote here.

Even if you don't vote for me (sad) definitely check it out! There are so many amazing artists with beautiful entries and all items in the contest are available for sale in the entrant's shop. You're bound to find something you'll love!

Thanks for voting!!

Busy, Busy, Busy

Lately, I've been a Dice Bag making machine! Who knew there would be such a draw for them on Etsy?! It's quite fantastic, really. I've sold five on Etsy already, am working on a custom order for multiple bags for a fellow Etsian, have had two requests for bags for two other Etsians which I'm in the process of making, as well as a custom job for a Crown Royal size bag for someone outside of Etsy that saw me working on one. Whew! It's awesome! I currently have a Dice Bag disclaimer in my shop announcement, too. Due to the high demand of Dice Bags, there is not one currently listed in my shop. However, if you're interested, please drop me a convo through my shop and I'll give you an estimated time of when one can be ready.

I also just listed the final entry to my Snowflake Collection section in my shop: a Snowflake Ornament.

The Snowflake Collection was inspired by the FAE Street Team contest theme Snowflake Fantasy. My entry into the contest is the Snowflake Necklace.

Contest voting will start soon, so I'm counting on all of you!! I'll be sure to post the link to the voting page as soon as it's available. Thanks!!

FAE Street Team Fairy Contest Entry

I'm so excited that I finally got something done! All of my time for the past month or so has been dedicated to the moving experience: cleaning, repairing, packing boxes, unpacking boxes, you get the idea. Unfortunately, I don't have my office/studio/workshop (weeeeee!) set up yet either. I know it should take a priority, but I might be getting a real jeweler's workbench so I've been putting off setting things up until I know where I want it to go.

In any event, I'm a member of the FAE (Fantasy Artists of Etsy) Street Team and we're having a member contest right now based on fairies. Kathryn of Interior Glass Designs is hosting this contest and offering a prize for the winner. Her work is just gorgeous, so I can't wait to see what she's giving away! Even though she's not entering it herself, she designed a gorgeous fairy, too.

I'm so excited to have been able to participate because it gave me an excuse to play with my pliers again. I designed this Fairy Lariat Necklace:


There is an adorably whimsical flower fairy pendant featured on this necklace. She's sterling silver with a small garnet towards the bottom. She measures 1 1/2" long and 3/4" wide. There are three beads wire wrapped and connecting her to the byzantine chain. These beads represent the flowers she dwells among: the bottom bead is wood for the stems, the middle bead is an emerald green Swarovski crystal for the leaves, and the top bead is garnet for the petals and to match the stone on the pendant.


The byzantine chain is one of the oldest chain maille weaves in existence. All of the jump rings that the chain is comprised of, were coiled, cut, and woven by me. There are approximately 1100 bright aluminum rings in this chain, measuring 36" long (including the fairy pendant).


It can be worn double wrapped around your neck, as a super long necklace, or even as a multi-strand bracelet. She is available for purchase through my Etsy shop.