Let's Congratulate HelmerJewelry, this week's winner!

You voted, and this week you were dazzled by Helmer Jewelry's Silver & Black treasury!

I asked Becky Helmer, shop owner of Helmers Jewelry to tell me more about herself and her etsy shop.

Unlike many Etsyers, Becky was not born crafty. 'My day job is a research scientist. I study a protein that may be involved in fertility and colon cancer. I am married and have 4 cats and a dog. My husband acts with the local community theatre and I run the Box Office. Until I started creating jewelry, I thought he was the only artistic one [in the family].'

'I came across a tutorial on how to make a simple pair of earrings. I had never...tried to create anything before, so one night while my husband was at rehearsal I decided to give it a try. I fell in love with making earrings and my husband encouraged me to sell them. Around that time I discovered Etsy but it wasn't until January of this year that I really did anything with my shop.'

'I make beaded jewelry and mostly use lucite flower beads, different shaped magnesite beads, and Kenyan/African beads that I got when I went to Kenya last Christmas...[I started] with simple earrings [and] have expanded to making necklaces, bracelets, and mostly recently rings.'

'I am inspired by nature and the things around me. I love going to the local bead store and looking at all the shapes, sizes, and colors of beads. Something always catches my eye, then I search for what else will work with it to make a complete piece of jewelry.'

Becky describes her personal style as casual, but she loves brightly coloured jewelry. 'I tend to plan what I wear around a piece of my beaded jewelry.'

In addition to Etsy, Becky sells her jewelry at a local art market.

'I plan to continue to work at promoting and improving my Etsy shop... I am always trying to think of better ways to display my jewelry.'

You can check out Becky's beaded creations at her Etsy shop.

Want to be featured next week? Make sure you play with us on Wednesday when the theme will be 'Whoa, Daddy'. The theme can mean anything to you, so be creative and have fun!

It's Friday, Get Your Vote ON!

We had some simply stunning treasuries this week team! You should be proud!

Who will be crowned champion this week? It's time to vote! Voting will be open until Sunday. The winner will be featured on Monday's Blog!

The four finalists this week are:

Happy Father's Day "U ROCK"! (97 views)

C'est la mer (94 views)

Work, Rest and Play (67 views)

Silver & Black (67 views)

 Vote for this week's treasury challenge winner!!

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  Happy Father's Day "U ROCK"!


• 
  
  C'est la mer


• 
  
  Work, Rest and Play


• 
  
  Silver & Black

view results
Free vote poll

It's Wednesday, Get Your Treasury On!

It's Wednesday! Time for another round of Treasury Challenge. Anyone can play! Challenges last 24 hrs. This week's the theme is totally up to you, but you must include this weeks winner's item in your treasury.  Remember, to be creative with your theme.

Here is a link to the item you must include

Towel Cake -- Golf

Check back Friday to vote. The winner will be featured on The Undiscovered blog on Monday!

The rest of the rules are as follows:

1) One item per shop
2) Spread the love...please don't include an item from your own shop
3) Include at least 8 undiscovered shops (20 sales or less)
4) Include at least 6 members of of Team Undiscovered (we use the tag teamundiscovered). Team members can count as undiscovered shops if they have 20 sales or less.
-The rest of the items are up to you today!
5) Include the tags: teamundiscovered, undiscovered
6) Include 'Team Undiscovered Challenge' somewhere in your treasury title
7) Write in your treasury description that you're participating in the Wednesday Team Undiscovered Treasury Challenge & include a link to our blog:
http://theundiscoveredofetsy.blogspot.com/
8) Post your treasury's URL here to enter your treasury in the challenge!

Let's Congratulate nobakecakes, this week's winner!

You voted, and this week you decided that No Bake Cakes' treasury, Up! soared the highest. To reward Mona, shop owner of No Bake Cakes, we will all feature her item, the Golf Towel Cake. The theme this week is up to you!


Check back Wednesday for rules & to post your link. Next week the winner could be you!

It's Friday, Get Your Vote On!

Your treasuries soared this week for the 'Paper Planes' treasury challenge! Team, you rock!

It's time to vote! Voting will be open until Sunday. The winner will be featured on Monday's Blog!

The four finalists this week are:

wings to fly high! (99 views)

Freedom (95 views)

Fly Me Away (94 views)

Up! (83 views)

 Vote for the 'Paper Planes' treasury challenge winner

• 
  
  wings to fly high!


• 
  
  Freedom


• 
  
  Fly Me Away


• 
  
  Up!

view results
Free vote poll

It's Wednesday, Get Your Treasury On!

It's Wednesday! Time for another round of Treasury Challenge. Anyone can play! Challenges last 24 hrs. This week's theme is 'Paper Planes'. Remember, be creative with the theme it can mean anything to you!

Check back Friday to vote. The winner will be featured on The Undiscovered blog on Monday!

The rest of the rules are as follows:

1) One item per shop
2) Spread the love...please don't include an item from your own shop
3) Include at least 8 undiscovered shops (20 sales or less)
4) Include at least 6 members of of Team Undiscovered (we use the tag teamundiscovered). Team members can count as undiscovered shops if they have 20 sales or less.
-The rest of the items are up to you today!
5) Include the tags: teamundiscovered, undiscovered
6) Include 'Team Undiscovered Challenge' somewhere in your treasury title
7) Write in your treasury description that you're participating in the Wednesday Team Undiscovered Treasury Challenge & include a link to our blog:
http://theundiscoveredofetsy.blogspot.com/
8) Post your treasury's URL here to enter your treasury in the challenge!

Let's All Congratulate CarlasCreativeCorner, this week's winner!

You voted...and this week, you decided that you loved being Outside in the Garden. So let's congratulate Carla of Carla's Creative Corner, this week's treasury challenge winner.

I asked Carla to tell me a bit about herself and her Etsy shop.

'I've been doing art work for nearly as long as I can remember. My mother use to draw pictures for [my siblings and I] (I have four brothers and sisters) and I think that was an inspiration to me. I began drawing profile portraits of lovely ladies for my classmates in the first grade. Using a first grader's favorite medium, crayons, they were very colourful. The kids would put [in] their orders for blonds, brunettes or redheads!'

Nowadays, Carla's medium of choice is watercolour, though she does experiment with coloured pencils. 'I take my camera with me everywhere to capture subjects for painting. Living in California, I am surrounded by beauty. One of the prints featured in my shop is of Burney Falls, a lovely place to visit and find inspiration.'

'I'm kind of casual country...But you know what they say, "Creative minds are rarely tidy", so I guess you'd say I'm casual country clutter! I think my art reflects that. Speaking of clutter, my other shop, Carla's Vintage Finds, was started because of years of collecting and being a pack rat [resulting in] a huge need for downsizing!'

'For over 25 years now I have been showing and selling my art at a local gallery, Gallery and Gifts in the next town over the hill. I also do an occasional arts and craft show. It has always been exciting to sell my work face to face at a show but it's exciting here on Etsy too. When I get a convo from someone who has just received my art in the mail to tell me they "love it", well, it makes my day!...My first Etsy customer said she would love my paintings to "grace her home". I loved that!'

'As [for] plans for the future, I would love to get some of those ideas going around in my head down on paper, watercolor paper.'

Want to be featured next week? Make sure you play with us on Wednesday when the theme will be 'Paper Planes'. The theme can mean anything to you, so be creative and have fun!

It's Friday, Get your vote on then get outside!

We had some amazing treasuries this week! Some fantastic finds that made me want to run and play outside amongst the green grass, flowers, and trees!

You rocked the 'Outside and Loving It' Challenge this week! Give yourselves a huge pat on the back!

I know picking a winner out of these finalists won't be a walk in the park. They're all so fabulous!

It's time to vote! Voting will be open until Sunday. The winner will be featured on Monday's Blog!

The four finalists this week are:

Outside Inspired (223 views)

Springtime in the Rockies (92 views)

Open the Door (92 views)

Outside in the Garden (92 views)

Vote for hte Outside and Loving It! Treasury Challenge

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  Outside Inspired



• 
  
  Springtime in the Rockies



• 
  
  Open the Door



• 
  
  Outside in the Garden

view results
Free vote poll

It's Wednesday! Get your treasury skills on!

It's Wednesday! Time for another round of Treasury Challenge. Anyone can play! Challenges last 24 hrs. This week's theme is 'Outside and Loving It!'. Remember, be creative with the theme it can mean anything to you!

Check back Friday to vote. The winner will be featured on The Undiscovered blog on Monday!

The rest of the rules are as follows:

1) One item per shop
2) Spread the love...please don't include an item from your own shop
3) Include at least 8 undiscovered shops (20 sales or less)
4) Include at least 6 members of of Team Undiscovered (we use the tag teamundiscovered). Team members can count as undiscovered shops if they have 20 sales or less.
-The rest of the items are up to you today!
5) Include the tags: teamundiscovered, undiscovered
6) Include 'Team Undiscovered Challenge' somewhere in your treasury title
7) Write in your treasury description that you're participating in the Wednesday Team Undiscovered Treasury Challenge & include a link to our blog:
http://theundiscoveredofetsy.blogspot.com/
8) Post your treasury's URL here to enter your treasury in the challenge!

Let's Congratulate SoulShineArts, this week's winner!

You voted, and this week's winner is Catherine of SoulShineArt's Check out her winning treasury "Have You The Wing"

We asked Catherine a bit about herself and her shop and this is what she told us...
  I am a stay at home mom with two young and rambunctious boys, ages 1 and 3.  Daily life is a little crazy, but always fun!  Learning to balance my art and motherhood has been quite the ongoing challenge, but lately it’s working really well.  I have spent most of my life drawing in a sketchbook or working on one artistic idea after another.  I just can’t seem to stop the ideas from coming.
       I graduated from the University of Southern Maine in 2006 with my BFA with a concentration in Art Education.  I am a certified K to 12 teacher and I have taught in two different High Schools in Southern Maine, at Portland High School and at Massabesic High School.  I only taught one year at each school, which were both fantastic learning experiences for me and I loved each and every day that I worked.  Unfortunately, my positions were cut at both schools after the one year that I taught due to budget shortfalls.  That is how I got to where I am.  Now, I want to go back to my goal that I started college with, which is to make money selling my artwork!
       I started my Etsy shop last year after a friend told me about it, but I ignored it for a long time.  This past March, I decided that I was really going to focus on it and figure out if it would work for me.  So I started listing and reading about Etsy and all the different teams you can join.  I started doing BNR’s which helped to get my sales up, but now I want to look for other ways of promoting.  I recently started a blog (www.soulshinearts.blogspot.com) and I just signed up on twitter under soulshinearts.  I’ve been on facebook for a while too.

How did you get started creating?
       I feel like I have been creating all my life.  My Dad had a little shop when I was growing up that sold some art supplies, which he always brought home to me.  I always had the best art supplies to use.  I remember going through this very thick Disney History book and drawing whatever characters that I wanted.  I still have a cray pas drawing that I did when I was like 12, of Sher Khan from Robin Hood that’s on 18 x 24 paper!  It hangs in my son’s room now.
       I focused on drawing and painting in high school.  When I went to college I concentrated on photography and found a love of sculpture and late in college found ceramics which is where I have stayed!

What are your favorite materials to work with?
       I work primarily with clay, although I am always trying to think of ways to incorporate other materials and other skills that I have into my ceramics.  I love altering pieces or carving them.  Adding a bit more to my pieces makes them more unique.  I love working with clay.  It’s down to earthy, messy, easy to manipulate and you can recycle it, so it is rarely wasted.

Where is your craft headed right now?
       I am currently working on creating a line of garden items, such as birdbaths, bird feeders and houses, and garden plaques.  I’m hoping to start doing more outdoor sculptures and lanterns also.  I have also been creating unique one of a kind ceramic jewelry pieces.  I have started doing rings (which I should be listing this week) along with my pendants and earrings.
       I have always had a hard time doing the same thing over and over, but now that I’m focused on ceramics, I’m working towards creating different seasonal lines.  I’m hoping by winter to be ahead of the season!

What is your personal style?
       I’m a bit of an earthy spirit.  In my everyday life, I’m kind of a bum!  Haha.  The mix of stay at home and potter do not leave me much room to dress nice!  I like all things natural and organic.  I am a novice organic gardner.  I cannot wait to get my garden going this year.  I already have my starts sprouting and some flower seeds planted.  This year I’m growing my own pumpkin patch and birdhouse gourds which I hope to do something artistic with.

What inspires you?
       Nature.  I like the flow of nature like the gentle curve of a vine or river.  I am trying to create inspiration by planting flowers and gardens around my house.  I live in a lovely wooded neighborhood in a small town in Southern Maine.  Being in Maine is inspiring in itself, with the great wooded area and the beautiful ocean vistas that we have.
       My family are also a huge part of my inspiration.  More for keeping me driven than subject.  I want my children to know how hard I’ve worked and that no matter what happens, I will always keep pushing through to achieve my dream, which is to make a living off what I love to do, my art!

What are your plans for the future?
       I’m only looking at this coming year right now.  I’ve made a huge decision not to apply to any teaching jobs in the next year.  It was a hard decision to make, since there was an opening in my home town, but I put myself through a roller coaster of emotions  every time that I apply for a job and I just need a year off from that.  I would love to continue this life until my kids go to school.  This is the most important time in their lives, so if I can be here for them now and try to start a market for my work, than I will have the best of both worlds!  I will be selling my ceramics through Craft Fairs, Flea Markets (with my vintage things), possibly Farmers Markets and Etsy.  I may try to get my stuff in some stores too.  I have a list of shows that I’m already in on my website.

Where else can you find Catherine? ...click any of the below
Facebook - 
My website - 
Blog - 
Twitter - soulshinearts
Etsy - www.soulshineart.etsy.com
       www.soulshinephotos.etsy.com
       www.vintagewithsoul.etsy.com


Thank you Catherine and congratulations

Would you like to be featured here...well its easy you just need to take part in the Wednesday Treasury Challenge. This weeks Theme is Outside and Loving it. Remember this can mean anything, be creative and have fun

It's Friday, Get your vote on!

We had some royally stunning treasuries this week! Team, you rock!

Who will be crowned champion this week for our 'Princess Bride' themed challenge?

It's time to vote! Voting will be open until Sunday. The winner will be featured on Monday's Blog!

The four finalists this week are:

Have you the wing? (124 views)

Buttercup and Westley forever! (100 views)

And The Bride Wore Black (90 views)

princess bride's hope chest (80 views)

 Vote for the Princess Bride Treasury Challenge

• 
  
  Have you the wing?


• 
  
  Buttercup and Westley forever!


• 
  
  And The Bride Wore Black


• 
  
  princess bride's hope chest

view results
Free vote poll

It's Wednesday Get Your Treasury On!

It's Wednesday! Time for another round of Treasury Challenge. Anyone can play! Challenges last 24 hrs. This week's theme is 'The Princess Bride'. Remember, be creative with the theme it can mean anything to you!

Check back Friday to vote. The winner will be featured on The Undiscovered blog on Monday!

The rest of the rules are as follows:

1) One item per shop
2) Spread the love...please don't include an item from your own shop
3) Include at least 8 undiscovered shops (20 sales or less)
4) Include at least 6 members of of Team Undiscovered (we use the tag teamundiscovered). Team members can count as undiscovered shops if they have 20 sales or less.
-The rest of the items are up to you today!
5) Include the tags: teamundiscovered, undiscovered
6) Include 'Team Undiscovered Challenge' somewhere in your treasury title
7) Write in your treasury description that you're participating in the Wednesday Team Undiscovered Treasury Challenge & include a link to our blog:
http://theundiscoveredofetsy.blogspot.com/
8) Post your treasury's URL here to enter your treasury in the challenge!

Let's Congratulate Janehamill, this week's winner!

You voted, and this week Jane of Janehamill Handmade Lampwork Glass Beads & Jewellery
is the winner! Check out her winning treasury, The Floral Dance (Team Undiscovered Challenge)

I asked Jane about herself and her Etsy shop. What inspires here and her future plans here is what she had to say.

I've always loved making things, right from an early age but when I discovered jewelery making 21 years ago, I was hooked; then when the lamp-working bug hit in 2007, there was no way out! :)

I work in a small workshop at my home in Chorley in the North West of England. I've recently started learning other glass work techniques and hope to extend my range of jewelery to include fused glass. I am completely self-taught. My first career was in I.T. Support but when ill-health forced me to quit work, I returned to my beloved beads and wire and haven't looked back!

Without doubt, my favorite material is glass - I love the way it moves when it's hot, how different glasses react together to make beautiful colors and patterns and the sense of anticipation I have every time I go to my kiln to retrieve the latest batch of glass goodies. It's like opening an oven to a batch of freshly baked cupcakes with the added promise of unexpected results!

It's difficult to pin down what my style is. I like both the bright and colorful as well as the more subtle organic earth tones. However, I have recently developed a glass technique which creates a rainbow tie-dye effect on my beads. I really enjoy making them and they're usually snapped up on Etsy as fast as I can list them! So I think I may have found my signature style... ;)

As with many artists, I am inspired by almost anything! People close to me have learned to read a certain look I get when I see something I could work into my beads and jewelery. I like form and order as much as I like serendipity. I wouldn't like to be pinned down to one or two specific things for inspiration - I would find that far too limiting.

My future plans are quite simple - to allow me to become independent! As I have already mentioned, I had to stop working due to my health (I was diagnosed with ME/CFS in 2001) and since then I have been gradually working myself back to health but I have relied heavily on my husband for everything. I want to be able to earn my own money and regain some if not all of my independence!

I believe my enthusiasm for what I do is reflected in my finished pieces. I derive great satisfaction from not only making my own jewelery with my own beads, but also from seeing my beads used in beautiful pieces of art made by my customers.

You can visit Jane and here shop at  janehamill Handmade Lampwork Glass Beads & Jewellery

This post was posted by TatterBeans.... and Im sorry to say but I have not yet been informed of this weeks theme... so please keep your eyes peeled and I hope to reveal it soon