Shaped By Hand

LA Glass - 2000 Pennies Giveaway!!

noreply@blogger.com (ShapedByHand) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:47:00 +0000

In celebration of reaching 2,000 fans on her fan page, LA Glass is having a wonderful give away! I must tell you, I have purchased from Lidia and her work is stunning! She uses a vast variety of glass not only in color but in texture and aesthetic which add to her beautiful designs. Her Etsy shop has a great selection of unique stained glass earrings, business card holders, sun catchers and more. She is also on Artifre. Stop by her blog and find out how you can enter her giveaway, trust me, you will be thrilled if you win!!

"Growth" Mini Glass Drops Earrings

Healthy Chicken Pizza

noreply@blogger.com (ShapedByHand) — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 13:24:00 +0000

Ingredients:

1 Chicken cutlet seasoned as you desire

1 Whole wheat tortilla

1/2 Cup shredded low fat mozzerella

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

Dash of red pepper flakes

1/2 Vine ripe tomato, diced into large chunks

Directions:

1. Season and cook the chicken cutlet on medium high heat in a tbsp. of olive oil. Once cooked remove from heat and cool for 2 minutes.

2. Cut chicken into strips 1/4 think and 2" long.

3. Sprinkle the cheese on the whole wheat tortilla, drizzle the remaining tbsp. olive oil, sprinkle the seasoning and red pepper flakes and place the chicken strips on top.

4. Heat oven to 350 degrees and place the pizza in the oven for approximately 10-15 minutes. Once the cheese is melted, I set the oven to broil just to brown the cheese. You can do this if you also like your cheese a little burned.

4. Once pulled out of the oven, place the diced tomato on the pizza. This keeps the tomato fresh and adds a coolness to the warmth of the pizza.

5. Slice and enjoy!

Tree Jewelry Display Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (ShapedByHand) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 03:56:00 +0000

I have been busy working on custom orders and getting prepared for upcoming markets that I haven't made time to blog at all! I hate slacking! Well enough of my self pitty ;) Here is a quick tutorial on a simple tree display that is really fun to make. You can let your imagination run with you on this display.

Materials:

About 15 ft. 14 gauge, silver aluminum craft wire (or whatever color you prefer)

Upholstery staples

A 10"x8" piece of pine or scrap block of wood

Matte finish spray paint (I used back because of the contrast with silver)

A pencil

Wire cutters

1. Spray paint your block of wood so that it may dry while you are creating. You don't even have to spray paint it if you prefer to have the natural wood shine through.

2. Start by cutting equal length sections of the 15 ft. wire. I cut my sections at about a yard each. Take these pieces, hold them tightly together about 6 inches above one end because the excess will act as "roots" for the base. Begin to twist the wires together so that you are forming a vine like wrap. Wrap the wire up about 10". This will be the tree trunk.

3. For the roots, form little paddle feet at the tips by using a little wire wrapping.

4. For the branches, have fun! I curled, twisted, coil wrapped some sections around a pencil and finished each branch with a little loop. Keep in mind that you may want to hang earrings from the branches so some loops close together would work great!

5. Now that your roots an branches are figured out, shape the trunk as you desire.

6. Now take the dried piece of wood and place the roots accordingly so that the tree won't tilt to one side more than the other, etc.

7. Take your upholstery staples and with a hammer, tap them slightly to start so they set in then bang away!

Done and done!

I loved making this tree. I am a nature lover and wire wrapping is my joy. I got to let go and didn't have to think about nicking the wire! Again, you can totally change this tree up so many ways! Be creative and have fun!

Necklace and Earring Display tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (ShapedByHand) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 03:13:00 +0000

I will be doing my first craft/vendors market on Saturday and I am working with a budget. I generally like to do things myself if I know the design process is simple and can be completed with minimal investment. One of the things I am making is a necklace and earring display from foam board. I am also making a bracelet display and small earring displays. This tutorial is a simple step by step on how to make the necklace/earring display with a few materials and depending on what you already have, only $10.00.

Materials:

11x17 office paper (or a large piece of newspaper)

20x30 foam board (black or white) 1/4" thick

Heavy duty double sided mounting tape

Pencil

Scissors

X-acto knife

Ruler

Hole punch

Metal jump rings

1. Fold the office paper (or newspaper) in half, draw and cut out your pattern. The design needs to be similar to the one below but you must scale it to the size you prefer. The top (neck) width of my pattern is 7" (and tapers down) the length of the neck is 6". The length of the front base is 1", the base itself is 2" inches tall by 4" inches across/wide. The back support is 6" long and the top flap which is what holds everything together is 4" across.

2. Place the pattern on the edge of the poster board and trace around it. I was able to make 5 displays by placing them as close as possible to each other.

3. Once traced, begin to cut into the poster board along the outline but don't worry about cutting completely through. You may want to work on a workshop table or something you aren't worried about damaging. Once cut, hold the poster board up and proceed to slice through it. It will be easier then trying to cut completely through the first time.

4. Measure 1" in from both edges and mark with pencil. This will be the notch for the necklace. Measure 2" in from the necklace notches and mark with pencil. This will be for the earring holes.

5. Using your ruler, place it along the area that needs to be folded and fold. This helps because the thickness of the poster board is difficult to man handle without a guide. Keep in mind the top flap needs to be folded in the opposite (outward) direction from the base folds.

6. Manually hold the display together and determine where the flap needs to be taped then trace the edges.

7. Place the double sided tape on the flap then using the traced outlines as a guide, adhere it to the opposite side.

8. Using the X-acto knife, cut out two small notches where you placed the lines in step 4 then using a hole punch, punch two holes where you placed the indicator lines leaving a top edge.

9. Place the metal jump rings in the earring holes.

AND, done!

*Note: You may need to weight the displays down by placing a flat and sqaured heavy piece of metal or pottery on the inside of the base to avoid any tipping or falling from wind.

A Morning at the Park

noreply@blogger.com (ShapedByHand) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 13:09:00 +0000

I had a wonderful trip to the park yesterday morning! I had to make sure I was up early and ready to go because here in Florida it gets to 90° by 11 am and your begging for a swim in the ocean by noon. So an hour or so drive to the state park, my roomy and friend, our cameras and the explorative spirit and I was ready for some great pics and new memories.

First I had to make my way down to the river and make my way to a rock I noticed from the path so I could show off, lol.

Then we began down the path and I had to enjoy this barefooted. I always think of who might have walked in a place before me, hundreds of years ago, even thousands. To think of how the landscape of earth has changed and how a patch of land that I now walk upon might have been hundreds of miles to the north, south, east, or west before.

As we walked, we noticed the river was clearer than it usually this time of year and there were so many bottom feeders indulging in excessive amounts of algae and plant life on the rocks below. Birds flitting about in the tree tops, lizards and snakes scurrying down and away from the path as we walked by, spider webs ALL OVER the place. Amazing how those suckers weave a single thread of silken web in a matter of minutes to get from one side to the other! Then we got to the suspended bridge. Here I was reminded of something my mother used to tell me. She used to tell me that as you get older, you find that you are more fearful of certain things. When we are little and even as teenagers, we don't think of consequences and the possibility of getting hurt when we climb a tree of jump from one rock landing to another, but when you get older, you gain knowledge and knowledge provides you with wisdom, if you'll allow it, and wisdom gives your foresight. These are necessary and blessed abilities, however they didn't help me climb onto this tree! So, I just stayed put with my feet on the bridge and a little stretching along the branch.

I was happy to climb a more welcoming tree down the path however.

As we finished our hike, I came across such wonderful creations and beautiful pictures.

My favorite of all, as we left the park, the path leading out has a sign that states "Take nothing but memories and leave nothing but footprints." This statement would make our lives easier and more productive if we would heed to it when we consider how we treat this planet. Because it isn't "our" planet, we didn't create it, what right do we have to damage it?

Finally, as we left I noticed this thing floating on the air like a torn piece of paper. It was weightless in flight and I realized it was a large moth. So gorgeous and angelic. It finally landed and stayed as I took this shot, my favorite photo of the day by far!

Music "On" My Ears matching necklace

noreply@blogger.com (ShapedByHand) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:34:00 +0000

I wanted to share the matching necklace. I'm so happy with this set!

Music "on" my ears - Earring Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (ShapedByHand) — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 03:52:00 +0000

Music is a loved source of inspiration for me next to nature. This is a short tutorial on how to make these unique and lovely earrings for the music lover in your life!

Materials:

Matte finish Mod Podge

Glossy Accents clear, dimensional embellishment or Diamond Glaze

Two nickle sized rounds cut from sheet music

Small, soft bristle paint brush

(2) 5 inch pieces of 16 gauge sterling silver wire

Anvil or jewelry block

Stainless steel jewelry hammer

(2) 16 gauge sterling silver jump rings

(2) sterling silver french ear wires or post ear findings (whatever you prefer)

First, take your rounds of sheet music and coat one side with Mod Podge. Allow to dry, then apply a coat to the other side of each round. Allow to dry.

Take your 5 inch piece of sterling silver 16 gauge wire and form a loop at the top end.

Round the bottom end using a large marker as a guide. Leave a tail which you will wrap softly around the body of the wire. Leave a bit of the tail unwrapped. Now grab your hammer and anvil (or block) and hammer out the rounded portion of the wire and the bit of unwrapped tail. You may need to sand the tail end with a Dremel as burs will likely form from hammering. Using a pair of nylon coated flat nose pliers, shape the hammered remaining piece of wire around the body of the earring wire.

Take the dried sheet music rounds and begin to apply the Glossy Accents or Diamond glaze according to the directions. Avoid air bubbles as much as possible. If air bubbles occur, I use the soft bristle paint brush to smooth them out and it also helps spread the glaze evenly.

Now take the coated sheet music rounds and apply them to the back of the rounded and hammered portion of the wire. Use additional gloss/glaze to coat the sterling silver wire and create a seal between the wire and paper. Smooth out any air bubbles and allow to dry for approximately 60 minutes.

Once dry, insert the jump ring into the top loop and apply the ear wire. Voila!

Belated Recipe Friday: Caesar Vinaigrette

noreply@blogger.com (ShapedByHand) — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 03:11:00 +0000

This is a simple salad dressing mixture that I learned from a friend of my mothers when I was a kid. I use this dressing on a bowl of leafy romaine with homemade garlic bread croutons. I make this dressing very "garlicy", if you prefer less garlic please reduce the amount of garlic to your taste as my recipe packs a garlic punch!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup aged balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Zest of half a lemon

5 large cloves freshly minced garlic

1 Tbsp. Anchovy Paste

2 Tbsp. Bleu Cheese

1 Tsp. Salt

Mix all the ingredients with a whisk or fork. The zest of a lemon can be substituted with ready lemon juice. Anchovy paste is used in place of actual anchovy from the can as I have a friend who doesn't care for the bits of anchovy to be visible in the dressing. If you choose to use a can of anchovy, drain the oil and paste the anchovy slightly with a fork.

Winner!!! "One Year Older - Birthday Giveaway!"

noreply@blogger.com (ShapedByHand) — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 13:58:00 +0000

And the winner is.......

Mewes Mountain Arts!

Congratulations and thank you to all the participants who followed, tweeted, hearted and commented during the giveaway! I truly appreciated it!

Recipe Friday: Spicy Pineapple Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (ShapedByHand) — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 22:28:00 +0000

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 large boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 tsp. olive oil

1 can pineapple tidbits (drain juice from tidbits, reserve juice)

1/2 a large red bell pepper diced

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

1 tsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Cook chicken over medium heat.

2. Once fully cooked, add the red bell pepper and saute over medium low for 10 minutes.

3. Add the pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar and pepper flakes and allow to boil over medium heat for 5 minutes.

4. Add the pineapple tidbits and cook on low heat for an additional 2 minutes.

Serve with fried rice or jasmine rice.

One Year Older - Birthday Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (ShapedByHand) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 15:49:00 +0000

Isn't it funny how in each society different ages hold different meaning and landmarks for us. As a teenager turning thirteen is a big deal because in your mind you are no longer a "child". At sixteen you are definitely cooler than you were at the coveted thirteen. At eighteen you have the legal right to do whatever you wish with no need for parental consent or approval. The oh so popular twenty one where alcohol flows forth endlessly and "freedom" is a consolidated word phrase for "it just loosens me up and makes everything easy?" Then it starts to get serious around twenty five. You are either happy with the path you have chosen and are embarking on ever more present responsibilities and goals with the tools and wisdom you have gained, or you are slightly freaking out because you still have no direction and you wonder if you are the only one stuck in time with no defined rhyme or reason as to why you are doing whatever it is you are doing. Yeah, the later would be me, and here is where I insert the customary "LOL." But, at twenty five I was NOT "laughing out loud", more like SOL, and I no I don't mean "*!&# out of luck"! More like "sobbing out loud." I look at that moment now and I laugh. My parents and wiser friends consoled me and made me realize that while society provides us with predetermined lines of what success and accomplishment are, only I can measure what my success is.

Now I can't comment on thirty (steadily approaching) or forty, fifty or sixty. But I look forward to reaching those "landmarks" with ease and the unwavering confidence that no matter what happens, as long as I have faith, patience, love and understanding, they will be greater than the landmark that came before!

So, after your patience during that rambling, I would like to reward you with a giveaway. From today until June 9th at midnight I am holding a Birthday Giveaway! For this giveaway the winner will receive a pair of my Hammered Hearts SS earrings and, AND, a $10.00 gift certificate to be used in my shop Shaped By Hand!

To enter:

Mandatory entry:
Visit Shaped By Hand on Etsy and leave a comment here telling me your favorite item. Please include your email address in your comment so that I can contact you if you win!

Additional entries (please leave a separate comment for each). Current followers are eligible!

1 entry: Follow my blog publicly and leave a comment here letting me know.

1 entry: Heart my Etsy shop and leave a comment here with your Etsy username.

1 entry: Become a fan of Shaped By Hand on Facebook and leave a comment here with your Facebook name.

1 entry: Blog about this giveaway and leave a link here.

1 entry: Follow Shaped By Hand on twitter and leave a comment here with your twitter username.

1 entry: Tweet about this giveaway and leave a link here. You can tweet once per day and each tweet will count as another entry. Feel free to use this tweet or something similar:

RT @shapedbyhand Win earrings & a $10 GC! #giveaway ends 6/9/10 #jewelry #etsy http://shapedbyhand.blogspot.com/

1 entry: Feature Shaped By Hand on your blog and leave a link here.

5 entries: Purchase an item from my shop and leave 5 comments here. Please include your Etsy user name.

The Giveaway will end midnight on June 9th. The winner will be chosen on June 10th using random.org and his/her name will be posted here and on my Facebook page at 5pm EST. The winner will have 48 hours from the time I post his/her name to claim their prize. If the winner does not claim their prize and attempts to contact them are not responded to, a new winner will be drawn on the 49th hour.

Shipping will not be charged for the individual who wins this Giveaway!

Please, make sure each of your entries has a separate comment!

Thank you again and good luck!!!!

Recipe Friday: Lime Meltaways!

noreply@blogger.com (ShapedByHand) — Fri, 28 May 2010 03:48:00 +0000

Makes approximately 10 dozen

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup confectioner's sugar

2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice

Lime zest of two limes

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1. With an electric mixer, cream the butter and about 1/3 of the confectioner's sugar until fluffy.

2. Add the lime juice, zest, and vanilla extract and beat until fluffy again.

3. In a seperate bowl, whisk the flour and cornstarch together then add to the butter mixture. Beat on low speed until combined.

4. Seperate the dough in equal halves and roll out into a large piece of parchment paper until you have two 1 inch diameter logs. Chill logs for an hour.

5. Heat oven to 350. Remove parchment paper from logs and slice into 1/8 inch thick rounds. Place cookies on baking sheet about 1/2 inch apart.

6. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until almost golden brown. Allow cookies to cool 10 minutes but you still want them slightly warm. Place the remaining confectioners sugar in a plastic bag and toss about 4-6 cookies at a time in the bag until they are coated in sugar.

Store the cookies in an air tight bag or other container. You can freeze any remaining dough. These go really great with masala chai tea or an herbal green tea! Do you have any ideas as to a substitute for lime? Maybe something that isn't even a fruit juice but would maintain the consistency of these melt in your mouth cookies!

"Num, num, num, COOKIES!"

"The Fierceness of Female"

noreply@blogger.com (ShapedByHand) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:57:00 +0000

For this blog post I wanted to share a portion of one of my favorite Anne Sexton poems:

The Fierceness of Female

I am spinning,

I am spinning on the lips,

they remove my shadow,

my phantom from my past,

they invented a timetable of tongues,

that take up all my attention.

Wherein there is no room.

No bed.

The clock does not tick

except where it vibrates my 4000 pulses,

and where all was absent,

all is two,

touching like a choir of butterflies,

and like the ocean,

pushing toward land

and receding

and pushing

with a need that gallops

all over my skin,

yelling at the reefs.

I was having a conversation with a friend a few months ago that has burned itself in my brain. This conversation had to do with my constant need to change, find something new to learn, do, hear, see, and so on. Mind you, my friend is very much my opposite and we often discuss our differences in conversations filled with laughter and a bit of loving criticism. It seems my creative mind cannot accept practical consistency although it very much exist in my friend and my friend cannot seem to grasp the concept of never wanting to stand still.

Its hard to describe the yearning that eats at you when you want so much to have a million abilities to do more than daily life allows for you to do. So this poem describes it for me. Anne Sexton's book of poems called "45 Mercy Street" has many sexual overtones and one could pull that from this poem but you have to look further. The fierceness of a woman, to me, is the epitome of this yearning. The fierceness a woman possesses knows no bounds, it reaches constantly, never satisfied.

So I urge you, never be satisfied. Always reach, stretch, leap for and to whatever is calling to you.

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Happy New Year!!!

noreply@blogger.com (ShapedByHand) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:42:00 +0000

My new year resolutions:

1. Spend more time with my family.
2. Keep high expectations of others!
3. Run a minimum of 10 miles at least two days a week.
4. Get out more.
5. Walk with my head up and not staring at the ground.
6. Start drawing again.
7. Start writing again.
8. Learn to block the negative and absorb the positive.
9. Take Yoga in an actual class!
10. Get my merchant license
11. Take it one day at a time. Not like I can go through two at once! :)

I have a ton more, but these mean the most to me. I hope everyone has a great New Year celebration and an even better new year! Peace Out \/

The creative spirit

noreply@blogger.com (ShapedByHand) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 05:06:00 +0000

I have been so busy at my day job lately that my creative spirit has dwindled. Sometimes I'll be in the passenger seat of our vehicle looking out the window while my boyfriend is driving thinking to myself "what are you doing?" I know the reality is that the bills have to be paid and if I want to have this car, the house, and the ability to buy materials then I have to drag myself to a less than fulfilling job five days a week. So that leads me to wonder to myself, "when does it end?" When is it enough? What are we all willing to sacrifice in order to have what society has formed as the "normal" life?

These everyday sacrifices are just that, sacrifices. I loose myself a little every time I walk into the office and sit at my desk in my tiny cubicle. I become a form of person who drones about like a lemming. So some might and do think, "your lucky you have a job, so get over it!" But think about that, lucky? In what sense? Am I lucky that I bring home a paycheck? Am I lucky that I have health benefits? Am I lucky that I have a 401k that will barely get me by when I do retire? If you consider that lucky than I don't think you realize what life really is.

We slave everyday, in many fashions, to hold on to a life where we have no freedom. Yes I appreciate that I make money in order to have a home, food in the fridge, and gas money to visit my mother and father; but I, we, create this life where there is a need to have a "job" in order to "pay" for these "things". WHY? Why do we do this to ourselves? We can change what has so many of us stressed, tense, angry, and saddened. We can change, by sacrificing what is truly worthless. The things that we pay for are costing us our lives not our livelihood!

Gift Certificates: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

noreply@blogger.com (ShapedByHand) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 20:46:00 +0000

So I thought about offering Gift Certificates in my Etsy shop but after reading threads and articles in The Storque I decided it may not be a good idea.

First there is the concern of whether or not you are following all laws regarding Gift Certificates in your state. I only have so much mental capacity and I don't think I could retain whatever book of laws there is on Gift Certificates. Second is the issue there seems to be with Etsy getting paid double for (1) the redemption of the Gift Certificate and (2) the sale of the item(s).
You have instances where the recipient may want to purchase one item for less than the value of the Gift Certificate and while it may be easy to adjust the listing price, now you have to create a "credit" for that individual to use the remaining amount. To much keeping track of to many redemption codes etc.
If you set up a Gift Certificate to instruct the purchaser to e-mail you with their selection. You can remove the listing(s) and send them an invoice via PayPal but now you are sacrificing possible feedback.
Some states do not allow an expiration date or expiration period on Gift Certificates.
Some states may or may not allow an annual fee which would allow you to charge x amount per year that it is not used thereby reducing the value of the Gift Certificate. Again, to much information to log and keep up with and state specific laws to abide by.
One Etsian commented: "They're actually an accounting nightmare, too. You show the cash as income for tax purposes, but the gift cert is a liability that just hangs around forever and ever .... or until it's redeemed. And since in my state they never expire, I have some liabilities on my biz books that will never die. (outstanding for eight years now, I don't think I'll ever hear from the holders.)

On the other hand I have read good stories regarding Gift Certificates and I do believe they are good marketing.

If you have ever received a Gift Certificate you well know that you end up spending more than it is worth because you figure that item that would have cost you $30.00 now cost you $15.00 so why not spend the $15.00 you "saved" and get more items?
Return business to a newly exposed customer.
In providing Gift Certificates during the holiday and gift seasons you may increase your usual profit margin thanks to shoppers who aren't familiar with a persons specific taste.

In looking at the pros and cons, I feel that the costs far out way the benefits. But I would love any comments, stories, or suggestions you may have. Do you think it is worth it, or not, to offer a Gift Certificate through Etsy or even Artfire?

New found friends

noreply@blogger.com (ShapedByHand) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 04:01:00 +0000

I had the pleasure of meeting a fellow Etsian today. I have tweeted with this fellow jewelry designer for months and she recently purchased two pieces from our Etsy shop. We don't live far from each other so I thought I would suggest personally delivering the pieces. We met at a local bead store (surprised? lol) and she was as lovely as her Etsy shop www.ChickadeeLane.etsy.com She is also a freelance graphic designer.

The bead store is one she has visited numerous times, however this was my first visit. I fell in love with this store! A great selection and the cleanest and most organized of any I have seen! One of the greatest features of this store are the classes they offer. Metalsmithing, dichroic glass, bead crocheting, and so much more! My boyfriend and I hope to take the metalsmithing very soon!

Meeting this wonderful Etsian has made me appreciate even more the wonderful community that Etsy provides. How we share knowledge with each other, promote each other, and gain inspiration from one another is something you don't find just anywhere.

I have gained some wonderful friends through Etsy and through these friendships I have learned so much! I appreciate all of you and our Etsy community!

Let it Snow!

Featured Fellow Etsian - TheSpiritedFairy

noreply@blogger.com (ShapedByHand) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 06:05:00 +0000

The hippie in me really loves this shop! I found it using the search term "amber" and I found the lovely "Amber Sunset" candles.

TheSpiritedFairy is a whimsical Etsy shop full of spiritedly torch painted candles and beautiful spirit art.

TheSpiritedFairy is an Eco-friendly Etsy shop. The handmade candles are made from a 100% vegetable base which means they are biodegradable and clean burning. The later is especially important because studies show that paraffin (a petroleum by-product) candles release toxic chemicals into the air we breathe when burned. The candles in this wonderful shop are made with a range of colors making them a perfect gift and a perfect item for your holiday centerpiece. Another favorite are the spirit ornaments.

TheSpiritedFairy is having a holiday special on candles from 11/27-11/30 marking them down 15% from $8.00 a pair to $6.80 a pair. Only $6.80 a pair! That is a great deal .

All of the beautiful items in TheSpiritedFairy's shop are inspired by an apparent love for nature and uniqueness. I just love these candles!

TheSpiritedFairy Stats:
Etsy community member since October of 2009
12 sales
30 items for sale
27 shop hearts (I'm one : )

BLACK FRIDAY SALES!!

noreply@blogger.com (ShapedByHand) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 06:50:00 +0000

Spread the word. 50% off and FREE shipping in our Etsy shop and Artfire studio. Check out our shops for details.

We are also providing free gift wrapping in our Etsy shop. Just send us a convo after your purchase and we will randomly select attractive gift wrap for your item.

Busy Beading Bee

noreply@blogger.com (ShapedByHand) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 05:44:00 +0000

I have been busy these past few days and I am enjoying it! It is so nice to have a break from the everyday routine and from the lemming lifestyle. One thing I have found is that given enough time, creativity can flourish and blossom naturally resulting in "true to self "pieces. I can create and I am not doing it with the mindset that I should create x amount of pieces in the few hours after work and during the limited amount of hours in the weekend.

These past few days have inspired me to continue striving for the goal of owning my own business. I can't say that I know how it feels to enjoy or love what I do. Every job that I have had has been just that, a "job". Its time for a change and I won't give up until I can say, with joy and conviction, that "this is what I love and I wouldn't do anything else!"

So here are some pics of my activities the past few days : )

Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Some bead shopping

The beginning work of a new polymer clay addiction

New take on earrings

Links and loops of beads

And more to come. I hope to take much needed pictures of my work tomorrow as today was quite overcast and wet. Need to prepare for our "Black Friday" sales.

Buy 1 Get 1 50% OFF!

noreply@blogger.com (ShapedByHand) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 23:48:00 +0000

This weekend, 11/21 through 11/22, buy one item in our Etsy shop and get the second item 50% off! The 50% off value of the second item will be refunded via paypal after purchase.

When will it end!?

noreply@blogger.com (ShapedByHand) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:16:00 +0000

I am quick to make anyone I talk to aware of the fact that I am not an individual who stays completely abreast of political goings on. I am also by no means the type of person who holds engrossing conversations pertaining to taxes, cost of living, this law or that law. That being said, I have to express what I, as an average working class individual, feel about a story that our local news station covered regarding high unemployment in Florida and how it has depleted the unemployment compensation trust fund.

Florida is by no means the only state to suffer from large unemployment rates and I'm sure the light at the end of the tunnel is farther away than we would like it to be in any state. But I cannot seem to see any logical justification for Florida effectively raising unemployment compensation taxes by as much as twelve times what business owners already pay in order to replenish the unemployment trust fund. Why is the solution always to pull from the pockets of the people working hard to survive in a unstable economy.

The truth behind this tax increase is that the business owners who are going to be paying this exorbitant tax will have to make unsavory decisions in order to stay afloat. These decisions will range from increasing the costs of whatever services they provide which will result in less business (not like a lot of business is going around these days to begin with!), pay cuts or a reduction of hours for the employees they staff resulting in less money being put into the economy because people just can't afford to buy that car or the house they need for their growing family, and of course MORE LAYOFFS which will only increase the unemployment rate in turn raising the amount coming out of the fund this tax increase is supposed to be replenishing! Its a constant and ridiculous cycle.

I am not devoid of common sense and I realize that their is a process of checks and balances and that certain laws exist to create that balance. But when will it end?! When will the monetary sacrifice not be forced upon the citizens. I don't care who you vote for or if your vote at all, its all the same "if you elect me to be your President, Governor, Mayor, foreseer of all wisdom. I will blah blah blah and so on." Its over, our faith is shattered and your words only convey that you know we aren't idiots and that you choose to ignore the problem because you don't have a solution or your not willing to make the monetary sacrifice yourself.

So there is my rant for the day. Like I said, I am no political guru nor do I claim to be. But what I am is a part of the working class who is affected by every decision that our government makes and the taxes I pay out off my paycheck, for my house and hopefully someday in my own business ( I must be crazy right!) gives me the right to voice my opinion. P.S. the title of this post is a link to the story regarding the tax increase.

Two more days and a taste of the good life.

noreply@blogger.com (ShapedByHand) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:55:00 +0000

I am über excited about having next week off from my lacluster "job"! I have so many ideas for new pieces I want to create and new found interests in polymer clay, resin, and knitting. In planning for that highly anticipated week I bought a lot of polymer clay during a BOGO sale, and some findings for jewelry pieces. I was hoping to purchase some knitting needles and yarn but I had no clue where to start. What needles to buy, what gauge yarn! Needless to say that endeavor will have to wait.

So I have spent the last week compiling notes, pictures, making to do list and things of that sort so that there is a bit of order in my obsessive compulsive world. I have to rank what is most important to me to accomplish during that week or I will do everything half way and never finish it. At the top of my list is making a polymer clay pendant with delicate flower petals and maybe glass beads placed in their centers. This was the inspiration for this goal....

Next goal is to hammer out some sterling silver for earrings and pendants. Then hopefully to sew the curtains for our bedroom. The street light just blinds me at 2 in the morning and I think its 6am. After I have a "oh my god I am going to be so late" heart attack, I realize its only 2 am but by that time I am wide awake and telling myself for the tenth time to make curtains already!Then my final goal is to bake 'till I can't bake any more. I have a recipe for French Toast Cupcakes and Cherry Cola Chocolate Cake. The French Toast Cupcakes will have cream cheese frosting and will be sprinkled with bacon. Odd but right up my ally.

On the list of non-creative goals is to watch "Twighlight New Moon", read "Midnight In the Garden of Good and Evil" for the third time (love that book!) and to spend time with family of course. Ahhh a week to taste the good life!

!!****** Oh, keep in mind that I will be running great sales in our Etsy shop and Artifre studio the week I am off which is Thanksgiving week (11/23-11/27). The best sales will be on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Visit us at www.shapedbyhand.etsy.com and www.artfire.com/users/Shapedbyhand*******!!

"The irony of commitment is that it’s deeply liberating – in work, in play, in love. The act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around as rational hesitation. To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life." ~ Anne Morriss

Featured Fellow Etsian of the Week

noreply@blogger.com (ShapedByHand) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:37:00 +0000

"CAN YOU DIG IT!"

This weeks featured fellow Etsian is doti. This is on of my absolute favorite shops! I am an absolute music fanatic! I remember my father sitting me in front of his Cerwin Vega speakers with his JVC amp and cassette player pointing out the timing in each song he played, pointing out the lyrics that meant something to him, and teaching me how to listen to the entire compilation of a song and not just the words. From those moments a monster was created and now I can't hear a song without blurting out who sings it, when it was released and what album it was released on. And if I don't know it then I will find out. Any way, enough about me! :P

doti takes what is a love for many of us and combines it with the peace of mind that you are purchasing an up-cycled item and not wasting precious album artwork. What's more is the prices are so reasonable! Some great features of doti's work is the authentic vinyl album separator used in the notebooks, the slip pockets and the fact that you can add more paper to these totally cool notebooks since doti uses loose leaf rings.

doti has a 100% feedback rating, 63 sales, 250 shop hearts (I'm one :), and has been a part of the Esty community since March of 2009.

Poem of the Day - Pablo Neruda Sonnets XVII-LXVI

noreply@blogger.com (ShapedByHand) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:00:00 +0000

Pablo Neruda was a Chilean poet who's writings span from the 1920's to the 1970's. I have loved Pablo Neruda's work since I was about 15 years old. The sonnets below are by far my favorites and two of his most famous. To me this sonnet has always embodied the true meaning and feeling of a passionate love. A lost love. A love consumed by another's existence that it cannot find its way back but has found its home.

Pablo Neruda conveys such intensity in his work as if he is calling out to others to say, you are not alone, the feelings that overcome you overcome me as well. Reading his work made me feel accepted by my compulsive nature which leads me to never be satisfied. From his writing I have learned that this compulsive nature is my thirst for life and all that this life has to offer me while I live it. While others may judge my consistent inconsistencies in a negative light, I embrace them as this makes me want and without wanting I am nothing.

XVII

I do not love you as if you were a salt rose, or topaz

or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as the plant that never blooms
but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;
thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,
risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
So I love you because I know no other way

than this: where I does not exist, nor you,
so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,
so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.

LXVI

I do not love you except because I love you;

I go from loving to not loving you,
From waiting to not waiting for you
My heart moves from cold to fire.

I love you only because it's you the one I love;
I hate you deeply, and hating you
Bend to you, and the measure of my changing love for you
Is that I do not see you but love you blindly.

Maybe January light will consume
My heart with its cruel
Ray, stealing my key to true calm.

In this part of the story I am the one who
Dies, the only one, and I will die of love because I love you,
Because I love you, Love, in fire and blood.