Zur Designs

This Week's On Fire for Handmade Featured Artisan is Dallas Soap Company!

2012-01-28T15:20:00.000-05:00

This weeks Featured Artisan is Dallas Soap Company! Yummy goodies to indulge

yourself in! Spoil yourself rotten... visit Dallas Soap Company!

You can find Dallas Soap Company on:

Website

Etsy

Facebook

My New Treasury! Tell Her In Teal! A Valentine Gift Guide!

2012-01-26T20:36:00.000-05:00

Tell Her In Teal

Zur Designs

Wednesday Window Shopping on Etsy 2012

2012-01-25T06:00:00.003-05:00

Welcome to another edition of Wednesday Window Shopping on Etsy. This week, I thought I'd concentrate on one of the over arching themes mentioned in "From Etsy’s Merchandising Desk: January 2012"--Valentine’s Day: Think love, hearts, Cupid and his arrow, red, pink, and white. Primary areas of focus for this holiday will include gifts for her, gifts for him, gifts for kids, jewelry, lingerie, love notes and cards, personalization, fashion, sweets & recipes, parties & decor, gag gifts, anti-Valentine, engagements & weddings, flowers & vases, and DIY ideas.
This is a big category to tackle...I may have to make this a multi-parter! So let's begin!

It's always nice to start with a card...how about this wonderful VALENTINE DAY Pop Up Origamic Architecture Greeting Card by Bold Folds?

In the artist's own words: "Origamic Architecture (OA) involves the three-dimensional reproduction of architecture, geometric patterns, everyday objects, or other images, on various scales, using cutout and folded paper, usually thin paperboard." Take a peek at the unique and wonderful creations in this Etsy shop!

Sweets for your sweet? Why don't you visit Binky's Fudge Shop? The fudge pictured here is Dark Chocolate but she carries many varieties: peanut butter, maple walnut, mint chocolate swirl, butter pecan, vanilla, rocky road...oh man, you're killing me Binky!!

"Homemade fudge made with an old traditional Mackinac Island recipe.
All natural ingredients are always used, like fresh cream, butter, pure flavor extracts and only the finest chocolate. Based on traditions of candy makers on Mackinac Island in Northern Michigan, Binky's Fudge brings the same quality and delicious taste to the entire Nation!"

Does your valentine have a sweet tooth for cookies? Make sure and visit Butter Blossoms, where you will find scrumptious handmade cookie treasures that are just as sweet to look at as they are to eat! Take for instance these wonderful Pink Sparkle Heart Mini Vanilla Butter Cookies!

"Each little bite sized cookie is freshly baked to order from our signature batter recipe that includes only the highest quality ingredients. You will receive 5 dozen heart~shaped cookies, that are about 1 1/2" each. We use a vintage cookie press to create each one, and then hand decorate this listing in the following:♥ 2 dozen hearts with pale pink sanding sugar♥ 1 dozen hearts with white pearlized jimmies with a sprinkling of pale pink sanding sugar
♥ 2 dozen hearts with white sanding sugar & a sprinkling of pink edible glitter" Take a peek at all the wonderful cookies they have for Valentine's Day...and all year round!

And how about some sugar for the skin with this wonderful all over body scrub XOXO by Raw Olive?

"This is our sweetest body scrub in so many ways. Richly kissed with a delicious cherry vanilla scent, this embracing scrub says "I love you" in a unique way. Our totally yummy body scrubs are gentle and moisturizing. We use pure ingredients such as organic, raw sugar, cold-pressed olive oil, raw honey and pure essential oils to revitalize your skin and senses.
Exfoliation is the key to keeping your skin refreshed and renewed. Organic, raw sugar removes dead skin cells and helps improve blood circulation, while promoting cell renewal. This is a very effective organic body scrub that provides thorough exfoliation and leaves your clean, renewed, unbelievably soft and wonderfully scented. "

After that invigorating treatment, no ordinary towel will do. How about giving her the gift of a Classic Peshtemal Turkish Bath Towel by Bath Style?

"A peshtemal is a Turkish traditional towel used in the Turkish baths. It is also used to specify which region people are from and is a part of a deep cultural tradition. In some places, it's called pestamal or pestemal. There are many kinds of peshtamals, with different styles and colors in each local areas in Turkey. The peshtemal absorbs water as fast as a towel, dries very quickly, takes up less space and easy to carry and is therefore used as an alternative to the towel in bathrooms, pools, spas, beaches, sport facilities and for baby care. The peshtemal fabric is made of cotton produced in hand-woven looms in Turkey."
For a dinner and night on the town or an intimate and romantic evening at home, give her this beautiful Party Dress by The River of Romansk!

"This is a one-piece dress, whimsical and delightful. Simply a dream come true. The epitome of all things romantic and beautiful!"
And for the perfect adornment, I suggest this Pink Opal Czech Glass Vintage Style Necklace by Jewelry by Nala.

"A beautiful faceted 9x14mm Czech glass rondelle in stunning Pink Opal, wrapped in swirled antiqued brass bead caps, is the focal point of this handmade vintage style necklace. Delicate antiqued brass chains cut into various lengths dangle from the bottom of the bead, and a 19mm antiqued bronze flower spacer holds the bead to the dual antiqued brass chains. Floral spacers are added to the chain for extra added interest. Necklace is approximately 19.5 inches (49.5cm) and closes in back with a beautiful floral toggle clasp."

Well, we made a valiant start! I think I will continue this Valentine theme next week...we have to touch on some gifts for men...not that their Valentine in that dress isn't a gift in itself! And there's some great ideas out there for the little ones too! Hope you enjoyed the feature! Stay tuned!!

Wednesday Window Shopping on Etsy 2012

2012-01-18T20:03:00.001-05:00

One of my New Year's resolutions was to bring back my weekly feature, Wednesday Window Shopping on Etsy. It was fun to do and there's nothing like featuring at least some of the wonderful handmade things that are available on Etsy!

In keeping with the feature, I will be using trends revealed in this month's "From Etsy's Merchandising Desk" as the basis of my theme. There's quite a few of them to choose from but I thought I would begin with...

Cottage chic decor and accessories

First up, from The Back Porch Shoppe, this wonderful LOVE 9x5.5 Shabby Cottage Pink Valentine's Day sign! Sweet pink sign, "LOVE" is done is PALE PINK with SAND LETTERING & RIBBON, and embellished with AGED WHITE DOTS. Measures 9" wide x 5" high. Perfect sign for any occasion...wedding, anniversary, birthday, valentine's day, or my favorite...a "just because".

Secondly, we have this beautiful fine art photograph by Madden Photography! TITLE:Romantic Pink Timeless Roses SIZE: 5x7. Printed on Metallic Endura Paper, which offers a beautifully saturated colorful print. Endura is strong and resistant to tearing and fading over the years!
Print is unmated and unframed, signed on the back, and shipped in sturdy packaging to protect photo:)

How about this beautiful Square Pillow Cover in gorgeous pink check by White Oak Room? Don't you just love the wooden button accent? "I believe every home can be comfy and beautiful with tons of personality. Pillows are an accessory that can change the look of a living room, bedroom, kitchen and sun room. I constantly change my pillow covers with the seasons or my mood and now you can too!! One 16" x 16" handmade pillow cover done in PINK CHECK ON NATURAL COLORED LINEN fabric with a Wood Button Accent.♥ This listing is priced for one pillow cover ONLY, pillow inserts are NOT included. ♥ Envelope opening in the front. ♥ Designer fabric on both front AND back of all my pillow covers! All of my items are double stitched for durability."

And last but not least, this wonderful Sprinkled With Love Cottage Custom DollHouse by Cinderella Moments? So much detail was put into this amazing little house! "Sprinkled With Love Cottage is a custom, one of a kind dollhouse. This is a very sweet creation all white in and out.
Outside, i started with a wood structure and covered it with concrete to make a very strong house. Bonded to the concrete is the cardboard siding. Everything is painted in a antique white. The wood floor porch is gray. The front porch has a pink working chandelier. This light is battery powered as is the inside chandelier. The battery and switch are hidden in the chimney.
On the porch, I handmade a beehive out of clay sitting on an aged white table. There is a rake, shovel,. chair and watering can all made of metal. There's also a clay pot . The porch is bordered by a wire fence.
The house is covered on all 4 sides with 3 different types of vines. So romantic!"

Well, that's it for this week's feature. Hope you enjoyed it. Remember, this is just a fraction of the wonderful things you can find on Etsy, the world's handmade marketplace! You really owe it to yourself to see what Cottage Chic Decor and Accessories you can find! Take care and see you next week!

My New Treasury! On Fire for Handmade on Solar Power!

2012-01-17T13:57:00.000-05:00

My New Treasury!

On Fire for Handmade on Solar Power!

This Week's On Fire For Handmade Featured Artist is Catherine's Jewelry Design!

2012-01-02T18:52:00.000-05:00

This weeks' Featured Artisan is Catherine Templeton - Catherine's Jewelry Design. Exquiste pieces created with love by a wonderful Artisan!

You can find Catherine's Jewelry on: