happyment

Moonday moodboard - flowers

2012-02-20T11:14:00.001+02:00

Hello new week!

It just felt like I needed a bouquet of happy flowers from all over the Europe this morning. Monday moodboard is a collection of beauties made by European Street Team members - Mokkafiveoclock, GiftsandStars, felttess and etherealflowers.

To see more moodboards and to play along hop over to Star of the East.

Happy Monday!

Monday moodboard - arctic air

2012-01-30T12:35:00.002+02:00

Hello new week! Feels like winter now.

Monday moodboard is a collection of beauties made by European Street Team members - JKphotography, PAPAstore, afra and rodica.

To see more moodboards and to play along hop over to Star of the East.

Wishing you a warm and nice week!

My creative space

2012-01-26T13:57:00.000+02:00

This is a sneak peek. I've been trying out new enameling technique this week. It's called champlevé.

At first the metal gets etched. This was a great opportunity to get down to electrolytic etching at last. I wanted to try it out for a while now and I can assure you it can be addictive. Looking forward to more etching soon!

Then after the metal has been prepared the enamel gets inlayed into recessed areas. This is when you can begin to see how the finished piece will look like. One of the last steps involved leveling the enamel with alundum stone and this was when I managed to level my fingerprints too. Ouch!

Instead of making just a sample I decided to turn it into something wearable. I'm going to keep this one for myself, but while working on it I literally saw how the necklace I'm going to make for my shop should look like. You know one of those moments when creative process sparks an idea. Can't wait to start working on it!

For more creative spaces hop over to Our Creative Spaces blog.

Monday moodboard - hearts, hearts, hearts

2012-01-16T10:56:00.001+02:00

Hello Monday!

Monday moodboard is a collection of beauties made by European Street Team members - cherrytime, magalerie, Vangloria and WoolenClogs.

To see more moodboards and to play along hop over to Star of the East.

Wishing you a lovely week!

Tiny white heart

2012-01-11T18:31:00.000+02:00

Tiny pierced copper heart and white enamel are the best friends. They both are friends with black enamel which is a little shy and is hiding on the back side of the heart.

Simple, delicate and lightweight. Already listed in my shop.

Monday moodboard - peaceful

2012-01-09T11:38:00.000+02:00

Hello new week! It's time to get back to regular blogging.

Monday moodboard is a collection of beauties made by European Street Team members - EvgeniyaMaslakova, QueenAndEye, janeyclothing and cartonBois.

To see more moodboards and to play along hop over to Star of the East.

Have a great week!

Happy 2012!

2012-01-02T16:00:00.000+02:00

The last day of the old year looked hopeless - the grass seemed getting greener and greener and the first spring flowers were impudently peaking from the ground. And then (it was already getting dark) it happened! The air was full with huge and lacy snowflakes. By midnight the ground was covered with fluffy white layer.

The first day of 2012 was perfect.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T15:10:00.002+02:00

Wishing you lots of joy, love and happiness! Priecīgus Ziemassvētkus!

Petals

2011-12-16T19:47:00.000+02:00

Just finished these Flora earrings with enamel in the lovely pink shade of petals. Lately I'm drawn to light and springly colours. Maybe because the days are so gloomy and grey. It's the darkest time of the year.

They are a little bigger than other Flora earrings, but still quite small and not heavy. I pay much attention to the weight of earrings since I prefer lighter ones myself. Frosted glass bell flowers have a touch of aurora borealis coating on one side which adds a little luminosity. Shiny sterling silver findings. The overall impression is very feminine and romantic.

Wishing you a cozy and peaceful weekend!

Monday moodboard - lovely

2011-12-12T11:19:00.001+02:00

Hello Monday!

Cool bear with cool hat by SilkHome
Red heart by ZenzPhotography
Ceramic white Christmas tree and star decorations by EsmeDodsworthDesign
Black asymmetric beaded necklace by zdrop

Monday moodboard is a collection of beauties made by European Street Team members. To see more moodboards and to play along hop over to Star of the East.

Wishing you a lovely week!

Turquoise heart

2011-12-09T14:38:00.001+02:00

Before I sign off for the weekend let me show you my newest creation. Small pierced dots that have lined up in the shape of a heart. Domed 1 inch (2.5cm) copper disc and layers of opaque and transparent enamels that have fused to a smooth warm turquoise glass coating.

Delicate antiqued copper chain. Simple and romantic. I can imagine this layered with other necklaces or chains.

Listing in a short while.

Happy weekend!

The first snow

2011-12-07T15:31:00.001+02:00

Unusually late this year.

Monday moodboard - December

2011-12-05T10:24:00.001+02:00

Hello new week!

Earrings by KalliasWonderland
Snowflake ornaments by LaNiqueHOME
Winter photo by EvgeniyaMaslakova
White linen felt bracelet by soroka

Monday moodboard is a collection of beauties made by European Street Team members. To see more moodboards and to play along hop over to Star of the East.

Have a great week!

Musings on my third etsyversary

2011-12-01T11:18:00.001+02:00

I've decided to make it a tradition and look back at the year that has passed. Just like I did on my second etsyversary. Time flies, doesn't it?

This has been the first year I've focused only on enameled jewelry. Like for many people who have been involved in arts and crafts for the most of their lives it was a little difficult for me at first to find that one particular area to put my creative energies into. Now I've found my creative outlet and it has become more and more rewarding in many ways.

Having an Etsy shop has never been just about selling. I love the creative journey and stories to be told and heard. Like The Pink Cloud Necklace which was inspired by one rainy summer morning in the old town of Rīga. The finished piece turned out almost too lovely for my taste, but it has become my best selling item. It has been featured in numerous treasuries and has received more than 1000 hearts on Etsy. The number is pretty exciting, isn't it? And I love the stories my customers have shared with me about the meaning of clouds or one particular cloud in their lives. This has also made me think a lot about the boundaries. It does make sense to be too lovely sometimes. Or too cute. Or too crazy. Or too... (insert any word here).

As for the plans I mentioned last year:

focus on marketing (yeap, done that; some things worked better, some not),
write in Latvian (yeap, but I'm having a huge writers block at the moment),
try to make my enamel look more Latvian (working on that, it's a long term goal actually),
and create, create, create (it's an evergoing process, isn't it?)

What's up next?

My plans involve trying out new techniques. Etching is the first on the list. I've invested quite a lot in new tools and studio equipment lately, so the playground is set up and most likely will lead to new designs. I intend to enjoy crafting. A lot. And that means both - a lot of fun and a lot of crafting.

Thank you for being arround and spending time with me! I'm honoured to be in your company on this journey!

Cheers!

Giveaway winner

2011-11-28T17:42:00.001+02:00

It's time to announce the winner of my giveaway. I used Random.org to draw the lucky number. And now the drumroll, please - I'm going to send the necklace to Lauren! Congratulations!

Weekend

2011-11-26T12:07:00.001+02:00

Hot tea and gingerbread is my medicine against this gloomy and stormy weather. I hope you're having a cozy weekend too. Or a busy weekend if you have joined the Black Friday to Cyber Monday sales madness on Etsy :)

Don't forget to enter my giveaway! See you on Monday!

Free shipping worldwide

2011-11-23T14:21:00.001+02:00

It's that time of the year again. I'm participating in Black Friday to Cyber Monday sales on Etsy and offering free shipping worldwide on all my items through November 28th. International shipping takes time, so these are the last days to make a purchase if you have set your eyes on something in my shop and want it delivered before Christmas.

Happy shopping!

Connect the dots

2011-11-21T14:40:00.001+02:00

These are my newest creations. Colourful dots to finish the outfit. And when I write dots I mean the tiniest copper discs measuring mere 9.5mm or 3/8 inches. The dainty chain is shiny sterling silver, almost invisible yet strong. Perfect for everyday wear.

On Thursday I mentioned that I may have a surprise for you. And here it is. I'm giving away one of the new necklaces to thank you for visiting here and just being around. A small Christmas gift from me to you.

To enter the giveaway all you need to do is to leave a comment under this post telling me which colour is your favourite. You can choose between scarlet red, lime green and speckled blue. Surprise me is also an option in case you want me to pick the colour for you. Please, comment with your name and e-mail or your Etsy username (to be sure I can contact you if you're the lucky winner).

The winner will be drawn on Monday November 28 (you can enter until 11:59 pm EET).

My creative space

2011-11-17T15:22:00.001+02:00

I'm sifting enamel and playing with colour. The fun part is that you never know what colour exactly the enamel is until you fire it. Names can be misleading, pictures can be inacurate and powdered enamel can look very different from fired enamel. This is my favourite red.

Tomorrow is our National Day and I'm taking a small break from blogging. Be sure to come back on Monday when I'll reveal what I'm working on. I may have a surprise for you! Stay tuned!

For more creative spaces hop over to Our Creative Spaces blog.

Monday moodboard - festive

2011-11-14T11:29:00.001+02:00

Hello Monday! This week we celebrate 93th birthday of Latvia - a great reason for me to make the moodboard from local Etsy shops. Celebrate with us!

Autumn stars by MyMonography
Crocheted lace trim edging by eljuks
Small Christmas stocking by KatysHomeDesigns
Pinecone earrings by MagpiesShop

Monday moodboard is a collection of beauties made by European Street Team members. To see more moodboards and to play along hop over to Star of the East. It's fun!

Fringe

2011-11-11T17:17:00.001+02:00

Some ideas take days to grow, but this wasn't the case. I was simply struck by inspiration. Wish everything came so easy.

Copper and glossy turquoise blue. I'm a sucker for this combination. Layers of opaque and transparent enamels. Handcrafted copper earwires and lots of chain.

Long, but not too heavy. The first shoulder dusters in my shop. Already listed.

I hope your week has been productive too. Wishing you a relaxed weekend!

Caramel butterfly

2011-11-10T09:30:00.000+02:00

Last Thursday I showed you a butterfly. Now it's time for the finished necklace. Nut brown enamel on copper and melon shaped glass beads in red, chocolate and caramel browns. And a few clear glass beads with celsian coating for for a little bit of bling.

I didn't wanted the necklace to be heavy, so just half of it is made of beads, the rest is delicate antiqued copper chain. The necklace is short, so I added two more inches in a shape of a chain extender with wee red glass bead.

Romantic chocker with a warm glow of reds and browns for a girl who dreams about butterflies during winter.

Listing in my shop tonight.

November love

2011-11-09T10:00:00.000+02:00

New favourites from Etsy. Happy window shopping!

The ship that sailed away no.5 by TheOakLeaves:

Real hibiscus necklace by AhoyAhimsa:

10 natural heart stones by MedBeachStones:

Purism by katsiki:

Close up

2011-11-07T10:00:00.000+02:00

Misty air + sun = wonderful weekend outdoors. I hope yours has been great too.

Stumbled upon these tiniest mushrooms. Are they mushrooms at all?

Happy new week!

Getting into the mood

2011-11-06T10:38:00.000+02:00

It's getting more and more Christmasy on Etsy, so I decided to throw a small party with cobalt blue snowlakes and lime green cocktails. Thank you Etsy for featuring this treasury on the front page!

CreaShines $15.00	NotenboomCeram... $39.50	metroline6 $17.00	GreatBottlesof... $40.00
sometimesiswir... $15.00	sixthandmain $14.00	Lirola $137.00	rabbitstop $18.95
RippleEffectPh... $25.00	julieandco $25.00	VintageConfect... $12.00	HighNotesVinta... $18.00
elegantgirl $42.00	aubepine $33.00	studiotuesday $85.00	AmeliaKayPhoto... $9.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

I hope you're having a lovely weekend!