I Miss the Ocean Breeze

Here I am, after a long break. There's been a lot going on. Now that the thing have settled down a bit, I am back. How much I missed you all. Anyways, Summer is over(well, nearly), Fall is here, and as the winter is approaching, I am clinging on to the sweet memories of summer, those days at the beach, the cool ocean breeze and the treasures of the ocean. To cherish these I created a Treasury of lovely ocean themed items from crafty etsians.

I love the cool blues in this nostalgic collection. Hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did. Here's the link to my Curated Treasury for today:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTAyNjI3Nzl8NjYyMTg5NTEz/i-miss-the-ocean-breeze?ref=pr_treasury

Recently Sold Artwork

There's been a lot going on lately. I was preparing for a craft fair on Canada day.....which went on pretty well. And I've also been busy packing up my house(practically) and preparing to move. Its a BIG task....especially with two kids(and a hubby whose no better than kids...lol!) and I haven't moved yet. I have to leave in mid-July.....and there's soooooo much still left to be packed.
So far, I've been posting about handcrafted jewelry and related topics. This time I thought I would share two of my recently sold artworks with you. 'Gossip' is an Oil on Canvas while the other(Tiger face) is fabric paint on Pure Silk.

I'll post more later.......when things settle down a bit(Hopefully soon!). Till then Enjoy Summertime everyone!

Jewelry Trends 2011

A glance at 2011 Jewelry Trends
(Hope its not too late to post about the latest trends:)

Fashion jewelry trends 2011 forecasts that jewelry will be bigger and bolder. If you really think about it, the right jewelry is like a piece of expensive art. It has the ability to make you look sleek and sophisticated. This season "less is not more", but "more is more". Statement jewelry is very trendy this year. In the case of oversized jewelry, this characteristic becomes even more powerful since it can be a complete fashion statement on its own. From complex, structural geometric patterns to more colorful and summery designs oversized jewelry will take a variety of different forms in the following season. One of the most important things that you should remember is to wear only one trend at a time. Do not wear stacked bangles with a statement necklace. Only one single piece of jewelry is sufficient to make you look fashionable.

Statement necklaces just got bigger and bolder this season with huge stones and funky designs. Wear a statement necklace that just sits on your collar bone as anything longer than that is so last season. A bib necklace with a mix of stones is just right for this season. Wearing unique mixed media multi layered chain necklace or layered chains is one of the biggest jewelry trends this season which is quite hard to miss.

Jewelry trends 2011 forecasts the return of chandelier earrings. Earrings this season are long, almost shoulder grazers. Large hoop earrings will also be popular jewelry trends spring summer 2011.

A cocktail ring is a must have in any fashionistas wardrobe. Chunky cocktail rings that are big enough to graze your knuckles are what we are talking about.

Materials: A mix of metals like bronze, silver, gold, dull gold and rose finish will be the highlight this season. Metals like gold and silver are popular, but you can also try bronze and copper as a cheaper option. Unlike only precious stones of last season, semi precious stones ranging from amethyst, coral, garnet peridot, coral, aquamarine and tourmaline are in this season. Natural products, leather, wood, bone, enamel, Feathers, ribbons, lace, tassels, Swarovski crystals, glass and pearls are also popular.

Colors: Vivid colors like red tomatoes, plum, aubergine, bright yellow, indigo, blue, khaki, and chocolate brown for ethnic/folk inspired styles. Turquoise, coral and green & blue colors in various shades are the hues for floral/fauna inspired jewelry. For Military/Urban/Futuristic style jewelry, smoke and metallic colors, gray, black, white, army green and acid yellow are in. Soft tones like pink powder, skin colors, lavender, beige and gray green for the more romantic Vintage & Retro styles. While any color scheme or materials can be used in recycled jewelery.

Motifs: Animals, flowers, butterflies and clover , designs inspired by African tribes and folklore, power symbols such as snakes, cats and panthers, sea creatures and starfish.

Yay!! I won the contest!

A big warm 'Thank You' to all my friends, fans and supporters who voted for me me help in win the 'Artisan Challenge' for May. This was the first time ever that I had entered my jewelry creations in a contest. And won!! This month's theme was 'Beach'. I created this piece using golden brown lip shell discs and natural white pearls. Actually, I think this is a very nice way to keep your creative spirits alive and get some exposure too. Can't wait to know the next month's challenge and start working on it....Results of the contest can be viewed here: http://artisanspotlightajd.blogspot.com/

New Looks!

I've made few more changes to the blog; changed the background and managed to center align the header image. It's so much fun playing around, provided you have the time to(which is a bit tough for me to find with two online stores, facebook fanpage, my website, home, hubby and two cute daughters). Well, back to the topic now! The other day I came across this rustic, sort of vintage background and I knew I had to get it on my blog(somehow). I just love it(till I find something even better). Hope you'll like it too!

Oh! I almost forgot....here's this lovely treasury, featuring varied items from the members of 'Lost in the Crowd' Team on etsy. Its called 'Beautiful Lost Treasures'. And my 'Purple Jade and Aventurine Hoop Earrings - Mystic Wheel' are included too! Do check it out. Here's the link:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4dc5e708d7228eef4e9a6007/beautiful-lost-treasures

Ops! I went off the topic again; As I said its fun to play around! I sometimes deliberately take the wrong turns(time-permitted), you may never know what you'll find/discover............
Have Fun!!

National is the world!!! Various Tribal Style Staffs

I wish to thank 'lxz2009' for featuring my Turquoise, Shell Spikes and Pearl Necklace - Tribal Earth in a wonderful treasury, 'National is the world!!! Various Tribal Style Staffs'. It is a wonderful collection of tribal themed items from etsy shops. Come check it out and  become enchanted with the ancient, tribal, symbolic, cryptic and the eclectic creations in there. Click this link to view this treasury & others items by lxz2009:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4dc0b506b6338eeffa14cfa3/national-is-the-world-various-tribal

Yay! I Did It!!

I started this blog recently and wanted to make some changes (as per the appearance is concerned). I've been trying for days together to figure out ways to do so. I wanted to create a horizontal navigation bar with buttons; some of which directed to my other online shops/sites/pages, besides the pages about me, home etc and a different background(for a change). All this required changes to the html code. And I've been searching, searching and searching; it was getting very frustrating. And Voila! It came in a flash today. Yippee! I am so happy with the change and this has opened doors for endless possibilities. I can't wait to experiment some more. Hope you'll like the looks of my blog. Your views are valuable to me, so feel free to leave your comments. :)