Etsy finds: Ottoman

Shop name: Ottoman

Shop address: http://www.ottoman.etsy.com/

My name is Summer and I currently live in Southern Oregon with my hubby and little boy. I have a BFA in sculpture and printmaking.

My favorite materials are: roving, yarn, felting needles, cork, ink, paper, fabric, my wood burning pen, embroidery floss, printmaking plates and hand-cut stamps, beeswax and seeds

After having my son, I found that what I did for fine art was too messy to work on with my baby around. I later found out about Etsy through Dwell magazine, and about the same time, was introduced to needle felting (and was trying to find a way to make an ottoman that looked like a rock covered with moss...which resulted in the Moss Collection). So, I realized that if I can work on something basically in my lap that can be put away easily (ie. needle felting), I could make stuff to sell on Etsy and have a much needed creative outlet.

The first thing I made:
I'm not sure, but I do remember finger painting in preschool with finger paint made, I think, with starch.

What's new and exciting in my store:
My Cork Collection! I was trying to come up with a new collection based on something that was really environmentally friendly and came up with cork. I learned from the WWF website that buying cork actually helps save cork forests which employs thousands of people because cork is harvested by hand and cork forests are also habitats for endangered animals and endemic plants. Here's more info

My favorite item:
I really don't have a favorite item...I love them all.

I think people should buy handmade because it not only helps individuals rather than corporations, but handmade items are made with a lot of care and love.

Be sure to visit Ottoman's shop ! Get a free bonus treat with any purchase over $15 until the end of March 2008; just enter the code tomatebonustreat in the note to seller when you check out.

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recycled leather and suede rings

These leather rings are made of recycled repurposed leather scraps. I got the scraps from a fellow crafter who could not use them for her craft because they where too small.

The bands are of various shapes and sizes; we try to keep all our designs simple and modern, yet edgy. We have a wide variety of leather to play with: suede and leather, thick or supple, shinny or crackled... and a variety of colours as well!

All the rings are hand-stitched with 100% cotton silky thread, with decorative knots or stitches.

The leather ring will naturally get softer and slightly larger as you wear it, and the colours should get deeper as well.

I love that about natural materials... they actually change with you as you wear them.

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Etsy finds: Poolballrings

Shop name: Poolballrings

Shop address: www.poolballrings.etsy.com

In a nutshell:
Basically I take old billiard balls and carve them up into things to wear.

Tell me a little about yourself:
I’m eleanor salazar. I live on an island off the coast of Maine where I have a fantastic “take it or leave it” pile at the public dump where I can find all kinds of plastic things and a lovely studio space where I can fashion them into items I might like to wear.

What are your favorite materials?
All kinds of plastics

What inspired you to do this?
I’m a traditionally trained metalsmith who just got a little tired of silver and gold. I wanted color and lots of it. I wanted rich thick color and plastic is fabulously satisfying if you’re a glutton for color.

Do you remember the first thing you made? What was it?
The first thing I made out of plastic was a ring. I hacked apart a pool ball to see what was inside and ended up with a 14 ball ring. It was wonky and I loved it.

What's new and exciting in your store?
Big Red Hoops.

What is your favourite item? And why?
I’m really into the earrings. I find them incredibly satisfying to make.

Why should people buy handmade?
It seems a little more interesting than buying something that a million other people might be wearing too.

Anything else?

I’m a sucker for anything red

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TransCanada Etsy Street Team Pre-Spring Cleaning Sale!

It's Pre-Spring Cleaning at the Trans-Canada Etsy Team!
So, some members are having a SALE
from FEB. 18 to 24 ONLY!

----
.tomate d'épingles. offers 10% off all items + free shipping to Canada!

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leather stack - leather ring

This leather ring is simple, yet stunning.

The multiple leather rings, seven in all, are all attached to one another with a zigzag of silver wire.

It was designed with a man in mind, but would look as equally stunning on a woman!

The leather ring will naturally get softer and slightly larger as you wear it.
We like that about natural materials: i changes with you !

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.tomate d'epingles. newsletter - spring 2008

Please find below .tomate d'epingles. newsletter for spring 2008!

In this issue:
· celebrate two years with us!
· two years of discoveries
· new items
and much more!

Thanks for reading!

If you'd like to be added to our mailing list, please contact us here

Guylaine & Isabelle

.tomate d'epingles.

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.tomate d'épingles. aura deux ans le 9 février!

Une vente de célébration vous attends!
Le 9 février 2008, .tomate d'épingles. aura deux ans!
Nous voulons célébrer avec vous.
Restez à l'affût, nous aurons des promotions, des nouveaux items et bien plus a vous offrir!
Et n'oubliez pas de visiter la boutique, ce samedi… nous aurons une vente, et des cadeaux pour tous! Ça promet d'être tout un événement!

Merci d'être avec nous!
Guylaine & Isabelle
de .tomate d'épingles.

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.tomate d'épingles. turns two on February 9th!

A big celebratory sale is in store for you!
On February 9th, .tomate d'épingles. turns two!
We want to celebrate that with you.
So stay tuned for news on promotions, new items, and so much more!
And don’t forget to visit the shop this Saturday… we'll have a big sale, and gifts for all! It's going to be a blast!

Thank you so much for being with us!
Guylaine & Isabelle
for .tomate d'épingles.

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Pearl and Swarovski on vintage leather and Copper necklace

This necklace features gorgeous copper coloured vintage leather.

A Pearl is nested in a vintage bone bead cap, and a delicate Swarovski adorns the neckline. The necklace is set on Copper findings.

All of it is in copper colours... I just love it! :)

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Black tektite and wood - it's all about men!

Where would we be without men, I ask you? Where?

;o)

.tomate d’épingles. new line of jewelry for men features a modern and stylish collection, such as this tektite and wooden beads necklace.

The focal point is tektite, a body of silicate glass of non volcanic origin ...

They are generally believed to be the product of large meteorite impacts on sediments, although a few scientists have argued for a lunar origin.

The wood beaded necklace is 18 inches ( 45 cm ) long with a sturdy (manly?) Copper closure.

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.tomate d'épingles. est publié dans un nouveau livre de Quarry Books!

Nous sommes heureux de vous annoncer que nos boucle d'oreilles en boutons seront en vedette dans un nouveau livre à paraître, 1,000 Jewelry Inspirations: Beads, Baubles, Dangles, and Chains, un livre de Sandra Salamony et publié par Quarry Books.

La photo suivante à même été utilisée pour la publicité du livre!

Les boucles paraîtront dans le livre, avec un lien vers nous et notre boutique!

Le livre sera disponible le 1er juin 2008, et est disponible dès maintenant en pré commande, sur le site Amazon

Suivez ce lien pour acheter le livre, mettant en vedette un projet de bijoux recyclé rigolo par Guylaine de .tomate d'épingles. !

Au sujet du bijoux:

Ces boucles d oreilles sont faites de boutons sur des boucles façonnées à la main.

Elles mesurent 1 pouce (2.5 cm) et sont très légères.

Ces boutons sont des "rejets" d'usines, que nous avons récupérés et réemployés... Ils sont rejetés car ils comportent tous de légères imperfections... certains sont légèrement ovales, ou plus mince par endroits, certains ne sont pas embossés correctement, et même, certains n'ont pas tout leurs trous... ou pas de trous du tout!

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1,000 Jewelry Inspirations: Beads, Baubles, Dangles, and Chains

We are happy to tell you that our button earrings are to be published in 1,000 Jewelry Inspirations: Beads, Baubles, Dangles, and Chains, a book by Sandra Salamony and published by Quarry Books.

This picure was also used to make the "dummy", the 16 page printed piece that is used as a sales tool for the book!

The jewelry will be featured in the book, with a link to us or our shop!

It's going to be a really beautiful book, We are excited by how it's shaping up. It will be available on June 1st, 2008, and is available now for pre-order on Amazon

Follow this link to purchase the book, featuring a fun recycled jewelry project by Guylaine of .tomate d'épingles. !

About the jewelry:

These fun earrings feature recycled button stacks on hand-fashioned earwires.

Light, they dangle down a little under 1 inch (2.5 cm) long.

These buttons are part of the batch of rejected buttons we came upon and salvaged...
They where tossed from the factory because they had slight imperfections... some have smudges, or are slightly oval, some are not perfectly embossed, and some even don't have all their wholes, or none at all!

We found ourselves with a bag full of unloved buttons! We just had to find them a new home!

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