IBH Guild Featured Artist Heart and Sow Designs

Allow me to introduce HeartAndSowDesigns where you will find a variety of aprons for adults and children, along with scarves, blankets, shawls and other handmade creations.

I'm not sure I could have gotten my daughter to wear an apron  when she was younger, but maybe with this adorable Child's Pink Camo Apron

Heart&Sow also has some cute hair accessories such as this pretty Raspberry Daisy Flower Hair Clip

If this didn't have Blue Gingham Halter Shirt Apron for the title, I almost thought this was cool summer dress! It makes a cool apron! 

There is a picture of a sweet red flared skirt apron on the upper left side of the shop banner,  I didn't see a listing for it, but I suspect if you wanted one like it, she would be happy to make one for you.  

HeartandSowDesigns creator states she is a crafter by nature, and a seamstress by choice, with 30+  years of experience. 

Thanks so much for coming by and have a fantastic day! 

 

Handmade Artists Featured Artists -

I decided to do something a little different for this feature.  Since I am the featured artist, and honestly, I did think about doing a feature on me, I'm not! 
Instead, I'm gong to feature one creation by each member of our current blog ring.

Starting with:

Tams Jewelry Shop with some very cool necklaces, earrings, bracelets, anklets, rings, sets, and even gift certificates.  You can be fashionable and patriotic too with this pretty Red White and Blue Crystal Anklet









Blue Highways who is currently away on vacation, but you can see the feature I did and a few of her wonderful journals here.  Andrea makes some wonderful hand bound journals for writing or art work.

Southern Country Creations with her neat jewelry creations along with some crocheted items like this lovely Crochet Irish Linen Versatile Jewelry piece, made to be worn as a necklace, bracelet or anklet!

Yankee Burrrow Creations with some great home decor items and wedding keepsake creations.  I live in the desert, and I love the ocean and this wonderful Beach Seashell Collection Shadowbox

Reef Botanicals who makes some great all natural bath & body care products along with their wonderful candles, and some yummy lip balm.  I love chocolate chip mint ice cream and when I saw this Chocolate Chip Mint Lip Balm,,,, mmm and the ingredients are an awesome combination to keep your lips moisturized.

After you visit Reef Botanicals, visit Fabric of My Mind, where you can buy a wonderful hand knit washcloth to go with those bath products such as this Eyelet Washcloth in Gardenia Yellow Cotton Bamboo

The Alchemists Vessel with some very cool jewelry creations especially with chainmaille like this awesome Rockabilly Betty Sterling Silver Plated Charm Bracelet

ThunderRose Leather with some beautiful leather bags, purses, pouches and the cutes baby moccasins such as these Beaded Baby Moccasins

Nancys Wild Wire Art with some very cool wire art jewelry such as this very pretty Moonstone Gemstone Pendant

Art By Nancy Pace with some very cool little paintings on bits of blue jeans and other substrates such as this  neat When The Lines Blur Original Painting on artist board




And so, here you are, with a brief intro to some very talented people who make some great hand made creations.  It really is better handmade!





Thank you so much for coming by and have a wonderful unique day.♥

IBHGuild Featured Artist MyEuropeanTouch

I was thrilled when I saw who this weeks featured artist is, MyEuropeanTouch.  I've gotten to know Monika a bit through our contact on Handmade Artists Forum.  Monika, is a very sweet supportive person, and a fantastic mosaic artist, with a great sense of  humor.  I'm not especially a fan of pink, but I love her work, which is mostly done with pink!  And, I want almost all of it! Monika takes some  beat up items such as tables, cake domes, teapots, etc and transforms them into beautiful pieces of art.  With glass nippers, and wheeled cutters she cuts up beautiful china, that becomes the medium for her gorgeous creations.  She also uses stained glass, vintage jewelry and hand made clay roses among other findings.

One of my favorites is the awesome Mosaic Cake Dome, which was a custom order.  You can custom order one too!

This would make serving cake any day special.

I've never seen an old washboard quite as beautiful as this Wall Hanging Mosaic Washboard  - Quite a transformation!
















What do you do with an old teapot that has lost it's silver plate?  Send it to Monika of course for a one of a kind make over! 

I truly appreciate her ability to take something that is still beautiful in its own right, but lost it's luster and give it a new life that shows off that beauty such as this Vintage Teapot Center Piece, this teapot was originally made in 1905!  Beautiful shabby chic.

You can also find Monika at her blog, My European Touch, and at MyEuropeanTouch on HandmadeArtists, and of course her studio My European Touch on ArtFire.

Monika is currently the Featured Dealer at the Avonlea Antique Mall.  This article gives us a glimpse at Monika's childhood in war torn Germany and part of what led to her beautiful Mosaic creations.   She loves doing custom orders.  She also loves going to the beach near her home in Florida.
Thank you for letting me share a little about my friend Monika,  and have a beautifully unique day!

Happy Father's Day

Ok, I admit it, I was a "Daddy's little girl,"  there is no point in trying to hide it.  I was. I still am.  My dad passed away Jan 2, 2001, and even tho I'm a grandmother to 3 beautiful kids, I'm still a Daddy's little girl in so many ways!
When I was very young, I would wait by the door when it was about time for him to come home. He'd pick me up and give me a  hug, sometimes he would hold me upside down  and tickle my feet making me laugh so hard.
My dad gave me so many things beyond what money could buy.  He gave me strength, I would not have made it through the past 12 years with my health problems without that strength.
My dad gave me the enjoyment of many camping trips that often included fishing & everything that included , just kicking back, short hikes, talks................my love of the outdoors, the mountains, nature.
My dad fixed things around the house, made things,  did things, read the newspaper, read...........
My dad played checkers,  rummy, chess, poker, with me. 
My dad gave me as much freedom as he possibly could to explore what I needed to explore as I grew up.   There were limitations, and I have such a better understanding of why those were there than I certainly did then.
My dad gave me safety in a world that was still recovering from the heartbreaks of WWII - the effects of this war went far beyond the battlefields.  He gave me safety in the midst of the Cold War.  Along with this safety, he also gave me reality, after all, he was a nuclear engineer!
My dad gave me the thought process, to do whatever it is I'm doing, to do it the best I can, to take pride in it.  It took me a long time to realize, this doesn't mean it has to be perfect!  This was accompanied by taking my time to do something, so you don't have to go back and redo it because of rushing through it and messing up!
My dad taught me how to drive.  We did this in vacant parking lots in a Nissan Path Finder.  Now if you don't know what that is, well it's sort of like a Jeep Wrangler, only more of a tank, standard shift, no power steering, no power anything, You knew you were driving this thing. 
My dad told me once ( maybe twice) that he was & would be the best friend I would ever have!  He was.
A best friend always has your back, will tell you when you are totally screwing up, will cheer for you,  forgive your trespasses, listen, give honest feedback, love you................He was always there until the day he died.  I've had other "best friends" who have turned their backs, he never did.
My dad could be a bit critical,  I will never forget the phrase " I know you're not stupid, I don't understand why you can't get this" that he said to me at least several times while  helping me with geometry.  I flunked it not just once, but twice!  He helped me with algebra, and how to skip some steps on paper.  I had to figure out that even tho I got the right answer, I still had to show those silly steps! Silly teachers! I did finally get basic geometry!
   But, the criticism, was really  meant to help us look beyond what we did, in one way he knew how.
My dad gave me absolute unconditional love - no matter how much I screwed up, I always knew he loved me!  I miss him.
There were many  lessons along the way, there still are!

One of my favorite pics of him, I believe this is his senior high school picture.

Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there!

IBH Guild Featured Artist Pin & Tack Handcrafted Delights

Recently, I became a member of the It's Better Handmade Guild on ArtFire.  Some of us have decided to join in writing features about other members.  It takes a little bit of time for me to do this, but I enjoy doing them. The readership on my blog is slowly growing, and I so appreciate all my followers and those who do come by!  
And I'm happy to introduce to you PinandTack with some very nice Handcrafted Delights!  Functionality, meet beauty! 

Beauty meet functionality!  Dress up that cork board with these pretty Black Diamond ThumbTacks

Yep, someone with creativity can make even those vintage clothes pins into something pretty like these Star and Twine Vintage Clothes Pins
I often do a blue theme for Christmas, and I'm thinking those would be a nice addition for hanging some items.  What would you use them for?
There are other colors with different embellishments available too!

From her June Specials category are these very cool Tofu Raven White Black Distressed Tacks

 Pin and Tack has other items too, these are just a small example of her creativity!
Beautify your home with some cool handmade creations!

Thanks so much for coming by, comments are moderated, and as much as I dislike them, the captcha is back on, sorry!  Had to do it! Love to hear what you think tho. 

Handmade Artists Featured Artist BlueHighways

Andrea. creator of BlueHighways on Handmade Artists Shop, and a great supporter around Handmade Artists Forum makes some fantastic books, art & writing journals with durable fabric covers.  Each fabric design is only used 3 times, each of those 3 have different paper &/or binding so you are getting something unique with each book.
Andrea prefers the roads less traveled which were the ones printed in blue on older maps, she invites us to travel some BlueHighways with her.

The lovely green batik cover on this 5" x 9"  Handbound Journal Soundscapes reminds me of lush vegetation - being in the SW desert that is currently having fire problems this looks so lovely! I could see the cover inspiring some writing and/or drawing. 

This beauty, Hand Bound Book Papillions Azure has 96 pages (front & back) of 90# natural white watercolor paper
I could see myself taking this along on a trip and sitting for hours and sketching and doing quick little paintings................dreaming

 
Heck, even in a blah environment, this beauty would inspire!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

I love colors - and this lovely 5.5" x 8.5" Handbound Journal Deconstructed Reverie really drew my eyes right to it! This gorgeous book has 200 pages (front & back) of white text weight lined paper.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Whether you like to draw or write, Blue Highways has wonderful handbound journals to fit your wants or needs.  She has mini ones too!
 
I picked a couple that are more feminine, but she also has some great ones that would be perfect for the guys, I think the 1st one the green Soundscapes could be used by either!  I love the BlueHighways too!
Thanks for coming by and have a wonderful day.♥
 

ArtFireCrazyTrain Rider LeeLuCreations

LeeLuCreations on ArtFire creates some pretty cool jewelry along with bobbies and barrettes.

I don't wear yellow - I love yellow but it doesn't look good on me, but I still love these adorable Hello Yellow Earrings

Oh, it's a Peter Cottontail Locket Necklace!!! Too Cute!

There's just something about these cute little  He Thinks My Tractors Sexy Hair Pins that makes me almost want to buy them!  (except I just bought a cool pair of steampunk earrings! June's "play" money is all gone!)

I actually do know a couple of guys that would think those are really cool!
I bet you do too!





Our littlesister/littlebrother tag-a-longs:

PattyAnn with lots of vintage treasures and some of her own hats & an apron.  I love this Vintage White Linen Tea Jacket

me! lisianblue, I currently have some of my stained glass, painted glass, and some of my hand painted ornaments.  This Butterflies and  Hibiscus Flowers Ornament is one of my favorites.

and Wyverndesigns with some pretty cool polymer clay creations, home decor, hand knit & crocheted items and more, check out these adorable Pink Ladybug Buttons

Now, we all know ladybugs are red, right!  But that's the awsome thing about "handmade" you can get such creative items!

Be unique

Thanks for visiting and have a uniquely wonderful day!
Comments are greatly appreciated, even tho they are moderated!

IBHGuild Featured Artist Daffydill

Deb, the creator behind Daffydill, has been crafting for 40+ years.  She likes to collect and repair/clean vintage pieces, and most of the inventory in her shop is created using re purposed materials along with new wire, and gems.
I really like her shop name and the way it came about it.   I'll let her explain that - she does it so well!
" My name? daffydills comes from all those years ago when there was only ICQ available for IM.......yeppers aging myself. I was trying to come up with a screen name and none I wanted were available! It was spring and my son suggested daffodils, I love flowers, it was taken too! So, we giggled and compromised on "daffy dill" and it's stuck for all these years. Why change a good thing?! LOL"
Another flower lover! Yeah!

Deb's pictures really set off her jewelry quite nicely, and I was really drawn to this lovely Long White Necklace, White Beaded, Rope Style, White with Brass.  This OOAK necklace  made from upcycled beads and clasp is a generous 44"/110cm long.

If you love earrings,  Deb has some of her earrings on sale!  Besides blue, I love clear or frosted earrings such as these pretty Earrings, Dangle, Glass, Clear Faceted Glass, Drop Style

I love anklets!  Probably more than bracelets and this  Pink Beaded Anklet is so pretty and looks like fun to wear.

All three of these pieces have been created with upcycled beads, and other pieces.  I think she does a fabulous job of doing that.  Deb of Daffydill has lots of great pieces of jewelry , for instance she has a Wire Wrapped Crazy Lace Agate Pendant that is gorgeous!  It actually takes a bit of work to take previously made jewelry apart, clean up the pieces and then put them perhaps put them together with other pieces and parts from something else, and you know, I'm really impressed, because she has very reasonable  prices on her very nicely done jewelry.  I highly recommend you go see what lovely jewelry Daffydill has!
Thanks for coming by and have "daffydill" kind of day - bright and cheerful that is! 
Love comments - they are moderated, but that keeps the icky stuff out!

ArtFireCrazyTrain Rider DiscordThreads

DiscordThreads is my dream shop!  the shop intro says: " Upcycled pixie fairy sweater coats, recycled sari silk gypsy hippie skirts and maxis, designs for the eco-minded and green ~ tops, sets, shrugs, hoodies and so much more. Please inquire about custom orders if you don't see what you need, or if you like something but need alterations to make it your perfect fit."
and check this out,  DiscordThreads was "Featured on the Today Show ~ Top Ten Finalist in the NBC Green Is Universal Art of Reuse Contest"  That's pretty awesome!

No hippie I knew would have put the word princess with hippie, but hey this Tiered Mini Skirt Hippie Princess Fairy Tulle Underskirt Batic\k Pixie is pretty bitchin! (sorry, I just had to do it! :)  )

This Upcycled Sundress Delicate Florals Lace Cotton Chiffon Organza Floaty looks delightfully cool!

I love what some people do with premade garments that they remake into something else like this really neat Upcycled Sweater Tank and Mini Skirt Flutter Sleeves













Any idea why DiscordThreads is my dream shop????


And of course the littlesister/littlebrother tag-a-longs are in on this too!

HippiesCreations that has a large variety of hand crocheted caps, hats, baby & toddler items, bags, totes, toys,  and more..............................and jewelry too! Just one of her very darling toys is this Cute Crochet Amigurumi Red Fish

ChristieCottage with Art, decor, dolls, pillows, cards, magnets, journals, headbands, jewelry, patterns, purses, totes, pouches, wedding items, winter wear..............and oh yeah, pin cushions such as this very cool Blooming Pocket Pincushion




 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

and 123Gemstones with a great collection of jewelry, bookmarks, note cards, and some jewelry supplies too.  She even makes jewelry for our furry friends like this pretty Pet Bling Blue Acrylic & Gold Plated Filigree Beads "necklace" 
 
Not all jewelry artisans make jewelry for guys, but I think there are even fewer that make jewelry for our furry friends!
 
 
 
Besides being able to shop any time day or night, in or pj's or whatever, buying handmade is the way to go - you can find so many different awesome creations.  And many of these artisans love doing custom orders.  Be Unique!
 
Know the answer to my question up there?  Yes, part of it is because there are some really awesome cloths in DiscordThreads shop, but it is also my dream shop, because years ago I had a dream about doing something like this!  It may happen yet!
Thanks for coming by and have a great day!
Wishing you love, light & peace!
 

HandMade Artists Featured Artist NancysWildWireArt

I'm not sure but Nancy creator of NancysWildWireArt, on Handmade Artist's Shop may just need to change her shop name to Nancy'sWildArt, if she keeps expanding her talents!  Besides creating some very cool jewelry, she also paints some adorable little paintings on pieces of blue jeans! 

With Father's Day right around the corner, I thought I'd take a peak in her Unisex section and found this very cool Heavens Stairs Organic Stone Necklace  

Another one for the men is this Guys Bold Agate Ring in Copper Setting

Size 11 and definitely one of those cool rings that a man could wear is this awesome Mystical Stone Ring

Not all of the handmade jewelry makers out there make jewelry for men, and even tho, I don't really have a grown up guy in my life right now, I always get excited when I find someone that does make jewelry for men.  So if you are looking for a special Father's Day gift, birthday present or a "just because I love you" gift, take a peek at Nancy'sWildWireArt at  Handmade Artists Shop 

ArtFire CrazyTrain Rider MeMawSews

Catchy title to this shop, MeMawSews, where you will find a variety of  handmade bags, laptop, diaper, shoulder, tote, pillow covers and quilts.  You will also find clothing, quilt and home decor patterns.

This BubbleBearsPuffQuilt looks so soft and warm, perfect for your little one to snuggle up in.

and along that line is this adorable Baby Dinosaurs Diaper Bag Set

and of course for mom or you ladies out there is this adorable Wristlet in Black n White Floral Design

Looks like everything is well made, and stitched up nicely.  So if you are looking for that perfect baby shower gift,  MeMawSews would be a great place to go shopping.










Can't forget our little sister/littlebrother tag-a-longs

One of our few guys, Madmoravian, who does woodwork and stained glass as well as a bit of chainmaille.  I'm totally jealous of  his workshop!  He makes, boxes, pens, bread peels. bottle stoppers, wands, and has a bit of stained glass, glass charms, and chainmaille.   I'm thinking this Handmade Walnut & Tiger Maple Box would make a perfect Father's Day gift!

Acadienne with a variety of needlework items such as shawls, scarves, for the bath and kitchen and more such as these very colorful Ladies Crocheted Socks in Purple, Rust, Blue, Yellow
She makes some really cool scarves!

LovelyThings with an eclectic mix of handmade creations, women's and men's sewn clothing (some very cool boxer shorts), jewelry, quilts & afghans,  candles & holders, art work.......................these Blue Geckos Mens Boxer Shorts are so cool!

If you are looking for something a extra special for Father's Day, take a look at these shops where you will find quality items handmade with care.
Thanks for dropping by and have a great day! Comments are more than welcome - even tho they are moderated! :)

If you'd like to check out some former littlesisters/littlebrothers here's a link to a great collection http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=collections&op=details&cid=36140 one of my heart ornaments in it! :))
Have a good one!

Handmade Artists Featured Artist YankeeBurrowCreations

Debbi and her daughter Amanda are the creators behind YankeeBurrowCreations on Handmade Artist's Shop.  Debbi states she is having the time of her life creating, spending time with her hubby, children and grandson. She is also a great contributor at the Handmade Artist's Forum ( and frequently leaves comments on my blog :) )  Amanda has a background in fine art, and a Masters in graphic design.

Something about summer and June weddings calls attention to these very lovely creations for the special occasion such as this Quilled Picture Border frame for displaying your wedding invitation. I think it would also be a nice frame for a special anniversary picture, or a wedding picture.

This lovely Crochet Ring Bearer Pillow would add an extra special touch for your special day

and when the big event is all over you can send some keepsake items to them to lovingly arrange in a Bridal Shadow Box


Make your special day a little extra special with some lovingly handmade creations by this mother - daughter team of YankeeBurrowCreations

Thanks for stopping by and comments are greatly appreciated!
Have a superb day!

ArtFireCrazyTrainRider Garden Gate Designs

Garden Gate Designs offers some pretty cool handmade jewelry, mainly necklaces, although she does have a section for bracelets, there is only one listed - so if you are more into bracelets - head on over there!

The one very cool Bracelet Lavender and Blue Fire Agate

and as luck would have it, she has a Necklace of Fire Agate With Flower on Chain because yes, sometimes we do want our jewelry to match!

This Necklace Blue Green Amazonite is quite pretty.





So if you are in the market for some pretty awesome jewelry, go visit Garden Gate Designs where you will find artisan designed jewelry that makes a statement!









Our littlesister/littlebrother tag-a-longs

ShanghaiTai where you will find a large assortment of jewelry, some especially for brides.  I really like these Crystal Rain Dangle Earrings

OnPensAndNeedles where you can find an eclectic assortment of items such as jewelry, wood items, baby items, personal and home items and they have some of the nicest Wood Pens such as this Yellow Heart one.  Would make a great Father's Day gift don't you think?

and BlueMorningExpressions with "polymer clay beads, canes, jewelry and so much more" as it says on the shop banner.......................Love these Beads Orange Purple Flower Handmade Beads

I guess it's one of those jewelry days! and the cool thing is they all have different styles! One of the awesome things about handmade!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!
Love to hear from you - do leave a comment.

I do try to get to your blog and leave a comment when you leave one on mine. Reciprocity works! :)