Etsy Favorites ~ Lime Green Rhinestones

Last weekend it was 50 degrees here... a slight glimpse of Spring! Of course, Cleveland weather changes by the hour, and now it's now 10 degrees as I write this post! The Cleveland Home and Garden show is going on this week, so I've had visions of gardens, flowers and green grass! April isn't too far away (that's what we keep telling ourselves!) and pretty soon we'll be putting away our snow shovels and getting out our umbrellas.

I want to introduce you to an Etsy shop owned by fellow Cleveland Handmade member, Lea. Take a peek at Lime Green Rhinestones. Lea hand paints and embellishes umbrellas so you don't have to carry around a plain, boring, basic black umbrella again!


All of these are hand painted, embellished, whimsical and fully functional rain umbrellas! Aren't they cute! You'll definitely be the center of attention when you carry one of these! Click on any of the photos or this link { linky } to check out Lea's shop today!

Beautiful items, Lea ♥

Cleveland Handmade Giveaway ~ Italian Earrings from Erika Originals

Cleveland Handmade is hosting a giveaway to thank all our supporters and customers, as well as give you the opportunity to check out the high-quality handmade art in our members’ shops. This giveaway comes from Erika Originals. Images from a vintage French dictionary and a vintage atlas showing the cities of Rome, Naples, and Milan are placed into vintage brass settings and covered with waterproof resin to make these fabulous Italian Earrings. The posts and earnuts are made of surgical steel.

Visit Cleveland Handmade for contest information and learn how to enter to win! This is a great time to browse the shops of Cleveland artists. You have until Wednesday, February 3 at noon EST to get your entry in. There’s lots to discover!

2010 Wedding Trends

I love weddings and all the details involved! I regular browse wedding-related sites and blogs for the wedding style ideas. I've been reading a lot about 2010 wedding trends, so with Spring weddings right around the corner, I thought I'd compile what I've read.

It's fun to read about the trends, but personally I think couples should plan a wedding that reflects their style -- whether it's a formal occasion, destination beach wedding or a casual backyard barbeque.

So many fabulous wedding items are available on Etsy -- I will be posting follow-ups to this post featuring items that I've found. I'll also be posting some pictures of jewelry that would be perfect for a bride, bridal party or for any special occasion!

Birdcage Veils
I love this look! These vintage-look veils usually combine a jeweled clip or feathered headpiece with netting that only covers the face. Wearing one allows you to have some dramatic glamor and feel like a bride, but is a more fun look and a little less hassle than a long traditional veil. (although I still love the look of a long, sheer, cathedral length veil!)

Mismatched Bridesmaid Dresses
For several years, brides have been selecting a bridesmaid dress designer and a fabric, then letting their bridesmaids choose the style that works best for their bodies. But the 2010 wedding trend takes idea further.Choose only a color, then let your bridesmaids find an off-the-rack dress of any designer that they like. Not only does this take some pressure off of you, but it also ensures that women are choosing a dress they like and they'll be likely to actually wear again. If you follow this trend, be sure to tell your bridesmaids how formal the dress should be – you don't want one bridesmaid wearing a casual sundress while another has on a beaded evening gown. You can tie the look together by having all the girls carry the same flowers or wear the same jewelry.

Colors
A couple several color trends are predicted. Again, I think brides should choose colors based on what they like and not on trends or season.

Orange: The comeback in 2010 will be bright orange color. Think bright gerbera daisies! So pretty paired with bright pink/fuschia as well as a softer peach or yellow.

Bright Blue: Bright shades of cobalt blue and turquoise are expected to be 'hot' this year.

Bright Yellow and Peach Tones: These are also some of the top color trends for the 2010 wedding season, especially for weddings taking place in the spring and summer.

Touches of Black
A black sash, black flowers, or black detail/beading on a dresses are forecasted for 2010. Don't be scared of adding a few touches of black - even for a spring or summer wedding.

Romantic Dresses
When I think of romance I think of Grace Kelly on her wedding day. Romance is definitely back and 2010 will be no exception. The 2010 trends welcome back the classical, romantic bride. The application of flowers,lace and feathers will be very big in 2010, all of which are reminiscent of our grandmothers and the beautiful decade of the 30s.

Details, Details, Details
Personalizing, taking the time and the effort to pay special attention toall the little details – the ones that make guests feel special, welcome and that stand out from all the other weddings – is a huge trend. I love the idea of adding a monogram the cake, aisle runner, programs, favors, and even water bottles! It's easy to personalize with the items available on Etsy -- including monograms, invitations, decorations, jewelry and caketoppers, just to name a few!

I've seen a lot of orange lately - especially in home interior/decor catalogs. So here's a compilation of wedding-related items in orange.

Cheesecake Brownies

Sunday is my grocery shopping day. As I was browsing the weekly ad yesterday, I saw that both brownie mix and cream cheese were on sale. Hmmm.... I couldn't pass that up! So I pulled out my old recipe for cheesecake brownies and whipped up a batch. I haven't made these in so long and forgot how good (and easy) they were!

Cheesecake Brownies
1 box brownie mix (I used Betty Crocker family size)
8 oz pkg cream cheese
1/3 c sugar
1 egg

1. Prepare brownie mix as directed. Spread batter into a 9x13 inch pan, greased on the bottom.
2. Using a mixer, blend together cream cheese, sugar and egg until smooth. Using 2 spoons, dollap spoonfuls of batter on top of the brownie mixture. Use a knife to swirl the cream cheese and brown mixture.
3. Bake according to the brownie mix instructions. *I had to bake mine an extra 10 minutes or so. Brownies are done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
4. Cool, cut into bars and enjoy!

Etsy Favorites ~ Julia Sherry Designs

Tada! I'm starting a new series of "Etsy Favorites". When I'm on Etsy I always come across items and artists that catch my eye. So I started marking these as favorites and want to share with you!

My first feature is Sherry of Julia Sherry Designs, whose hand-crafted clutches caught my eye. My mom has always carried a separate coin purse in her purse for her loose change. She likes the purses with metal frames that keep the coins secure but are easy to open and close. I have my eye on Sherry's mini coin purses - I'm thinking this would be a perfect little treat for my mom on Mother's Day. Right now my 2 favorites are her Mini Zoo and Mini Kitty designs (but they're all so cute I keep changing my mind!).


Sherry also features larger clutches and below are some of my favorites. I think the black and white damask would be fabulous with a black party dress. As a bride I carried a basic white purse. I would have loved a bright pretty clutch for a pop of color! And wouldn't any of these be perfect bridesmaids gifts! Your girls will enjoy using these long after the wedding. These are just the right size for carrying extra money, cosmetics, keys and other essentials!

Mother's Day is right around the corner.... any mom would love a pretty clutch! Sherry's shop has many different sizes and fabrics -- check them out today!

Beautiful work, Sherry!

Cleveland Handmade Giveaway ~ Felted Scarf

It's chilly out, so now is the perfect time to check out the latest giveaway from Cleveland Handmade!

Cleveland Handmade is hosting a giveaway to thank all our supporters and customers, as well as give you the opportunity to check out the high-quality handmade art in our members’ shops. This giveaway comes from über-talented fiber artist Shannon Okey of Knitgrrl Studio. This delightful, 100% one-of-a-kind wet felted scarf is made from fine local Great Lakes–area wool. The wool is wet felted, cut to size, and individually hand-dyed. The result is an incredibly soft, functional piece of art. Visit Cleveland Handmade for instructions on entering this giveaway!

Custom Bridal Order ~ Classic Pearls

I love weddings! And I really enjoy creating jewelry for brides and their maids. I just packaged up and shipped a custom order for a bridal party. The bride-to-be saw my classic pearl earrings in my etsy shop and asked me to make matching necklaces. I love the creamy Swarovski pearls against the 14k goldfill metal. This is a nice design because the girls can wear these long after the wedding.

Treasury Love!

Many thanks to Tricia of LazyT Crochet for including me in her 'Sweet' treasury! (that's me in the lower left hand corner!!). I'm still learning how to get screenshots, so bear with me! All of these items are from the Cleveland Handmade Team on Etsy. Search 'clevelandteam' and discover the many talented artisans from Northeast Ohio!

Also check out LazyT's shop - her crocheted and knitted items are amazing and now is the perfect weather for her beautiful items. I've had my eye on this capelet for a while. I love the color!

A glimpse of sun!

I think I heard the weatherman say that it has snowed every day since January 1st. And it's been a lot of snow! We've had dark gray skies day after day, so it was such a treat to wake up to bright sunlight reflecting off the snow this morning. I love how the snow glistens in the sun.... so pretty to look at, but not fun to drive in. Here's a few pics I snapped this morning before heading out.

Stay warm, everyone!

Baby it's cold outside!

Brrr! It was a cold one today and the snow kept falling and blowing! I went grocery shopping early then stayed in the rest of the day. I actually liked being snowed in today... I organized some of my jewelry supplies, tried out a new recipe in the crock pot and took a nap (ok, that was my favorite part!). And the Cleveland Browns won their final game - yay!
I think I need to get my turtlenecks ready for the week. The forecast is looking pretty cold and snowy:
Welcome to the snowbelt of Northeast Ohio!

Have a good week everyone and stay warm:)
Kathy