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Shopping blog featuring products made by people not factories.

Crystal

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Hello dear friends, my name is Olinda Lorena Mayor and I decided to call from my clothing brand Crystal.

Every single design comes from my different states of mind and my love for art.

I try that each design fits well to the female body, no matter which type of silhouette the woman who wears them has , reflecting in this way the female instinct and sweetness.

I make clothes for women because I’m proud of being and anyway, is there a more beautiful thing to make? The choice of materials, the silkscreen prints, the hand painted details and the mouldery are designed by me.

I try to transcend fashion by making each design a piece of art with a personal style.

The woman that inspires CRYSTAL is delicate, lovable and fresh and each garment spreads good vibes to all women in the world.

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Crochet silver crown

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I adore this crochet silver ring!

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Lena Marie Echelle: The assumption of jewelry as tactile is a basic component of the definition of jewelry as distinguished from other art forms, and it is part of the intimacy of the medium. Because of this, texture and movement are as important as color in my work. Many of my pieces open or close, have moving pieces, bells, or secret elements that rattle within hollow spaces. I use mixed metals in my work, building up dimension and texture through shell forming, folding, forging, punching, repousse and chasing techniques. In a simple process where silver dust and filings are fused to copper sheet, I have found a method that produces wonderfully reticulate surface textures and beautiful color contrast. The excitement of the unknown and the timely recollection of previous ideas, the practice of creating and distilling forms and concepts, and the pleasure of seeing others’ reactions to my jewelry encourage me to keep working.

What’s new in the Gallery

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There’s great work in the Gallery this week:

And check out the rest of the beautiful work shown in our Handmade Gallery – you can even submit your own!

Tiffany Chou

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Every so often when looking for new artists to feature on this blog, I use Etsy’s pounce feature. This time when it brought up the brand-spankin’ new shop of Tiffany Chou I was immediately drawn in by the amazing photos of her jewelry. The stunning settings just suck you into the sea swept life and you find yourself pining for a lovely gold coral to wear around your neck.

Like most of the artists I’ve featured, Tiffany’s been making things by hand since a young age, 14 to be exact, and has always dreamed of sharing her creations with the world. She got a lot of good feedback on her most recent jewelry collection, so she’s been focusing on getting her online shop up and running, though she has sold a bit on her personal website as well.

The “Here sharky sharky” is my favorite piece, its very delicate and reminds me of the ocean.

As you can clearly see, Tiffany is inspired by the ocean and all it produces. She sells some of her line in a shop in Hawaii as well – a perfect souvenir from paradise, I’d think.

Each piece is inspired by a shell from Tiffany’s large shell collection. She chooses shells she believes will translate well into metal and then casts and plates each piece.

Tiffany’s love of the sea should be no surprise as she grew up in Maui, Hawaii. She went to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and then moved to New York City to pursue her interest in fashion. You can find out more about Tiffany and see some more of her work on her website. If the jewelry wasn’t beautiful enough, it’s even more lovely when you know that 5% of the profits go to Coral Reef Alliance and 5% to Dancing Palette.

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

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I just love lazy Sunday afternoons. I usually sleep in just a little bit later than usual, treat myself to a healthy breakfast, and lounge around in my pajamas reading a book, singing along to Hawaiian music on the radio or catching up on my favorite blogs. It always feels so indulgent to set aside my chores, and just let the rest of the world continue on its busy way.

A cute (and comfortable!) pair of pajamas always make my lazy Sunday afternoons that much more enjoyable. This ruffled chemise from Sandmaiden Sleepwear is made with an organic cotton/rayon blend that has just a little bit of stretch to it, the perfect fabric for lounging around. You can customize your chemise by choosing from twelve fabric colors and six lace colors. I think the rose colored fabric with navy blue lace would be just beautiful, although I really love the ochre color featured on the model for fall.

If you prefer to lounge in pajama pants, Lorigami creates cute and comfortable cropped pajama bottoms from vintage material. I just love the cheery yellow gingham fabric and satin trim on this pair. Add your favorite worn-in t-shirt and settle in for some relaxation.

Sometimes a girl needs to treat herself to a little bit of lace. This blue lace sleepwear set from Little Sister Lucy is sexy enough to make you feel special, but comfortable enough to lounge in all day. I just love pink velvet trim and the little sprinkling of sequins around the neckline, what a beautiful touch!

Well, I know what I’m going to be doing this weekend. I hope you too will take the time to treat yourself to a relaxing afternoon, and some cute pajamas!

**Created by tastes orangey, the beautiful image featured at the top of this post is a print of an original painting and features a stitched border.**