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Kaleidoscope Style Felt Jewelry

Posted by MissMalaprop on August 12th, 2008

Kaleidoscope Style is a collaboration between two sisters who create one-of-a-kind embroidered felt jewelry and accessories that are super duper cute!

These pieces would be perfect for people who have metal allergies or sensitive skin, as they’re made entirely out of felt, yarn and seed beads, so there’s no metal to worry about! Even the clasps are made from felt and a crocheted loop. They’ve got necklaces, bracelets, brooches, hair accessories and even rings…all made from felt! How cool!

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Earring Obsessed

Posted by MissMalaprop on August 11th, 2008

I’ve become earring obsessed again lately!

These fleur de lis dangle earrings from the high contrast™ collection by Lynda Andrews-Barry caught my eye on Etsy the other day and I’ve been lusting after them ever since. I think I will definitely be purchasing these at some point in the future. Fleur de lis (a symbol of New Orleans pride) + bright, bold colors = perfect for me.

I’m also in love with these round bubble earrings in fuchsia by Jimmy Mann of Mann Made Designs. These are made from sterling silver and recycled aluminum, and I just love the combination of a simple design with a bold pop of color. (Many other colors and designs are available too, if you’re not into pink!)

Janick of Nea is celebrating her 2 year anniversary of selling on Etsy and her recent decision to pursue her business full-time by having her first ever sale in her shop!

For one week only (the sale ends August 15th), you can find her unique creations at prices already marked down either 10% or 15% off everything! No promo codes, no revised invoices, just browse & shop. Her Deploy goose feather earrings are still my personal favorites!

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A.N. Original Jewelry Giveaway Winner!

Posted by MissMalaprop on August 10th, 2008

A big thanks goes out to everyone who commented and entered the A.N. Original Jewelry Giveaway. The response was phenomenal!

And the randomly chosen winner is…. bunny! Congratulations to bunny, who picked this chunky red coral and gold akoya pearl necklace as one of her favorite pieces from Ashley Nizolek’s collection.

We’ll be getting in touch via email to find out where to send your new silver Surrounded Scrolls necklace!

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A.N. Original Jewelry Giveaway Update

Posted by MissMalaprop on August 1st, 2008

If you haven’t already entered the A.N. Original Jewelry giveaway, there’s still time! You could win this gorgeous silver necklace by indie jewelry designer Ashley Nizolek.

In fact, Ashley and I have been so overwhelmed by the responses that we’ve decided to extend the giveaway for one more week, so you’ve got until next Friday, August 8, 2008 to enter. All you have to do is go comment on the original post here and let us know which of Ashley’s pieces is your favorite!

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A.N. Original Jewelry Giveaway!

Posted by MissMalaprop on July 24th, 2008

Remember that fabulous giveaway I mentioned a few days ago? Well, here it is!

I was recently contacted by jewelry designer Ashley Nizolek of A.N. Original Jewelry. She wanted to let me know about her work and to possibly do a giveaway of one of her pieces here on MissMalaprop. I went to go check out her designs and immediately fell in love, so there was no question about doing a giveaway!

Ashley designs beautiful, modern, 100% handcrafted artisan jewelry using high quality materials such as semi-precious gem stones, freshwater and akoya pearls, sterling silver, 14K gold and brass.

The necklace one lucky MissMalaprop reader will receive is a silver Surrounded Scrolls necklace, like the one shown below. It’s actually one of my favorite pieces from Ashley’s collection. (And honestly, it makes me a little jealous that I can’t be eligible for this giveaway!)

What’s your favorite piece from A.N. Original Jewelry? All you have to do to enter the giveaway is leave a comment on this post with the name of and/or a link to your favorite item on Ashley’s website or Etsy shop. You’ve got from now until midnight on Friday, August 1, 2008 Friday, August 8, 2008 (Central Standard Time - go here to figure out what time that is where you are).

One winner will be chosen at random from the comments. Be sure to leave a valid email address with your comment, because the winner will be contacted via email to find out where Ashley should ship it to!

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Blogathon Auction at Never Silent

Posted by MissMalaprop on July 23rd, 2008

Betsi from zlanarama.com just emailed me to let me know about a fabulous charitable event she’s participating in.

Her friend Shira Lipkin is doing a Blogathon on her site, Never Silent, to raise money for the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC), and she’ll be posting to her blog every half hour for 24 hours on July 26-27 to raise money for this great charity.

In order to help raise funds for BARCC, Shira has coordinated an eBay auction with tons of handmade goodies, including this pink-yet-punk mirrored perspex skull pendant by Betsi. Every item in this auction will have a short-short story written about it during the Blogathon, and the winner of each auction receives a story card with their item. 100% of the proceeds of the auctions will go to BARCC.

Help a great charity and check out all the cool stuff up for auction!

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Carnival Inspired Interactive Jewelry

Posted by MissMalaprop on May 28th, 2008

jamie noel Zoltar necklace Jamie Noel’s carnival-inspired interactive jewelry pieces remind me of hot summer days on the boardwalk. Not only do they make you think of Coney Island and days gone by, but each pendant is like a little toy to make the minutes fly by while you’re at work and waiting for the weekend. (Personally, my four day long Memorial Day weekend was still too short.)

Check out this bathing beauty, watch some Punch & Judy puppet theater or get your fortune told by Zoltar. (Remember him from the movie Big?)

These pieces may make you feel nostalgic, but they also feature earth friendly materials! Each piece starts out as a bit of cardboard recycled from an old cereal box. Check out more of these charming designs at JamieNoel.etsy.com.

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Vintage Vodka Label Necklace

Posted by MissMalaprop on May 21st, 2008

I absolutely love this necklace. Maybe it’s the recycled vintage vodka label, maybe it’s because I live in New Orleans and we know how to hold our hard liquor… I don’t know but it’s pretty awesome. And it’s also available in scotch, rum, gin and brandy at dustDesignCo.etsy.com for $35. They’ve got plenty of other amazing repurposed jewelry pieces as well, including loads of steampunk inspired wearable art.

dustDesignCo.etsy.com vintage vodka label necklace

via GreatGreenGoods

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Natural Formations

Posted by MissMischief on March 3rd, 2008

Zulasurfing Agate Amethyst Druzy RingSince I was young, I’ve always had a love of gemstones and minerals. It’s not unusual for me to come come with a couple of rocks in my pockets from a hike I took that morning. Much of this probably stems from my mother’s love and study of stones, as well. Her house is filled with raw stones and polished gems, each beautiful, vibrant, and almost otherworldly.

This is probably why I’m so attracted to Etsy seller Zulasurfing. Their shops feature the most incredible handcarved rings, from a variety of different ores, minerals and stones. All of their rings are polished around the sides and in the ring’s hole, but the top is left rough and a bit raw. I’m quite in love with this fabulous Amethyst Druzy ring, but it’s sadly too big for my fingers! I keep watching though, in hopes of finding another hot pink ring or something similar, in my size.

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A Beautiful Notion

Posted by MissMischief on February 19th, 2008

angela.jpgToo many months back, I remember coming across an old manager of mine. I was delighted to find out that she had left retail and was launching her own business, A Beautiful Notion. Angela had always been the crafty girl in our store, making all sorts of jewelry. To see that she was taking advantage of her love of design and a small community that supports independent business, well, it was exciting!

Recently I was at my salon, when I realized that Angela’s lovely barrettes were being sold there! There was a lovely bowl filled with vibrant, sparkling pieces, each one unique and different. There were so many beautiful ones, that it was hard for me to choose which to get. I eventually settled on one with a large red floral shaped button that was accented by red, orange, purple, and pale pink beads. It’s absolutely lovely, and really shines in the light.

I found out that Angela has recently launched an Etsy shop. Inside you can find lovely necklaces and earrings, and hopefully she’ll post barrettes, too. I’m really charmed by the design on these Dutch Heart Earrings and the subtle use of color they have. These earrings would be be over the top lovely if paired with this Electrical Washer Necklace which reuses vintage beads and bakelite, along with the washer.

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Reclaimed Antique Bottles and Glass Jewelry

Posted by MissMalaprop on January 14th, 2008

Bottled Up Designs earringsI love these beautiful earrings made from recycled glass by Laura Bergman of Bottled Up Designs.

These particular earrings were crafted from two nuggets of clear glass from an early 1900’s vinegar jug which Laura rolled in thousands of cobalt crystals from a 1920’s Noxema bottle. I love these earrings because they represent a recycled bit of history, but mostly because they’re just plain gorgeous.

All of Laura’s work is created from reclaimed antique glass and bottles that she finds near her home in rural Pennsylvania Amish country. Each of her creations comes with “The Story of the Glass”, which details the history behind each piece of glass, what it would have been used for so long ago, and the age of the piece. Find earrings, pendants and more at Bottled Up Designs.

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Kiku Fused Glass Belt Buckles

Posted by MissMalaprop on January 11th, 2008

Kiku fused glass belt buckle - cameraI’ve been in love with quirky belt buckles lately. First my indie film director boyfriend picked up an awesome belt buckle when we were in Austin a couple of months ago… it’s shaped like one of those clapper slate boards they use in films.

Yesterday I saw my friend Heather from Unique Products wearing one of her own fused glass belt buckles. I rarely wear belts, but lately I find myself wanting to incorporate them into my wardrobe, just so I can get a snazzy belt buckle.

Kiku fused glass belt buckle - virusI really like the fused glass belt buckles by Kiku. For some reason I’m very drawn to this camera belt buckle… I think it’s because it reminds me of MissMischief. I also really love the virus buckle and the tentacles buckle. There are also some cool yarn buckles which would be great for knitters. Plus, if you can’t find anything that’s just right, Laurie (the designer behind Kiku) can craft you a one-of-a-kind custom belt buckle.

Laurie makes more than just cool belt buckles. You can also find unique necklaces, earrings, rings and more at the Kiku shop.

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Earrings!

Posted by MissMalaprop on November 14th, 2007

I’ve been crazy for earrings lately. With my super short haircut, I’ve been wearing them pretty much every day. Here are a few of my favorite recent earring finds:

Stone Soup JewelryI’m loving these adorable caterpillar-like handcrafted sterling silver earrings. Each pair is made to order for only $30 at StoneSoupJewelry.

Alarm Industries guitar earrings

My boyfriend got me addicted Guitar Hero on XBox, and these earrings made from recycled vinyl records remind me of my new favorite video game. $14.99 at VLING

four-in-one earrings by India y la LunaThese sterling silver earrings are a great buy because they’re so amazingly versatile. In fact, they’re four pairs of earrings in one! In addition to the hoops pictured here, they also come with a tiny stud earwire, and you can wear the pieces alone or with the main body. $36 at India y la Luna

tinarice earringsI think these kiln-fired enamel and copper earrings would be perfect for everyday wear and would be a great way to add some sass to a simple jeans & a t-shirt. $21 at tinarice

OctopusMe earringsLast but certainly not least… if I had to choose only one, these would be my current faves. I stumbled across these octopus tentacle earrings a few days ago on Etsy and now I’m obsessed. I’ve been an avid octopi fan since well before the current craze, and these are just gorgeous. $38 at OctopusMe

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