Another Invisible Necklace

Jeanne has done it again and produced a gorgeous, blingy, shiny trinket to make you the envy of your friends. This invisible necklace comes with a matching set of earrings. What a cute idea for that Mom who loves shiny stuff! Of course, it comes gift wrapped. Of course, it is available at our shop.

Upcoming = Mother's Day

I feel like that Kmart commercial where the woman goes out shopping for patio furniture while her husband is shoveling snow, but...

Hoppy Easter

GLOW - New Earring Listing

These cute little earrings are classic and understated and my first attempt at briolettes. I was really inspired by the ear wires...so long and clean lined. Fantastic green olivines, (aren't they all green?) with tons of facets that make them glimmery and shimmery.

I can almost see the desert!

New listing on Mud Puddle Sisters on etsy. This necklace is called Sante Fe. It is inspired by the time Jeanne lived in the Southwest and picked up a love of the art and culture the region is so famous for. Who can blame her? Its a fabulous city that has really come into it's own as the 3rd largest art market in America. Add amazing food, cute B&B's and unsurpassed climate and you can really see why she loves it so much.

The necklace is 15 1/2 inches. The copper hued chips are goldstone, the red is coral and, yes, it has turquoise. Sterling silver rounds and a sterling silver clasp top it off.

Our First Treasury

After a REALLY CONCERTED effort, I was finally able to sneak into the treasury on etsy when there was an available spot! Take a look at our treasury on Thunder and Rain themed products.

Metals Heart

It may be because I have a 17 year old son that plays the guitar, but when I saw this cute pick by Metal Heart on Etsy, I just thought , "how cool is that!?".

Absolutely a cool gift for the guitar player in your life.

The  sterling silver pick can be personalized with a name or up to 8 words of your choice. It even comes with a polishing cloth, and is packaged in an organza pouch. VERY cool, Metals Heart!

Big Changes = Alot of Work!

I am on a constant quest to see what I can do to improve Mud Puddle Sisters, and after swallowing my pride, I have finally come to the conclusion that I have to change my product photos on Etsy. (I have got feedback that the pictures are too bright and it is hard to see some of the jewelry.

So, I thought I would post a sneak peek and see if anyone had any opinions about our "new look".

(The model is one of Susie's beautiful daughters, Stephanie.)

Sparkle - Beaded chain earrings

A little agate bead, a little crystal bead and some chain make up these cute earrings. Perfect with a pair of jeans or with that little black dress. Available now at Mud Puddle Sisters for only $12.00.

Thanks!

I wanted to mention Cokie Pops Paper Boutique and say "Thanks" for the feature last week! They are our first "official" mention on another blog!
Be sure to visit her site, especially if you are a scrapbooker. Not only  is she obviously a very talented artist, she also does great features on other etsy sellers.
Her etsy shop: Cokie Pop Paper Boutique

National Crochet Month

A crochet sculpture from Neat-O-Rama's article.

My mother used to crochet as therapy for her Multiple Sclerosis. I think her piece de resistance was a scultured bust of Thumper, her favorite character from Bambi. (Not picture above) Neat-O-Rama has an interesting link to some even more interesting crochet art. I figure it's crafty, so I'll share.

Trends for 2010

Of the utmost importance to someone that is in the jewelry selling biz on etsy is: What will sell? What will all the fashionable ladies want to adorn themselves with this season? Today, I set out in search of answers.
Luckily, I have the internet at my disposal, a thirst for knowledge and an (if I must say myself) unparalleled ability to search Google. I put all these together and decided to share what I came up with.

The folks over at jewelry-business-blog.com are saying strong motifs and bold statements are in this season. Elephants (?)coins and the ever present bird motif will be strong. In earrings, the style will be larger and lightweight. They also tout deep greens and rich purples and state that American women like to buy jewelry in sets.

These precious dancing elephants are available

from TillyBloom on Etsy.

Ezine's jewelry expert Faye Hopkins had some great ideas on what will be the big sellers. She really takes into account the state of the economy and how that will reflect in jewelry fashion. She speculates that cool colors like blues and grays will dominate because it is no longer in vogue to stand out. Because she thinks the trend is toward symbolism and meaning, she is guessing that light bracelets and small subtle pendants will be big.

The JewelryChateau on Etsy has

this trendy necklace available.

(And I must say I would like to borrow the flawless skin of the model to go with it!)

The best news I read was from Ms. Hopkins, and I have to say, I really hope she is right:

"Handcrafted unique jewelery will continue to be hugely popular. More popular than ever, in 2010, because of the desire to express oneself through creativity rather than extravagance. Expect the truly fashionable to be wearing their own beaded jewelery, from necklaces, pendants, to rings and bands."

Isn't that what we all wanted to hear?

Happy Birthday!

Can't forget to wish Susie a Happy Birthday today!

Woodland Cross - Beaded Double Stranded Necklace

At the risk of being wrong, I am going to give the design credit on this one to Jeanne. This is one of those necklaces that just cant get any justice through a camera lens. In person it is absolutely SPARKLING. The copper beads are gorgeous and the green was a perfect color to complement them.

Our First Feature!

Way back when I first became an etsian, (like 2 months ago!) I was perusing the site to see if I was going to fit in and I came across the CUTEST idea for a bride! Lilafrances, on etsy, has a small inventory, but she has a great product to back it up.

These adorable hangers are available in several different sayings, or can be personalized with names etc. As a wedding photographer, I think this would be an awesome prop. Better yet, what a cool way to hang that honeymoon peignoir set! Oo la la!

Lilafrances also has smaller sizes available for street clothing and even makes a child size.

I encourage anyone looking for that perfect shower gift to put in their orders early. She is running at about 8 weeks processing time now, but plans to get caught up soon. I say it is WELL worth the wait. 10% of Lilafrances' profits go to Ovarian Cancer Research Fund in honor of her mother, who encouraged her craft.

Sneak Peek!

Here's  a sneak peek at some of the upcoming listings on

 Mud Puddle Sisters:

Super Excited About These New Necklaces

I am super excited about this necklace. I named it "Frolic". It is a staggering 52 inches long and has a gorgeous "oceany" feel to it. It can be worn sooo many ways and once arranged, it has a way of staying in place. I prefer it TRIPLED!Susie came up with this funky design, and she and Jeanne have been making them all week. They have worn some samples around and people are really liking it, so, I have high hopes for these pieces.(I have several more sitting in inventory just WAITING to be posted. )

Happy Dogs Note Cards

A cute little set of notecards that I made from an experiment with dog pictures. Last Christmas I took Pets with Santa photos for Central Arkansas Rescue (C.A.R.E.S.) and these were some of the puppies that came in for a sitting. If they look unhappy, blame the bearded guy that was trying to cozy up to them. If you love dogs, and have room in your home and heart,(and live near Little Rock) CARES has a program to foster dogs they have up for adoption. Its such a nice alternative to the dreaded kennel situation they are put in at city facilities.

Millie- Long Double Stranded Pearls

This is Millie and she was designed and made by Susie. This is a great peice with alot of weight to it. My favorite part of it is that it can be worn long or it comes with a "S" clip that allows you to double it to almost choker size. The monkite jasper is really gorgeous, hand wrapped and sets this pearl strand apart from others. It just screams "night at the opera" to me.

Mushroom Note Cards

This is an example of some of my photography. I took all these photos, at Burn's Park in Little Rock, after a particularly wet month. My husband plays disc golf at this park and I sometimes tag along to get some exercise. The cards are $12.00 USD for a set of five. Each card has a different picture. They are shipped with envelopes, in gift packaging. Available at Mud Puddle Sisters.

Claret - Necklace with Silver Charms

Claret.

A cute necklace, made once again, by Jeanne.

3 charms and some beautiful red glass beads.

Invisible - Swarovski Crystal Pendant Necklace

Jeanne, of Mud Puddle Sisters,  came up with this design. Although this photo doesn't really reflect the live look of this necklace. The filament is truly, practically, invisible when it is worn. The color of the crystal cube reminds me of carnival glass and the bead on top is a pale blue tiny butterfly. When worn, the crystal gives the appearance of floating in mid- air. Check out our Etsy page for more pictures or to purchase.