I need a break and this is just the excuse!

I've been busy the past few days, trying to de-clutter and sort out my accounts (and I haven't finished yet!). So I thought I'd take a break from it and do this weeks Craft Britannia Etsy team's 'shop of the week'.

This week's SOTW is the lovely Erica Price of Erika Price Designs. Reading her interview on the team blog made me realise how much energy some people have and give to their lives. Erika's daily life seems like a blur of activity and creativity.

Erika not only makes jewellery but is also a silversmith and makes her own really beautiful glass beads and I've only shown a small sample of her work here.

Crystal Union Jack pendant.

Matching crystal Union Jack friendship bracelet.

Handmade silver and ruby pendant

Handmade glass bead earrings.

I've saved my favorite until last, these have to be the most beautiful handmade beads I've ever seen (and as I used to make a lot of earrings, I've seen quite a few!)

I love the delicate blossom patterns inside the glass beads and to get two beads made to match is quite amazing!

These have to be my favorite. Beautiful handmade glass bead earrings.

You can visit Erika's shop here and her Craft Britannia interview is here


That's all for today, I really hope you'll go and read Erika's interview and visit her shop, both are well worth a visit.

I suppose I'd better make another cuppa and get back to those accounts, sadly the accounts elves must be on holiday in our area, or I'd wake up and find them magically done for me!

Blue Monday

Yes it's grey skies and more grey skies here today and I'm feeling a tiny bit blue with lack of sun (although we did get a peep from it yesterday). The view out of the window from where I sit, is all grey sky but is also filled with the view of large green trees, the silver birch and pear tree at the bottom of our garden, along with the apple tree from next door and yet more trees at the bottom of the garden, that our garden joins with.
It's usually quiet and peaceful outside and I really love the view, but the builders from next door are using a pipe / brick cutting tool again, so I'm wishing I was somewhere else today - maybe by the sea, even on a grey miserable day like today a visit to the seaside can be really peaceful!

Since I'm having a bit of a blue (lack of sun and too much noise) day, and wishing I was somewhere else, I thought I'd do this weeks SOTW early. This weeks Craft Britannia Etsy team's shop of the week is Carrie from Phoenvix, her shop stocks her handmade jewellery and her handmade ACEO cards, which are both pretty and affordable.
I went to take a look at Carrie's jewellery, these pieces made me feel like I was by the sea, very peaceful and relaxed. So I've chosen to feature some of her lovely blue and green pieces today, rather than her other jewellery or ACEO cards.

Chunky green glass bead bracelet

  

This lovely chunky bracelet reminds me of the sea on a glorious sunny day.

Shell pendant with chain and bead necklace.

A more delicate piece, which also reminds me of the sea, beaches and little sailing boats.

Blue green stretch elastic bracelet

Another bracelet that reminds me of the seaside, looking at this , I can imagine myself poking about in rock pools like I did as a child, something I haven't done in a very long time.


I really hope you'll take the time to visit Carrie's shop and also pop over to the Craft Britannia blog to read her interview.


That's all for today and fingers crossed the builders next door go home early so I can get some peace and quiet! Meanwhile, I'll just sit and daydream about being on a quiet and secluded beach overlooking the sea.

Oooh it's time for Man of the week!

OK that should really be Craft Britannia shop of the week, but since we're featuring one of the few men in our team I couldn't resist saying it!

This week we're featuring Tony of Axevictimus. He's a wood and metal jewellery crafter, who makes his contemporary pieces from exotic hardwoods, metals and cubic zirconia.


                            When choosing my favorites, this piece immediately jumped                                             out at me. I love the contrast of the metal against the ebony.

                              Limited edition Ebony and sterling silver with a yellow gold rivet, 
                              which can be purchased here

                        Or how about this colourful piece, made from paduak wood, set with a

                        garnet cubic zirconia.

                           A lovely wild olive wood pendant, inset with a sapphire cubic zirconia.

I love the simplicity of Tony's pieces, they're decorative without being 'fussy', and are something both men and women could wear. 

                 And if jewellery isn't your 'thing', why not go for a keyring like this one, which

                 can be personalized.

       

For further info about Tony and his work, please visit Craft Britannia's blog and you can see more of Tony's work here in his Etsy shop.

Just time to mention, that it's yours truly featuring in next week's shop of the week, so I won't do a review of myself (although it's very tempting to see what fun I can have with it!)

Yummy Flying Cheese Toastie!

No it's not a food fight, it's Etsy's Craft Britannia team's shop of the week spot!

This week is the turn of FlyingCheeseToastie (don't you just love that name!)
and Rachel Elliott, who is the face and talent behind the name.

Rachel's shop is full of her beautiful handmade jewellery, glass ware and amazing glass sculptures. My favorites have to be her glass hare sculptures, like the ones shown below.

Kissing hares - a pair of glass sculptures

Patriotic glass hare sculpture

Rachel also makes glass fox sculptures and jewellery, which are stunning.

 

I was never a fan of paisley designs until I saw Rachel's sculptures, now I love it!

A selection of some of the glass trinket dishes that Rachel makes

Rachel is a full time self employed glass artist, with her own studio. She mostly works with glass using kiln-forming techniques, but also incorporate other materials with it, ranging from metals and woods to textiles and paper. She has her own website and she can be contacted via her website or her Etsy shop. Her interview on the Craft Britannia's team website can be found here

I hope you can take the time to visit Rachel's shop, she has some beautiful and unique glass pieces that would be perfect in any setting.