Nature Cast Tree Seed Pendant Necklace Giveaway with @bmjnyc1
This weeks giveaway features this Necklace in Silver From Nature Cast Tree Seed Pendant valued at $74.00. This necklace was featured in Lucky Magazine as a Handpicked Item for October 2010. It is a Sterling Silver casting of a beech seed found in Central Park. Hand finished to bring out its innate quirky beauty and modified with a small jump ring so it can be worn as a pendant.
To enter the giveaway you can complete any of the following tasks below. Completing multiple tasks will get you multiple entries into the giveaway.
To learn more about bmjnyc visit:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/bmjnyc
http://www.facebook.com/Barbara.Michelle.Jacobs.Jewelry
http://twitter.com/bmjnyc1
http://pinterest.com/barbarapolinsky
http://bmjnyc.com/blog
Swarovski Pearls Stud Earrings Giveaway with @HandwiredBridal
This weeks giveaway features these Swarovski Pearls Stud Earrings valued at $14.00. These earrings are 6mm button shaped Ivory Creme Swarovski Pearls in a stud earring, and are 925 Sterling Silver metal utilized.
To enter the giveaway you can complete any of the following tasks below. Completing multiple tasks will get you multiple entries into the giveaway.
To learn more about HandWired visit:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/HandWired
http://www.facebook.com/handwiredjewelrydesigns
http://twitter.com/HandwiredBridal
http://pinterest.com/bridalfinds
Monday Spotlight With: Concertina Press
This weeks spotlight features Ruth Bleakley from Concertina Press.
A few tidbits about Ruth:
She is located in Cape Cod Massachusetts, and her favorite color is blue. Ruth says “So one funny thing about me that my mom always teases me about is that I eloped! I didn’t have a big wedding, and now I create wedding invitations! My husband and I were secretly married after six years together on one of our favorite Cape Cod beaches, on what is probably one of the most popular wedding dates ever, July 7th, 2007 – 7-7-7! We were probably the FIRST on the East Coast anyway, because the ceremony was performed at 5:10 AM so we could catch the sunrise! We did send out letterpressed announcements later that day though – I’ve always had a thing for beautiful stationery!”
When asked about her favorite shops on Etsy:
I have several favorite etsy shops – TippyThai has lovely handmade handbags – I just treated myself to two (I couldn’t decide between them!) for Christmas. I also love Lana Lambert’s woodblock printing at Pistoles Press. I haven’t purchased from her recently, but I have 9 of her prints! Natalie Stopka has a gorgeous handmade book shop at NatalieAsIs – my husband bought me one of her woven ribbon guestbooks for Christmas.
To learn more about ConcertinaPress visit:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ConcertinaPress
https://www.facebook.com/ConcertinaPress
http://www.concertinapress.com/
Custom Vintage Inspired Bridal Fashion: An Interview with EmpressBride
This weeks interview features Countessa from Empress Bride. Countessa is located in Orlando, Florida.
Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to my artistry; however I feel extremely fulfilled to be able to share my vision and am humbled to have others enjoy my work. I enjoy taking time to stop every so often to notice small details that make everyday different and love to laugh.
What special things do you create for weddings?
I have created everything from custom wedding gowns to bespoke designs for wide array of bridal accessories. My shop focuses on custom design bridal shrugs and boleros, wedding dress sashes, veils, hair pieces and fascinators.
Who or what sparked your interest in making wedding-related items?
I began working in the wedding industry quite by accident actually. It happened that many of my past clients came to me as they were engaged to inquire if I would custom design their wedding attire. I was quite flattered to say the least! The deal was sealed when a dear friend of mine asked that I create her wedding gown and the rest, as the say, was history.
What is a little known fact, or something unique about your work that is interesting?
I feel my design aesthetic and vision are obviously what sets my work apart. I am also a professional custom clothier with twelve years experience and create all of my designs from sketch to finish. I am a fashion designer first and foremost however I choose to create each custom piece myself, so as to have complete control over my artistry from start to finish and maintain true couture standards in my work.
What trends do you see happening in your specialty at the moment?
Vintage glamour, ceremonies or receptions held at unique venues and Eco-friendly planning are all great wedding trends at the moment. The only lasting trend for weddings no matter the year is to make them your own. Finding an individualized wedding theme and style that you love is what is most important when planning your special day. This is after all, a unique celebration to you and your husband-to-be, so do what you both feel most comfortable and happy with. Perhaps your originality will inspire next year’s bridal trends!
What advice can you share for all the brides getting married this year?
Simply to enjoy the process and look forward to spending a happy day with loved ones, this is such an amazing time in one’s life you should truly savor every moment.
What is your perfect honeymoon spot?
Paris, France.
If you could pick anyone famous that would purchase your items for their wedding, who would they be?
Marie Antoinette.
If you could choose 1 item from your shop that you wish every bride could have, what would it be?
I don’t have a particular item, however I would love if each bride could have something completely custom made for her, a really unique item that is special and cherished. I wish every woman, not only brides could have that special something that makes the wearer feel truly beautiful. This is certainly the type of work I strive to create for each one of my clients.
To learn more about Empress Bride visit:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/EmpressBride
http://twitter.com/DressToEmpress
http://www.facebook.com/DressToEmpress
http://dresstoempress.blogspot.com
http://pinterest.com/countessa
Garden Party Dress Giveaway with @AmandaArcherCo
This weeks giveaway features this Garden Party Dress valued at $165.00. The dress is Aqua and Red with an ivory lace collar, is a SIZE SMALL SAMPLE, and fits bust measurement of 34-36″ best. The dress is roomy in body, and fitted in shoulders. It is 100% cotton, fully lined in body.
To enter the giveaway you can complete any of the following tasks below. Completing multiple tasks will get you multiple entries into the giveaway.
To learn more about Amanda Archer visit:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/AmandaArcher
http://www.facebook.com/AmandaArcherCollection
http://twitter.com/AmandaArcherCo
http://pinterest.com/amandaarcher
http://amandaarcher.com
Vintage Luggage Tag Escort Cards with @Mavora
This weeks giveaway features these Vintage Luggage Tag Escort Cards valued at $45.00. The giveaway is for a set of 25 vintage escort tags with “Mr & Mrs” in the background. It goes with many wedding themes and will help your organize that reception party. String on a line of hang behind a frame. You can even lay them out on the welcome table. Just fill in names and table numbers!
To enter the giveaway you can complete any of the following tasks below. Completing multiple tasks will get you multiple entries into the giveaway.
To learn more about Mavora visit:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Mavora
http://www.mavora.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mavora-Art-and-Design/50706717454
http://twitter.com/mavora
http://pinterest.com/mavora
Custom Wedding Stationery & Graphic Design: An Interview with @CSDdesigner
This weeks interview features Courtney from Creative Start Design. Courtney is located in Upstate New York.
Tell us a little about yourself.
I’ve been designing wedding invitations for almost a year but I just started my own business in the summer of 2011. I run my little shop on Etsy and do a lot of vintage typography inspired wedding stationery.
I was born in the Hudson Valley of New York but I’ve lived in several areas of the country. I moved around a lot in my teens and finished high school in Wilmington, North Carolina before settling at a great college where I grew up. After I graduated college I moved to Rochester and started my business there…but I’m about to move back to the Hudson Valley. I’m a bit of a nomad!
My schooling and work background is web design and graphic design. I’ve worked for 6 years in various fields of art, design and photography. I absolutely love web design and still try to incorporate that into my business by offering brides custom wedding websites that match their Save the Dates or complete wedding stationery package.
What special things do you create for weddings?
I design all the wedding stationery for a bride’s special day. I love creating custom design packages that fit a bride’s exact needs and style. I create everything from a bride’s save the dates to her invitations, programs, and thank you cards.
You’ll find that I tend to use bold and unique typefaces to create a fun and exciting style for bride’s wedding stationery. My designs with the boldest features tend to be my most sought after designs.
Who or what sparked your interest in making wedding-related items?
I graduated with my BA in Graphic Design from the State University of New York at New Paltz and was heavily concentrated in the realm of website design. It was my “”niche”" and I sort of fell into the title of “”web designer.”
Even thought I was really happy working in the world of websites, I always had this distinct love for typography that I could never explain. Website design is rewarding to me but I could never do the more complex typographical designs that I longed to do when I was designing with HTML (although that is changing with the new developments in website design.)
I started working in print media a year ago and have really begun to delve into the print process and typographic layout like I always wanted to do. After designing some really fun invitations for friends and family (and a boss’s friend!) I realized that there was really something to it and started to explore the option of opening my own wedding invitation business.
What is a little known fact, or something unique about your work that is interesting?
Every single design I have can be or has been converted into a wedding website for my brides. I host their site on my wedding website server tyingtheknot.us for up to a year after their wedding! The real secret is that I’ll do it for a bride’s custom wedding invitations as well.
What is your favorite wedding song?
“You and Me” by Lifehouse
What trends do you see happening in your specialty at the moment?
I’ve had several requests for rustic wedding invitations recently and I have a feeling that this will be continuing in the next few months for the spring wedding season. I think brides are moving towards a more natural design and wedding theme with rustic and timeless elements.
What is your favorite part of the wedding journey?
The planning process with my brides! There’s something so amazing about e-mailing back and forth with my clients and really fleshing out their custom wedding invitations. I find it so rewarding that I get to be such a huge part of one of the most important days of their lives.
What advice can you share for all the brides getting married this year?
Take a deep breath! Don’t sweat over the small stuff. Keep your invitations simple, but make a statement about who you are as a couple. You don’t need seven layered wedding invitations if you’re doing a small backyard ceremony. Also, don’t get caught up in all the latest trends. You will want to look back on your invitations and stationery and know you made the right choice because they told a story about your personalities as a couple…not about what was “”in”" that season!
What is your perfect honeymoon spot?
My perfect wedding would be anywhere with a beach and no internet connection!
If you could pick anyone famous that would purchase your items for their wedding, who would they be?
You know, that’s a hard question! I think anyone famous would be really exciting, but if David Tutera featured me on My Fair Wedding I’d probably die a little.
If you could choose 1 item from your shop that you wish every bride could have, what would it be?
One of my wedding websites! A lot of the times, when they get to me, they’ve already made their wedding website on one of the big corporate sites. I wish they could all have one of my custom designs!
What are some of your favorite shops on Etsy, wedding or otherwise?
Seventh Cloud Studio , Kapom Crafts, Prunella Soaps, and J Mould Stamps.
To learn more about Creative Start Design visit:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/creativestartdesign
http://creativestartdesign.com
http://twitter.com/CSDdesigner
https://www.facebook.com/creativestartdesign
Ivory Clutch Giveaway with @TheSocialSeam
This weeks giveaway features An Ivory Satin Clutch valued at $40.00. This clutch is sewn from ivory Duchess satin. The Kimberly Clutch features a fun ruffle design on the front, measures 9.75″ wide by 5.25″ long and is lined in ivory. It has a zipper closure to keep your essentials safe, practical and pretty.
To enter the giveaway you can complete any of the following tasks below. Completing multiple tasks will get you multiple entries into the giveaway.
To learn more about TheSocialSeam visit:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheSocialSeam
http://www.facebook.com/socialseam
http://twitter.com/TheSocialSeam
http://pinterest.com/TheSocialSeam
Valentine Beaded Hair Clip Giveaway with @BeadFloraJewels
This weeks giveaway features A Beaded Flower Hair Clip valued at $60.00. This hair clip is made with red and white Japanese beads with 15 fabulous petals in all. The petals are each individually and meticulously laced with super thin wire to keep them in perfect place. Attached to 2 alligator grip hair clips for extra stability and hold. It Measures 3 inches diameter.
This clip can also be customized to the winner’s wedding colors
To enter the giveaway you can complete any of the following tasks below. Completing multiple tasks will get you multiple entries into the giveaway.
To learn more about BeadFloraJewels visit:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/BeadFloraJewels
http://beadflora.com/
http://www.facebook.com/BeadFlora
http://twitter.com/BeadFloraJewels
http://pinterest.com/beadflorajewels
Valentines Day Team Challenge
Love is in the air and the Etsy Wedding Team is certainly feeling it. Our team members have been challenged to create Valentine’s Day themed items for this months team challenge. Below you will find photos of the submissions from our team members. To choose your favorite item, cast your vote in the poll on the right sidebar. The team member with the most votes by V-Day February 14, 2012 will win a spotlight on our team blog through the month of February, and a super cute ipod shuffle!
**Cast your vote by midnight on Valentine’s Day to help your favorite shops win these awesome prizes**
1. Cut The Cake Designs – School Girl Crush Wedding Guest Book Box
2. ANGEEW – Red Clutch
3. Purple Lemon Designs – Heart Monogram Address Stamp
4. MakeBelieveN - Fabric flower shoe clips
5. DK Designs – Couture Clay I Love You Vases
6. BellaPuzzlesToo – Love Puzzle
7. mollyandmom – Personalized Handkerchiefs
8. Go Against The Grain – Love cupcake toppers
9. Amanda Archer – Red Roses, Painted Roses Dress
10 . Mavora – Handmade Valentine with Loving Doves
11. sugarplumgarters – Red Hearts and White Satin garter set
12. lizzieandcompany – I Heart You – DiReCTioNaL WeDDiNg
13. Thyme2dreamWeddings – Fairytale Heart Necklace
