These are a Few of My Favorite Things...

I've been a member of Etsy for less than 3 months but have done quite a bit of shopping! I thought I'd share some of my favorite stores and why I like them so much. Each of these Etsy sellers had great communication, customer service and quality work.

There are 2 handbag stores I just love. One is called JPleasant and can befound by visiting: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5142715 I saw a particular bag store owner Joyce had created for someone and just had to have one too. The cost of this bag was $37 plus shipping. When it arrived I was so surprized at the quality and detail for the price! It was obvious Joyce paid great attention to detail and as a result I anticipate my bag holding up for quite some time. This particular handbag has been a walking ad for her store. It looks so much better in person.

The other handbag store I would like to rave about is UniquelyDifferent and can be found at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5364163. Julia is the creator of these fun bags and she resides in London, England. While her store name sums up her bags, I should add, many of the fabrics she uses are out of print, therefore making them rare. I just adore the bag I got. The quality is excellent and Julia was more than accomadating when I considered a special request.

I've shared my adoration for art from LaurenAlexander already on my blog but I'd like to brag on her a bit once again. Her store can be found by going to http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=41796 I'm a sucker for freebies whether they be a sticker or a free print or any other kind of sample. Lauren takes such great care packaging her art for her buyers. Getting art from her feels like Christmas or birthday time. I found her art to be even more vibrant in person.

Since we all require soap on a regular basis (or should) I'd really like to recommend my favorite soap maker from SunBasilGarden and can be found at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5682856. The creator of these soaps is named Lauren and she uses top quality product. While many of the soap sellers on Etsy also use high quality ingredients, Lauren's soaps are beautiful too. They are very pleasently scented and leave my skin feeling clean but not dried out as many soaps do.

I've had many other wonderful Etsy shopping experiences. I look forward to writing short reviews on other Etsy artists again in the near future. Thank you to these sellers for the wonderful shopping experiences.

New Items are Here!

And it might be a short while until I can list again. My Grandma is preparing to be with the Lord any day and I need to be with family. So, while my store will be on the road with me and I will continue to process orders, I'm not sure I'm going to have much creation time.

I hope you'll find some of my latest Art Clay creations fun and unique. I've been experimenting with some different styles and techniques.

I've also listed another meteorite. It's my favorite one yet and one that will make a fun collector's piece for the buyer.

...Next up for listing will likely be some fine silver pieces wrapped in sterling silver wire.

We greatly appreciate your prayers for my dear grandma's passing and for our family.

Thank you too for your continued support of EmBound.

www.EmBound.net

www.EmBound.Etsy.com

Fine Silver Flowers

I'm getting ready to start a new project involving my happy little flowers. The only design I currently have listed is for this necklace:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25876543

I will be experimenting with some other necklace designs and a ring. These flowers are made using precious metal silver clay (99.9% silver once the binder is burned off through the firing process). The centers of the flowers are detailed with swirly sterling silver wire.

On order, hence the reason for my delay in production, is a fine silver stamp to mark my pieces assuring the wearer the purity of the silver.

There is quite a process to working with precious silver clay. First off, you have to work fast as the material dries out quickly! It can take a lot of time to sand and get textured the way you want the piece. Once complete, each flower is as unique as its wearer. I hope people will find these pieces as much fun to wear as they are to make.

The "Em" In EmBound

I am a super proud mama of 3 children adopted through my state's foster system. Well, I should note, we are in the process of adopting our third child, "Em". We're getting there, but she's ours anyway in our hearts.

In a few weeks she'll be turning one year old. It's hard to believe as one year ago my husband and I felt our family was complete with our two boys. No doubt God had different plans for our lives. Now, truly, we feel we are finished adding to our family. Having three special needs kids, albeit mild special needs, has been challenging and kept me busy.

Having an outlet for me has been so important in retaining my sanity. I have always loved gems and jewelry. Getting to work with, and even sell my pieces has been so much fun. The name "Embound" means so many things to me (describes what I do, devotion to my faith, and where I'm at in my adoption journey) but the photo you see here is just three of the many gifts from the Lord that inspire me and brighten my day (not to mention wears me out-LOL).

If you have an interest in foster care or adoption, there are many children in the U.S. in need of temporary or permanant homes. Contact your local social services department for more information on the program in your area.

Family First

Lately my pace of jewelry making has been slow. There have been some family emergencies and occurrences requiring my time be better prioritized. While I'm still checking my Etsy store regularly, I may only be listing a piece or two per week for awhile.

My pieces have also been on the road with me (on my way to family visits) and some have been sold outside of Etsy. If you are interested in any particular piece, please consider purchasing it as they tend to sell best once someone sees them in person.

If you think to, your prayers for my husband and my family are greatly appreciated. Thank you for your support.

FREE Gift With Purchace

I've purchaced a showcase for June 17th and will be doing a promotion that day as well. For those of you who have followed my blog, just mention the free gift in the comments option upon check out and I'll include it with your order from NOW through the 17th of June.

This is not 1 gift per order, it's 1 gift per jewelry item! They are sterling silver wire wrapped heart charms. If you would like to purchase these charms individually, contact me via my Etsy store, let me know the quantity and I can do a special sale for you. The price per charm is $3. Each one is slightly different due to its hand crafted nature, but I'd say they average about 1/2" in height and 1/3" in width. Please specify whether you'd like a split ring bail or a soldered one. If none is selected I will grab the first one I see.

Thanks once again for your support. God Bless!

Ocean Treasures

This last weekend we took our 3 kids on an RV camping trip to the Central Oregon Coast. If you've never visited the soft silky sand dunes of Florence and Dunes City, Oregon I encourage you to consider vacationing there. No need for the stair master! Your buns will get a great workout hiking the dunes. The prize for reaching the peek of a small dune on Saturday was seeing the powerful majestic Pacific ocean and the treasures it yielded.

The particular beach we visited is one of my favorite. It's quiet (aside from the roar of the waves) and I find time just to walk and talk with God. The beach floor is filled with sanded down broken sea shells. Just what I'd come for. Walking the coast I was flooded with inspiration. Here are some of the pieces I've come up with as a result:

Each Ocean Treasure has been naturally shaped and sanded by the Pacific Ocean and thoughtfully wrapped in sterling silver by me!

Lauren Alexander Art

Searching on Etsy for art for my daughter's room, I happened upon the most perfect prints! For those who didn't know, we are in the process of adopting our daughter Emma (the "Em" in EmBound). She is related biologically to one of our boys, also adopted. The particular prints and paintings that caught my eye were of 3 birds in a tree. In my mind's eye they represented my husband, me and our baby girl.

The painting above is entitled "Dream of Life" and it is painted by gifted artist Lauren Alexander, who, like me, also has a heart for special needs kids and foster care adoptions. Lauren was gracious enough to work with me so I could own the original painting. I also purchased some of her prints for my daughter's room.This set of prints is called, "What a Wonderful World."

This print is called, "Sugar Plum" and reminds me of my daughter with her brown hair and round face. If you are interested in Lauren's art, please visit her Etsy store http://www.laurenalexander.etsy.com/. You can also learn more about Lauren's work by visiting her blog http://laurenalexanderart.blogspot.com/.

Free Shipping, Buy More and Save, "Just Because" Promotion

I'm beginning a "just because" promotion for my blog readers. Basically, choose the item or items you wish to buy and write in the comments/note to seller portion "just because promo" and the $5 shipping will be refunded to your Paypal account within 24 hours.

Should you choose to buy more than one item, on the lesser priced item(s) I will also kick back 10% of the purchase price to your account. Buy more, save more!

This offer is good from now until June 5th at midnight Pacific time.

Thank you all for your support! Happy shopping!

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7186860