Looking for a unique, affordable gift ideas...? Here is my newest addition to my FANTASY WEARABLE ART collection..."Butterfly in Field of Flowers necklace!

"BUTTERLFY IN A FIELD OF FLOWERS" Necklace

by DZFANTASY

As we all know the economy still isn't all that great, and with the holiday seasons coming up, I've been trying to come up with some fun, affordable, fantasy gift ideas.

The above necklace is my latest efforts to have something "magical and colorful" to offer my customers while still being affordable.

The necklace can be moved around on your neck so that the butterfly is displayed in various position...either up closer to the neck or down further.

If you love butterflies and of course flowers, like I do, you can now wear a bit of their magic wherever you go!  This is my first butterfly necklace, but hope to have more available in the coming weeks.

To learn more about this newest piece of wearable art, click on the link below!

  BUTTERFLY FIELD OF FLOWERS NECKLACE

HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY FILLED WITH MAGIC!

FEATURED ETSY SHOP - JOYOUS TREASURES

Purple Daisy Wrap Around Crochet Bookmark

by JOYOUS TREASURES

Make your book look beautiful and have no worries about your bookmark falling out of place at the same time!

I've been a bit behind in getting some of  my regular "Etsy shop features" out here on DZFANTASY, as I've done several  special features, plus have been creating for my last two art shows of the season, but hopefully I will be able to complete them in the next couple of weeks.

WELCOME, Johanna and her Etsy shop JOYOUS TREASURES!  When you pay a visit to JOYOUS TREASURES you will find hand crocheted bookmarks  (see the one in the photo above), crocheted jewelry, hair accessories and more.  I noticed some lovely little crocheted flowers, that I just might have to have for "tiny hats for my fairies".

Let's learn a bit more about what motivates Johanna and how she got started in creating a crocheted items.

What a gorgeous barrette!!

What led you to start creating your art/craft?

I love to create! I have been a crafty person since my preteens. I love to crochet, and I love nature, especially flowers. So I started putting the two together! I also love to read, thus, the creation of nature inspired crochet bookmarks.

How did you decide what medium you wanted to work with?

It just came naturally to me really. I have done a few other crafts before, including jewelry, sewing, drawing, etc. But crochet really stuck with me, as it was my favorite. You can do so much with crochet!

What aspect of creating your art/craft do you find the most enjoyable?

I love how I can take my crochet with me everywhere without taking up a lot of room. I also love seeing the finished piece, it makes me feel so accomplished, and it's just fun to gaze at something I created with my hands, and to share it with others.


If you had to choose a fruit OR a vegetable, to describe your art/craft, what would you choose, and why?

Hmmmm. I've never thought of that before! I guess I would choose fruit, because I love fruit lol! And I think you're more likely to see fruit in the colors I use.


If you had to choose one other medium in which to display your “creativity”, what would that be, and why?

Photography. I love photography, and right now I do a little of it locally, though I need a lot of practice yet!

 What message, if any, do you want to convey with your art/craft?

That there is beauty in God's creation, and we can enjoy that beauty in so many different ways! The Lord is an intricate designer, and I wish only to represent that in some small way.

What advice do you have for other artists/crafters?

Create what you love. Don't get discouraged if you feel like you are not selling enough. Focus on putting quality and love into your pieces, and focus on good communication with the community, and I think the rest will start to fall into place.

THANKS, Johanna, for sharing your thoughts and creativity with all of us!  Johanna mentions in her shop announcement that she is coming up with something special in a couple of weeks....a surprise, so be sure to pay a visit! 

BEAUTIFUL CROCHETED PIN CUSHION

JOHANNA'S SURPRISE CREATION NOW AVAILABLE

CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO LEARN MORE!

PIN CUSHION

To find out more about Johanna creations, click on the links below.

BLOG - ETSY TREASURE CHEST

TWITTER

WINNER'S CHOICE GIVEAWAY - A little something from Japan

FOLDING CRANES

WINNER'S CHOICE - Beautiful Japanese Items

Hosted by DZFANTASY

Scroll down in this post to see the 5 items.

START DATE:  10/11/09

END DATE:   11/12/09 - 12:00 Midnight CDT

OPEN:  World Wide

PRIZE: 1 - Winner's choice of one of the 5 items shown below

VALUE:  $20.00

HOW TO ENTER:

1.  Visit Dave's "FOLDING CRANES" shop on Etsy to learn more about the 5 items in the giveaway.  Dave has these 5 items listed in his shop as "RESERVED for DZFANTASY BLOG GIVEAWAY".

You can visit Dave's FOLDING CRANES shop by clicking on the link or the giveaway items' headings below their photos:

2.  Come back to this giveaway post and tell us which item you would pick if you are the lucky winner of this giveaway.

3.  Please be sure to leave a valid email address or a link to a valid email address as this is the only way the WINNER will be contacted.

4.  As the host of this giveaway, I will randomly select a WINNER for all the entries received after the close of the giveaway on November 12, 2009.

5.  WINNER will have 3 days in which to send me their shipping information. If WINNER does not reply within the given timeframe, I will have to randomly select another winner from the remaining entries.

6.  Dave will be sending the prize directly to the winner.

If you have ANY questions regarding this giveaway, please feel free to contact, DONNA at:  dzfairies@msn.com

Below you will see photos of the 5 choices in this great giveaway by FOLDING CRANES.  To learn more details about each item, CLICK on the item's title.

Vintage Kimono

Vintage kimono 489, summer weave, off white with purple designs of Japanese Bellflower, summer weave

VINTAGE HAORI

Vintage haori 432, silk, excellent condition

VINTAGE OBI

Vintage obi 296, Nagoya obi, kakishibu color with subtle highlights, tsumugi style design

ANTIQUE JAPANESE SHUTTLE LOOM

Antique japanese shuttle loom 181, handmade wood construction, highly detailed, very beautiful, Japanese

ANTIQUE GLASS NECKLACE

Antique necklace 406, 3 Meiji period glass beads, from the 1850s

Be sure to pay a visit to FOLDING CRANES, not only to enter this great giveaway, but to see all the unique Japanese items it has to offer...ranging from vintage kimonos, haoris, ceramics, and more.

Thanks for stopping by....GOOD LUCK TO ALL!

WEAR A FAIRY....My newest Fairy Face Pin/Knit Necklace Set!

I just finished this colorful, sparkly "fairy face pin/knit necklace set", and the yarn is truly exquisite!!  It is an Italian yarn from Plymouth Yarn called ODYSSEY GLITZ.  I've always been attracted to the many gorgeous Italian yarns out there, but lately it has been harder and harder to find these yarns in the shops in my area.  I've spent hours on the web looking for different yarn shops on the Internet that would have some of these beautiful yarns available  So far my best resource for these delightful yarns has been Ebay!!  If you are looking for yarns of this type, you might want to check out Ebay.  I've noticed that the yarn shops on the web, have really high shipping prices.  some are as high as $8.00 - $9.00 to ship one ball of yarn!

The fairy pin can be worn just about anywhere on the knit necklace to achieve your own invididual look.  In the photo above she is shown pinned just about 2" from the bottom of the necklace. In the photo below, she is pinned to one side of the necklace about 4" down from the top.

If you want the necklace to hang a bit shorter you can pin the "fairy face" about in the center of the necklace.

Below is a photo of the "fairy face" along.

I have a selection of these "fairy face pins/knit necklace sets" in my DZFANTASY shop.  They make great accents for any top or sweater and a unique gift idea.  Wearer is sure to receive a lot of compliments.

"BEHIND THE SCENES" - A glimpse into artists/crafters workspaces!!

Come join me on a fun, fascinating peek at the "workspaces" of some of the artists and crafters who sell on Etsy.

You will also be able to click on their shop's links and photos to see the end results!   You might even get a glimpse of several of the artist themselves. Some will have little comments, others will not.

MY DZFANTASY WORKSPACES

Here are several photos of my "spaces" throughout my house!

My dining room where I do all my "finishing" work..the faces, adding the hairdos, and accents, etc.

Bedroom used for storage and sewing

 My husband says, "no wonder you can't ever find anthing!" I guess it's time to straighten it up a bit, and start all over to mess it up!

LIVING GLASS ART

Anna says..."I have yet to brush my hair, and I'm working in my pajamas.

Now that's one of the benefits of being an artist!  We get to work in our PJ's.  To see Anna's finished art, click on her links below!

BEADED JEWELRY BY SUSAN

I love to work in my studio when the sun is shining through the windows, music is filtering in from the living room where my husband sits reading, and our six cats are wandering in and out (but no messing with the beads!)

I have a horrendous number of beads after 18 years of collecting them, so I really have to keep organized -- by using a lot of storage compartments that are labeled and arranged by groups, having different types of storage for seed beads and delicas and donuts, and by always keeping my tools and supplies in the same place.
 

Here I am in my studio using my high-tech photography equipment: a sketch pad and two lamps.

PURPLE CLOUD STUDIO

Michele says..."Oh, Yeah, love that mess!"

Michele's workspace

and her greyhound helper!

PURPLE PEONY'S WORKSPACE

To see what creativity comes forth from this "workspace", click on the links below.

LAVE ME SOAP CO.

Here you are seeing several photos from Angela's workspaces.  The photo on the right is where Angela said she makes most of her soap. The photo on the left is where she said she is "sitting right now".

Supply Cabinet

To see all the wonderful soaps in Angela's shop, be sure to click on her links below.

STUDIO M.M.E.

Megan says, "I'm very spoiled in that I get to work in a printmaking studio at the Plains Art Museum in Fargo. Don't worry, my home studio is much smaller and messier."

SUSANA DUARTE - Handmade Contemporary Silver Jewlery

I'm Susana and I live in a quiet village near Lisbon, Portugal and I since my childhood I have always loved crafts. I began working in jewelry in 2006 mostly because handcrafting objects makes me a happier person.

My beautiful and humble workshop

MGHJ

Mary says....."I have been on the move so much the last six months that I have gotten to the point where my "workspace" is my clipboard, a bag of supplies, and whatever location I happen to be in at the time."

TIMES AND CHIMES

TIMES AND CHIMES...is a mother/daughter team in the Ozarks

MIA SOPHIA

This is what I received for my anniversary last year. My husband built this room onto the garage for me.

CAROL BRADLEY DESIGNS

I could call it a studio, but it's more like a room taken over by beads. It tends to be a bit of a mess. It's probably an obstacle course to the uninitiated. There are two work tables, in theory. One is usually storage. This one is the real work table and here's what it looks like now.

ICING ON THE MOON

Icing on the Moon says,  "The room's a bit messy, but I know where everything is...."

JULE'S ARTWEAR

A GALLERY OF CATS IN CLAY

Gracie, says, "If it looks like a mess, I guess it is.  I'm moving my studio in November and don't even want to think about it.

FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY BY BOMOBOB

Bob says, "Here's me multi-tasking in my studio.  No cameras were harmed in the making of this photo"

COTTON RIDGE EMPORIUM

Cotton Ridge Emporium says, "I'm always straightening up, but it's still always a mess!"

I hope you enjoyed this first segment of "BEHIND THE SCENES" of artists and crafters workspaces. More will be coming in my next segment, so be sure to stop back for a visit.  If you don't see an artist's thumbnail photos or shop's link, it may most likely means they have their shop in "vacation" mode.