MonasMane

Featured Shop: GreenBelts

2008-11-13T18:01:00.001-08:00

A little from the seller:

I am Shannon Ritscher from Seattle, WA. Part-time graphic designer, part-time crafter (Greenbelts), full-time stay at home mom to a 5 year old son - Henry.

Greenbelts are dog & cat collars, leashes and cuffs (both wrist and ankle), leather rings and a new line of boot chains and belts, all made from recycled belts and other reclaimed materials like like bottle caps, vintage buttons & buckles, scrap leather and various doohickeys.

In 2003, I had a child, left my corporate design job, became a freelance graphic designer and was lost without a "steady" income/job. I've been a graphic designer for over a decade but I really wanted to create something with my hands. One day I found a fabulous thick studded leather dog collar that was like no other I'd ever seen and my dream started germinating. I've been a wee bit obsessed with recycling for many years and when I held that collar in my hands I knew I could make it's equal (or better!) out of recycled materials.

I chose GreenBelts beacause when I visited her shop I really felt like I was looking at small, affordable pieces of art. I really appreciate what she puts into her items, and of course she has beautiful pics!

SALE SALE SALE!

2008-11-12T18:08:00.000-08:00

Starting From November 12th to November 24th I am having a store wide sale at my Etsy.com store.

http://www.MonasMane.Etsy.com

Buy one and get $5.00 off your next purcahse. You will recieve a code for a $5.00 discount that will be valid until November 24th. Get them while they are hot :) If you have questions, don't hesistate to ask!

New Scarflettes!

2008-11-11T09:08:00.000-08:00

I have just posted these scarflettes on etsy. The first one is Black and Silver Scarflette and the second is is SunFlower Yellow Scarflette. Enjoy!

Featured Shop: Lunarra Star

2008-11-10T15:13:00.000-08:00

A little From the Seller:

A little bit about me and my jewellery ->I want all my jewellery to be inspiring: the gemstone collection for its stones, which all have meanings behind them and can be chosen for their properties (e.g. good for headaches); Alice in Wonderland for its magical quality, to never stop seeing things in a childlike, magical way; and my cameo collection, to remind us of days past and beautiful elegance.I also think packaging is important, i want the item to be received and the buyer to be so very happy with it. I think good old fashioned customer service is important too.Alice in Wonderland has always been one of my favourite children’s books. It’s magical and full of wonder! When I designed this Alice “Drink Me” necklace I thought of myself, mischievous at that age. Would I have drunk it not knowing if it was poison, good or bad? I almost definitely think I would have drunk it. When making the necklace I thought about the best way to encase the beautiful vintage image of Alice. I used glass instead of plastic for a nice weight.My collections were inspired by my childhood, looking through my grandma’s antique family jewellery and my favourite childrens book to this day “Alice in Wonderland”. I just love the cheshire cat in it, we have 4 cats and I’m sure they would approve of my choice of favourite childrens book since I’m sure they think a book could only be good if it includes a cat!

I love this seller for her cuteness of taste and creativity. I love the alice in wonderland theme. She takes such professional looking pictures, so clear and lovely. I feel like I can reach into the screen and grab it!

*Shop Url: LunarraStar.etsy.com
*You can also find her at
www.lunarrastar.com

Yarn Dying Naturale At Home

2008-11-07T18:19:00.000-08:00

Since I have started knitting I have started to become obssessed with different things concerning knitting and yarn. I had just read up on the internet on how people dyed colorless yarn with natural things (e.g. walnuts, flowers, grass etc). So that night I went out into the kitchen found all the unwanted blacker teas and even went outside for some leaves and grass (as you can see). I boiled everything up and soaked my yarn in it. The leaves and grass didn't do squat, but the tea was a success! My hemp yarn came out a nice tan color. I still use this technique, and absolutely love it! I enjoy to see the different colors and combonations I can come up with.

2008-11-05T21:03:00.001-08:00

I know it is a little late, but I thought I would share a little bit of my Halloween experience with everyone.

That's me in almost all black looking like the worst kind of French Prostitute. That's also me (before hooker-fied) writing "Sexy Beast "on my sister sumo butt. That's my sister to the right in the inflatable sumo suit. That thing was so freakin cute, everyone she came across loved in (I was so jealous, I even suggested that we wear the same costume for the night but of course she didn't want to! The brat!).

In the group pic you can see me (hooker), my dog Tobie (Baby aka: my crack baby), my boyfriend Bryan (Jesus, and yes his hair is really that long), my sister Lisa (sumo) and her friend Bob (Ginger Kid...I think).

Featured Shop: ShinyAdornments

2008-11-05T20:44:00.000-08:00

A little from the Seller:

ShinyAdornments is artisan handmade beaded and wire wrapped jewelry, handcrafted in my Wichita, KS studio. I use sterling silver, gemstones, SRA lampwork, glass, and polymer clay beads. My jewelry shop includes bracelets, bangles, earrings, necklaces and cocktail rings for both work and play.

I find inspiration in the wildflowers I drove past this morning on the way to work or the suit I just bought that needs the perfect accessory or the strange dream I had last night.I make jewelry I would wear myself. The materials depend on my mood and inspiration. My goal is to create wearable items for work and play that offer an interesting statement about the women who wear them.

You can find more about me at my blog http://shinyadornments.com/wordpress

Store Url: ShinyAdornments.etsy.com

I enjoy this store for it's downright uniqueness. When I stumbled across her store, I was impressed by the lovely and almost fantasy inspired jewelry.

SmartHandy

2008-10-28T08:11:00.000-07:00

From Seller:
Hello, I sell beautiful beads of all kinds of material, as well as some handmade items featured with Chinese minority style, mainly jewelry and fabric bags.

Etsy Shop Link http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6259859
Etsy Shop Url SmartHandy.etsy.com

I like this shop because the jewelry is so different and vibrant. Again, I very much enjoy the asian influence that this shop is so heavy in. I absolutely love the way she takes pictures of her items- so clear, crisp and colorful!

TeahouseConfections

2008-10-25T00:58:00.000-07:00

I have decided to start featuring two different shops from Etsy each week! All the shops I find to be unique, creative, fun and of my favorites amoung Etsy. Each featuring post will have two pictures of the shops items, an excerpt form the seller themselves, a link to their shops and /or blogs or webpage. Enjoy!

From Seller:
My name is Erina Bernstein and I own Teahouse Confections. I am 25 years old and was born and raised in Colorado with a Japanese mother and a Russian father. At home we all spoke Japanese and just had a very Japanese influenced lifestyle which gave me the tools I needed and the inspirations to create Teahouse Confections. I grew up on all kind of Japanese sweets like dorayaki, Milky and kuri manjus which are just pretty scarce in the US unless you live in New York, San Francisco or by a really good asian market and even then a lot of times they are riddled with preservatives. So what I wanted to do was bring these sweets that are very different from traditional American sweets to a new audience and offer them in a way that everything is handmade and with no preservatives.

My shop which still has a way to go before its full with all the things I want to add, (but it’s getting there!) Is a fusion of traditional Japanese confections, snacks and some nontraditional items that I have just been sort of creating on my own like the homemade biscuits sticks as my take on Pocky and a few other things that more play with traditional ingredients but in a very different way. I have some things in the works but you’ll just have to stop by the shop from time to time to be surprised!

Link to TC's Etsy Shop http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6268105

TC's Etsy shop url Teahouseconfections.etsy.com

TC's Blogspot http://teahouseconfections.wordpress.com/

I love everything japanese so when I found her shop I was so delighted. I loved the exotic treats and the way she stylized her photos. Love it love it love it!

Formal Knitted Neck Wear

2008-10-24T04:51:00.001-07:00

Formal Knitted Neck Wear
Originally uploaded by MonasMane

I usually make scarflettes, but I have found myself occassionally making I guess you could call neck wear. I think I a piece like this would be great for a formal occassion- like a dance or party. I need a second opinion though.

Jake!

2008-10-23T04:39:00.001-07:00

Jake!
Originally uploaded by MonasMane

Here's Jake.

My friendly fat companion. Most of the time he sits on his booty and only gets up to eat and go outside to use the bathroom (lazy I know!). He's not mine, or I would have made his butt stay outside most of the time! Do you love your dogs around all the time? I know I can do without the hopeful stares while I am eating!

I dedicate this post to Jake the Snake (Yes, like the wrestler), my buddy, my playmate, my occasional broom substitute- my stinky dog wonder!

Recycled Stuffs!

2008-10-17T22:27:00.000-07:00

I was wondering on etsy one day, and I saw that there was tons of people specializing in upcycled or recycled items. I thought how cool that must be to use "trash" and contruct it into something completely different! I live with my boyfriend and his grandfather collected all these building materials and tools. Now I am back there in the garage or shed at least once a week, scavaging I find that's cool.

Here I am in my Junk Yard Wonderland with all my treasures!

Starting This Thing Called "blogging"

2008-10-16T05:15:00.000-07:00

This is my first ever blog, before this I didn't even know what a blog was! I am enjoying this very much, that I can say (:

Well, here is a little about me...

I love to knit! Here is a piece I made recently, I call it the Fuzzy Blue Scarflette. I love making cutesy funky things! Below is my Confetti Scarflette.

And here's my workstation! I have stocking up lately, and so my workstation has changed dramatically! Michaels had this crazy blowout sale that I couldn't miss, I literally walked out of there with a cart full of yarn! Novelty yarns were literally selling for like 40 cents a skein, I nearly had a heart attack.

I live in stockton and I now attend Delta College. It took me a long time to decide what I wanted to do with my life. I played with the idea of becoming lawyer or a child psychiatrist or a writer. Finally one day I sat down with myself and I tried to really picture myself in ten years at my job. I asked myself "what can I decide upon that I think I will still enjoy to work hard at in the years to come?" I have always been fascinated in Psychiatry, but I finally let it go for the sake of persuing the life in becoming a fashion designer.

Right now I am having my first taste in truly creating and presenting my very own pieces on Etsy.com All my life I have been self concious and doubtful of my creative potential. I never thought that I could make anything that anyone would really find unique or just "good". Etsy has helped me spread my wings I guess you could say. Before I couldn't dedicate myself to making anything, but I feel that Etsy has given me confidence and the will to follow my creative persuits. I know it all sounds kind of silly, but I am sure there are those out there who feel similarly.

If you are interested please check out my shop of Knitted goods and more at

MonasMane.etsy.com