What Is Your Birthstone?

Tweet
Hello fellow FEST members. It is me Melissa again, and that must mean it is Wednesday. Last week I shared the beautiful Kunzite with you all. Did you check it out? Please do if you didn't. This week I am asking the question, do you know your birthstone? If you do, do you know the meaning of your birthstone? For example I am a Peridot, and it means Dignity. Years ago, when I was ahem much younger, Peridot was not found in good quality and I thought it was oh so ugly. Now that I make my own jewelry, and have found that there is some of the finest most beautiful qualities of Peridot, I wear it with great pride and dignity, LOL! The ring pictured is one I have in my store. I would love to own it for myself, but since the setting is rhodium plated it can not be resized, and I wear a five, this is a seven. So of course I am hoping someone who will love it, will buy it. Watch the video below to learn your birthstone and meaning, then be sure to comment and share with all of us. Happy Wednesday, have an awesome day! It is kind of rainy and icky today.

Spring Fling FEST Blog Giveaway Winner!

Tweet

Drum Roll Please -- The lucky winner of the absolutely stunning Aqua Gemstone Jewelry Bracelet from Audrey of Audrey Garden Lady is Annie.

Congratulations!! Enjoy it, it's a beauty.

FESTettes are EVERYWHERE with Handmade Art!!!

Tweet WOW our team mates are showing off their handmade goods
ALL OVER THE STATE
this weekend.
Meet and Greet them!

Sea Side Herb Society Fair
http://www.seasideherbsociety.com/faire.shtml
March 27 Saturday 10A-3P
Ormond Beach
corner of Granada and Beach Street
AquarianBath

Odd Duck
http://www.oddduckbazaar.com/
March 27th Saturday 12pm - 6pm
Historic Old Davie Schoolhouse
Davie, Florida
Jorgensen Studio

Art on Park Festival
March 27 and 28 10am - 5pm
800 Park Avenue
Lake Park, FL
Kat's Custom Kreations

Crystal Beach Spring 2010 Craft Show
March 27 & 28 Sat. 9-4, Sun 12-4
Crystal Beach Community Hall
Pinky's Pet Gear

Mt. Dora Spring Collectible/Craft Show
March 27 & 28 9am to 5pm
Downtown
Mt. Dora, Florida
Seaphemera

Time To Vote!

Tweet Here comes our February challenge contest!!! Our theme was "SWEET"

and the entries were ..........

SWEETER & FANTASTIC!

Lil Red Lady Bug

Bailey's His & Hers Cups

Fairy Wine Tote

Sweets Pendant

Candy Necklace

Wonderful You Photo frame

Emmeline Reversible Apron

Neapolitan Stocking Cap

Molassess Cookie Soap

Love Bead Bangle

Greeting Card

All entries are Sweeeeeeeeeeeet but you can only vote for ONE!!!!!!!!!

Time to Vote for your Favorite "Icy" Handmade Craft

Tweet Our Winner is..........
julzbooks**************** Kusudama Origami "Flower Ball"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well the "Icy" theme was a huge draw for wonderful handmade arts from our FEST members!!

Feast your eyes on these beautiful crafts that relect our recent "chilling" weather,
.......... thank goodness it's warm here again !



RecreationalArt *************** " Icy Snowflakes" Ring

Armillatadesigns***************** "Victorian Rose Ice" Necklace

phbeads ************************** "Ice Ice Baby" Ring

WonderfulWire********** "Crystal Ice" Seahorse Suncatcher Sculpture

Seaphemera ******************* Winter Beach Earrings

KathleenMarieKelly ***** "Winter Thunderstorm" mixed media painting

RaFiDesigns******** Ice Blue Mother of Pearl and Swarovski Crystal Bracelet

KnittedWaveStudio ********Turquoise and Cream Granny Square Scarf

lazydayz*************** "Sterling Icicles" Earrings

AudreyGardenLady*************** " Crystal Tempest" Necklace

ohbabydotcom **************Sweet Valentine Pink Knit Party Hat

AquarianBath- Lavender Flax Neck Wrap in Icy Royal Blue Chinese Silk

julzbooks**************** Kusudama Origami "Flower Ball"

Creationsbyjdb**************** Frozen Fuffalump

GlimpsesandRemains **************Icy Photo Greeting Card

IWunder ***************** "Ice Princess" Scarf

JeniLuScraps ******************* Zipster Pouch "Blue Ice"

All I can say is "Wowee Ki Zoweee" How can I pick JUST ONE?????????????

December FEST BLOG Giveway IS HERE!

Tweet This month our Blog Giveaway is sponsored by Terry of
ArtsyCharmed&Quirky
of Coral Springs, Florida. Terry makes fabulous eclectic jewelry, handmade pendants, quirky charms and unique and wonderful Pincushion dolls.
Her giveaway is a "Zesty Butterfly" Domino Pendant. A splash of "Hot" jewel tones is complimented with a "charming" silver butterfly and matching beads. This is a 1 x 2 inch handmade domino pendant that is 18 inches long and secures with a lobster claw clasp.

Perfect for Holiday giving or to pamper YOURSELF!

Enter to win this fabulous Pendant by visiting the ArstyCharmed&Quirky Shop or any of the FEST Team members listed to the left on this page. Find your favorite item, share it with us and tell us why you love it. Remember to add your email address so we can contact you if you are the Winner!

Winner picked on 12/27/09. Simple and Easy!

May Team Challenge Winner - Full Blown Glass

Tweet

Yea, one of my favorite FEST jobs... announcing the winner of the team challenge! Allow me to introduce you to Full Blown Glass!

Brent Earnest, the glass artist behind Full Blown Glass, is a self-taught Lampwork & Blown Glass artist who began working with glass in Asheville, NC in 2002, after being introduced to the medium by a friend. During this time he was working full-time as a chef (Brent is an alumni of Johnson & Walles University with 15 years of experience in the culinary arts). Initially his focus was on jewelry and during this time, he was successful in selling his unique creations to family, friends, and via consignment. In 2005, he moved to St. Petersburg, FL, met fiance Heather Fulp, who has a retail background with a focus on buying and design, and the two started FULL BLOWN GLASS.

I asked Brent to tell us what Full Blown Glass is all about - At Full Blown Glass we create colorful, affordable lampwork and blown glass home goods and wearable art. Each piece is handmade by glass artist Brent Earnest and jewelry designer/apprentice lampwork artist Heather Fulp.We love using glass as a medium!All of our items are made from borosilicate glass (aka...Pyrex) and we use Northstar® Borocolour® in 95% of our assortment. Also all items are kiln annealed up to 1,000 degrees to ensure strength and durability.

FBG continues to produce the quality handmade jewelry that sparked this interest, yet creatively they needed a challenge, so they have now expanded their assortment to include home goods and artwork. Due to Brent and Heather's eclectic nature, they have a plentiful collection of items to offer.

So what else does this dinamic duo keep busy with? When not in the FBG Studio, Brent works full-time as a chef. In their free time Team FBG are usually completing home renovations, camping, or relaxing at Ft. De Soto dog park with their 2 Weimaraners Colby & Jack.

Happy Shopping!

April Team Challenge Winner GladRaggz

Tweet The theme for the team challenge for the month of April was FUZZY. All the members of FEST are given the opportunity to vote for their favorite submission and it's my fun job to announce the winner! And the winner is, drum roll please..... are you doing it??.... GladRaggz with this work or art, her one of a kind designer inspired crochet handbag:

Listen to the detail that went into this bag - This is a one-of-a-kind work and extremely fun piece of crochet artwork done in a variety of yarns in shades of red with jeweltone highlighs. Embellishments include a gold tone filigree and rhinestone brooch as well as a single row of red fabric that I've sewn into ribbon to get the perfect color match. Lightweight gold toned chains make this a shoulder bag. The interior is lined with sapphire toned satin, and the small interior pocket is edged with machine embroidered silver holographic thread.

As I was looking through GladRaggz' shop I kept thinking her bags and jewelry look like wearable pieces of art. Case and point, this amazing necklace

This large Swarovski AB Crystal Pendant is just gorgeous! It hangs from ropes of ivory cord, gold fabric tape, and teal colored "Italian Mesh", which is a finely braided wire mesh that can be fluffed and shaped any way the wearer wishes. The Italian Mesh is strung with 4 AB Swarovski crystals.

I also really love how descriptive and captivating her listings read, like this one for these clear glass earings.

These desinger inspired earrings remind me of several things - seashells, flowers, and feminine curves with their swirls and faint AB, (Aurora Borealis) coating. Both the swirled beads and the round Czech glass spheres reflect a delicate rainbow when they catch the light at just the right angle. There is also a faint swirl of white glass on the edges of the clear bead. These earrings would be especially nice for bridal wear, but they can also be dressed up for evening, or down for a "casual chic" look. Either way, they are extremely feminine and sexy, and can't be missed!

Stop by this talented FEST members shop and add a little art to your wardrobe!