Monday, November 26, 2007

Friday, November 23, 2007

Style Feeder

Have you heard of Style Feeder? I have played around with it. Is it usefull to you?
Taken from Style Feeder site:
About StyleFeeder
Once there was a boy who liked to make software. When he was nineteen he fell in love with a girl who was supposed to be teaching him French. She was French, in fact, and she liked to cook exotic food and wear beautiful things and he spent several years chasing her around the world.
But he got her, and he married her two days before her tourist visa ran out and now they live in a house in Watertown, Massachusetts, and she has declared that buying decent lighting in the US is really, really hard.
Call them Bea and Phil. Call them us, who made this site for ourselves and now for you.
In the winter of 2005, Phil noticed that Bea was spending a lot of time emailing to her friends things she had found online. Bea didn’t know what Phil knew, that although email is good for many things, it’s a private and inefficient way to share links.
And Bea finds a lot. And Phil thought it would be nice if Bea and her friends could share things online, and maybe a hundred other people could watch.
So StyleFeeder is Phil’s answer to Bea’s obsession: some things are so damn cool that the world has to know.

Fall Color Forcast


Complex and exotic describe the intriguingly unusual and inviting color palette for fall ’07. The traditional neutral shades expected for autumn have been replaced this season with rich, nuanced hues, offering more opportunity for creativity with interesting and unexpected color combinations.





Here are a pair of Earrings that fit that color Palette.
My first using Gold Filled. They are1-1/4" total length. Clustered stones in green/gold colors: Vesuvianite, Grossular Garnet, Swarovski crystal and Peridot. All hanging from gold filled french ear wires. You can find them on my website.





Wednesday, November 21, 2007

My Latest Etsy Treasury

I lucked out again. I logged on to Etsy with only 3 minutes until the Treasury opened. So here it is:

Monday, November 19, 2007

Moonlight in Paris Necklace

This Necklace got started when I took a class this summer from Tracey Smith at the Tacoma Bead Show on Framing Pics. I already had the charm of the Eiffel tower and of course I love France (am dieing to go). So then my mind starting putting the story together. Here is the center piece charm (front). The second picture is the reverse side, it is stamped copper:

Then the story took on a life of its own as I pounded, sawed and stamped.
Je T'Aime word charm:


Eiffel tower charm- He gave her a Rose and Pearls:


Another framed charm of the lovers and soul mates:


The "Cafe" word charm and wonderful little coffee bean bead to commemorate their times sipping coffee along the Seine:



Mon Ami word Charm:


The moon charm for the long walks in the moonlight:


The kiss off "Letter" and a "Why" charm stamped on a sterling heart.
Was it him or was it her?



Friday, November 9, 2007

Winter White...still

So now I had to try the winter white with the Vintaj brass:
I love it, luv it, luv it!!

I am in a Winter White kind of mood

I was spurred on by my friend Mimi...she said you should do some winter white....I said "really??..not to sure about that.."
I Now I am in a winter white kind of mood...I can't stop.
I found this wonderful white Turquoise. I then paired it with Howlite, Pearl, Greek ceramic washers beads, Naga Shell, Moonstone and Fossilized Coral.
Here are the earrings:

Bracelet:

Have you heard of Mintd?

I have discovered a another cool site for artist's to sell their wares and for people that appreciated handcrafted items.
Check out my Mintd store: Teka and Zoe

Another Etsy Treasury I nabbed

Here is a picture of my current Treasury on Etsy. It expires Nov 5th 1:37 am:
I scrolled thru the sellers list for sellers with around the same number of items for sale as myself (around 100) and what ever Avatar caught my eye I picked an item from their store. You can say a lot in that little box.

My First Etsy Treasury

Here is my first Etsy Treasury:

About me...

The designer and owner of Teka and Zoe is Michelle Mahler.  Michelle is a busy mom and 3 (all under 3 years).  Her creative background started when she was very young designing clothes for herself and her dolls.  She got her BS in Textiles and Clothing is 1983.  One month later she move to LA looking for that pot of gold...To become the latest Calvin Kline.  She designed Jewelry, Sweatshirts and T's selling them throughout the Los Angeles area, all the while working a "corporate job" as a buyer.   


Years later she became the Product Develop Manager for Franklin Heirloom Dolls, traveling throughout the Far East.  All the while designing and selling her own miniature dolls and fashions all over the US and England.  She was renowned for the incredible china painted eyes  The dolls eyes to the right are only 4mm wide.  The Franklin Mint decided to close down the Los Angeles design studio, Michelle stayed with the Franklin Mint for another year designing dolls from home and working with the design studio in Taiwan as the liaison.   Along with this she also started to design dolls for the Reeves International (Breyer Horses- yes little cowboys and girls). 


For her own dolls her "Buyer" instincts were to always find the best price on the fine fabrics and trims she uses.  This led to finding wholesale suppliers and buying in larger quantities.  With all the loads of wonderful trims and fine fabrics it only made sense to start to sell little bits at shows along with her dolls.  Share the wealth with other miniaturists and doll artist's.   (to the left a pair of Regency period dolls- under 6" tall)


At the same time Michelle and Jeff decided to make the long needed change to get out of LA.  They decided to move to Gardnerville, NV.  Gardnerville is at the foot of the Sierra's in Northern Nevada, 20 minutes from Lake Tahoe.   This big moved coincided with the exciting change to step out of the "Corporate" life and for Michelle to go out on her own.  Thus Doll Artist's Workshop ( minidolls.com) was expanded to a full time career, a complete on-line store selling all things fine to doll artist, miniaturists, quilters and the like.   


In 2004 the BIG CHANGE!  After 17 years of marriage Michelle and Jeff took the plunge and had kids.  Zachary, Nicolas and Natalie are  here enriching their lives.    This coincided with doll making burnout.  Working with porcelain was just not fun anymore.   One day a minidolls.com customer sent Michelle a link....she was looking for a certain ribbon for a necklace she was making.  The link was to jewelry artist Heidi Hale.   Michelle had dabbled in jewelry making, taking a class in Lampworking...of course she loves wearing jewelry!    But she thought "All that bead stringing, not to sure I am into that".   But something about Heidi's website just blew her away, it clicked - Ok, I get it it not just bead stringing!  She just felt compelled, starting by researching stones, buying a few books, taking a few classes, BUYING TO MANY BEADS!!   "Some days I just have to cut and pound on some sterling or twist some wire"  It is over...she is obsessed. 


We hope you enjoy her obsession.


Thursday, November 8, 2007

What I do...

Currently I own 2 web based business:


Teka and Zoe which can be found at: http://tekaandzoe.com/ Which can be defined as an Eclectic mix of Interesting & Inspired Handcrafted Jewelry using Unusual Beads & Stones.  Made from Sterling, Fine Silver or Brass.


I also have misc items for sale on my Etsy site: tekaandzoe.etsy.com


And


Doll Artist's Workshop can be found at: http://www.minidolls.com/home.shtml 

My products include: Imported Cottons - including: Liberty of London, Swiss Batiste and Swiss Micro Check cottons, Mini Herringbones and Plaids. Silks- Including: China Silk, Silk Velvet, Charmeuse, Thai Silk, Silk Broadcloth, Silk Chiffon, Silk Tulle, Brocades.  Other items include: Trims & Braids, Silk Ribbon, Hannah Ribbon, Vintage Ribbon, Hat Making Straw, Imported Cotton Lace, Doll Making Supplies, Doll Jewelry, Ribbon, Tiny Buttons and Buckles, KAO Bunka, Feathers, Chenille, Silk Thread, French Silk Trims, tiny Silk Ribbon Roses, Viscose Doll Hair, Doll-size curling Iron, Patterns, Doll Making Instruction Books, Doll Millinery Supplies, Swarovski Rhinestones, No-Hole beads, 1/2 Pearls, Patterns and so much more.


 

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