Friday with Friends: TwoTiming

I know, I know.  This feature has gone missing for a few weeks - certainly not because of lack of subjects, but because I've rather over-committed myself for the upcoming holiday season and I'm feeling a little pressured.

But this week I'm feeling also the need to share some love, so I give you Kaylene of the Etsy shop TwoTiming.  She's another recycler/upcycler, and a leader on the Etsy team that I captain, the Upcycled Clothing 'n Things team.

Her fiber of choice is felted wool, and what this woman can do with a discarded sweater (or sweaters - take a look at that second pair of brown slippers!) is beyond belief.  I love her slippers and I'm thinking I might buy myself a little post-Christmas gift if the season goes well enough.

If you see anything you like, give yourself adequate time for shipping -- Kaylene's an Aussie, so it will take time to reach you, but her work is worth the wait!

Friday with Friends : UpCDooz

Friday with Friends returns with a feature in the realm of fabric:  the team of Camille and Susan Thornton, upcyclers extraordinare and the talented hands behind the Etsy shop UpCDooz.

The UpCDooz shop is a member of the Upcycled Clothing 'N Things and RecycleParty teams, both of which provide me with frequent support and inspiration.

While my upcycling tends toward taking things completely apart and remaking the fabrics into something else, Camille and Susan often take an existing item and upcycle it into something better than it was before, which is, I believe, the true definition of that slightly annoying word anyway.  (Upcycling: it sounds a little twee sometimes, but people think of recycling as something you put out on the sidewalk with the trash, so I'll use the twee word.  I'm even getting used to it).

Their Etsy shop is full of fun pieces, but some of my favorites are their custom dresses, one of which I've pictured here.  This particular piece is no longer available, but you could get them to make up something similar, or check out the shop for some fun accessories and women's pieces as well.

Their shop slogan is:  "Altered upcycled clothing for the artfully dressed woman."

I think that pretty well covers it, don't you?

Friday with Friends : Cynhumphrey's Creative Creations

I wonder if I am so attracted to jewelry because it's something I don't make?  It's like my attraction to knitted and crocheted items - I don't make it, most of the techniques involved in the making of it mystify me, and I fear stashing another material.  Me with a yarn stash would NOT be a good thing.  Or a bead stash, for that matter.

So this week's Friday friend is a virtual friend, Cindy Humphrey, who is the captain of my favorite team on Etsy, the Upcycled Clothing 'N Things Team.  Obviously, there's more than upcycled clothing happening here -- Cindy can turn her hand to any kind of jewelry, but it's almost all upcycled from something else.

One of my favorite things in browsing her shop is the way she's inspired -- you can see from the two photo collages I borrowed from her for this post that she makes a group of pieces inspired by a photograph that attracted her.  Generally, as in the photo above, she's inspired by nature.

I love the lavender pieces, though the blue ones at right run a close second.

If you like her style, check out her shop -- I know she's putting some beautiful autumn-colored pieces in there this weekend!

Friday with Friends: Amy LaRoux

I have something a little different for you this week.  After two consecutive Fridays of fabulous jewelry, we've got ourselves a fiber artist in the house!

Amy LaRoux is a fellow Philadelphian and member of the Handmade Philly team on Etsy, and I've been a fan of her gorgeous knitted creations since I first saw them on Facebook.

I suffer from fear of yarn (or rather fear of yarn stash), so I've never learned to crochet or knit, but looking at Amy's work really makes me wish I knew how.

Her pieces range from cowls, shrugs and cardigans to accessories and tank tops, made from alpaca, mohair, angora and every other fiber under the sun, apparently.

There's just something so delicious about luxurious yarn -- you just want to reach into these pictures and pet the pieces, and then put them on.

And you can:  Amy's Etsy shop is right here!

Friday with Friends: Gaia's Reflections

This week's featured artist is Michelle Tulumello, the talented creator behind the Etsy shop Gaias Reflections.

Michelle began making jewelry while staying at home with her young children, but her skill says this is something that will remain with her long after the kids have grown up.

We're on the same RecycleParty team on Etsy, and Michelle is dedicated to recycling, repurposing and re-using anything she can get her hands on.

This is from her shop announcement on Etsy:  "I am not afraid of new mediums, and being an artist at heart, I am always experimenting. Much of my experimentation results from my desire to avoid wasting materials and make effective use of every scrap. I try to use as many environmentally friendly and repurposed objects as I can, and I also focus on making my work durable and wearable, because it is better to buy a one of a kind thing you really love than 5 cheaply made things that will fall apart or break."

Amen, my crafting sister.  And please, keep making beautiful things.

Friday with Friends: Jerica's Jewelry

Pink Glass Flower Earrings

I'm introducing a new feature on the blog this week -- Fridays with Friends.  I know so many talented crafters, in person, through Etsy and Facebook, and I want to a little time each week and share the love.

This week I'm featuring my real-life jewelry-making friend, Jennifer Erica Sweda, otherwise known as Jerica's Jewelry.  You can find her shop here on Etsy.

Her jewelry is all hand-crafted, and she uses sterling silver in most pieces, unless noted in the listing.  Her pieces are a lot of fun, and I admit to owning a few pieces from the holiday show myself.  She's also working on some new pieces which I really hope to see in her shop very soon.

"3 Coins in the Fountain" Bracelet

I've known Jennifer for several years now; we've done a local holiday craft show together a few times, and most recently we shared a very wet tent together at an outdoor craft show.  Not only is she talented, but she made it through an unexpected monsoon with a smile on her face.

These are the kind of friends you keep close.