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This post is meant as a welcome back to old friends, and a welcome to everyone new. I can't tell you how good it feels to be back online with my shop. I never quit making jewelry, but I went dark for quite a while, and stopped selling online, and I've missed it--and missed interacting with all of you. I also recently changed my business name from Stella Ziganti to Suzanne Elizabeth Designs. This serves a few purposes, aside from everyone thinking my name is Stella, but I've wanted to do it for a while so the start of new year was the perfect time for the transition. Anyway, enough of the boring stuff! I can't wait to show you the silver pieces I've been making lately. The pure fine silver pendants are what I wear myself on a daily basis, and they are more practical and durable for everyday wear if you are extremely active (they never need to come off, shower, swim, work out... they will suffer no damage, I promise). Here's a snapshot of a few that are about to be listed in the shop.
Your feedback and comments are always welcome. I hope you all have a happy and healthy 2018! **If you read this entire post, leave a comment here, or share on your social media (DM me if you do this so I can give you credit!) for a chance to win one free item of your choice, already listed or custom work--up to $50 value, or an infinity heart pendant. (Winner will be chosen via random drawing tomorrow morning 01/02) 
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The lovely and talented artisans from The Handmade Forum are having a little virtual holiday bash in the form of a blog hop. The theme is "Have Yourself a Handmade Holiday!" and is hosted by Tammy of Paisley Lizard Designs. Today we are highlighting handmade goods ranging from lotion all the way to organic tea. You should definitely stop in and check out the participating shops when looking for that perfect handmade gift. You can also follow The Handmade Forum and discover a great many more handmade shops on The Handmade Forum Etsy Pages, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Tumblr!  Without further ado, let's get this party started! See the first link in the beginning of each paragraph to visit that person's blog and participate in the blog hop. All photos have a link back to the individual artist's Etsy shop so you are a click away from being able to buy any of these lovely handmade treasures! I'll get started with a few of my favorite items from each participating artist... I hope you have a wonderful time checking out the blogs and amazing shops, and maybe find that perfect handmade gift. First up is our hostess, Tammy Adams, of Paisley Lizard Designs. Tammy mainly creates original jewelry, but also has polymer buttons and gift tags. Tammy designs a lot of rustic, nature inspired jewelry and I absolutely love it. A few of my favorite Paisley Lizard Designs pieces are pictured below. You really must see her Etsy shop as this is barely a hint of what she has available!
Second is the lovely Dixie Cutler of Dix Sterling, the maker of, as you might have guessed, primarily sterling silver jewelry. This isn't just any jewelry, but beautiful hand forged metal work with lovely stones and always original designs. I am currently wearing a pendant made by Ms Dixie, so I can definitely speak to the quality and allure of her creations. A few of my favorite listings are this silver and jasper cocktail ring, the flint and quartz pendant and the tourmalinated quartz (tourmaline needles in the quartz) brooch. Be sure to stop by Dix Sterling on Etsy for so much more!
Next up is Kei-Hawk Rose of Desert Sage Natural, and I believe she is truly the mistress of teas. I have sampled a few of the delicious blends from Desert Sage Natural on Etsy, and I couldn't be more impressed. The short of it is this, if you even "kinda" like any type of tea, try Desert Sage Natural tea in whatever blend you prefer, and you will be hooked. They are well blended, perfectly balanced, and of extremely high quality. The spectrum of teas available in this shop is impressive, and they range from simply delicious to medicinal. Pictured here is Organic Chai, Organic Lavender Earl Grey, and the Whovian Sampler (green). Yum, yum, and yum... I'll take one of each please.
This brings us to Deb Flaherty of Flaherty Naturals, who happens to make natural skincare products that are absolutely worth trying. I've been using her Delicate Orange Organic Body Lotion for the last few weeks and I'm hooked! It's moisturizing without being greasy, and it smells lovely without being overpowering. As far as I'm concerned that's about as good as it gets with lotion. Oh, and it's organic! A few items on my current wish list are the Vanilla Brown Sugar Scrub, Lavender, Calendula, Comfrey Salve, and Lavender Lip Balm. Hint, hint, Santa!
And on to the lovely Jenn of Bracelets by Jen, the maker of handmade embroidery friendship bracelets that are so much cooler than you remember. Her Etsy shop has a dizzying array of bracelets ranging from downright pretty to festive, as well as awareness bracelets to support a cause that is near and dear to you. The awareness bracelets not only help show your support, but a portion of each sale is donated to the specified charity. I love the purple gradient bracelet on the left, but the Santa hats are pretty stinking' cute, too.
Last, but definitely not least is Kathryn of Lorraine Inspired! Ms Kathryn makes the most amazing pushpins, amongst other things! Her Etsy shop is filled with goodies, but I'm particularly obsessed with the pushpins as I use tacks all the time. To be honest, these would make me smile every time I touched one. My favorites are the ladybugs, acorns and flowers... perfect stocking stuffers!
Thank you for joining us for out Handmade Holiday blog hop! Stop by these blogs and/or shops if you have the time, you won't be disappointed! If you'd like to learn more about The Handmade Forum in general, follow us, or become a member, find us on any of the links listed below. Etsy page Tumblr
I've always been primarily a coffee drinker, but with a soft spot for really good tea. I went through a phase loving anything green, and green with jasmine remains a favorite. I adore Earl Grey, and if you ever find Earl Grey with a touch of lavender, you really should give it a try. Anyway, I've grown to love tea more and more and have recently discovered an organic tea shop on Etsy called Desert Sage Natural. YAY for organic tea! The tea pictured above is a ChariTea so a portion of the proceeds are donated to charity. I ordered a batch because I'm a sucker for charities, and the tea looked seriously delicious. Well, it is. I've just brewed myself a cup and it's every bit as good as I was hoping. Actually, scratch that. It is much better than I was hoping. Every rose tea I've had in the past had way too much rose flavor and way too little tea, but this blend is just right. The rose, vanilla, and calendula are definitely present, but what you get is the scent and traces of them with a superb black tea. If you like Earl Grey, jasmine pearls in your tea, or any other hint of floral/herbal based on the real flavor of tea, this will be your new favorite. I think it would make a fantastic gift, though there are tons of gift sets available too!
I also ordered a peppermint tea for my husband, who is a little slower to appreciate the world of tea. He approves--and that is quite the statement. The only problem I have with Desert Sage Natural is the dizzying selection because I don't know what to try next! This shop really has it all, just about everything you could imagine in the world of teas. I suppose that's not much of a problem though, right? Now that I've got your attention, I wanted to remind all of you lovely people that The Handmade Forum is hosting an international Christmas Sale this Saturday, November 8th, with more than 40 participating shops! What does that mean again? Well, basically, there's only 48 days left until Christmas. So, if you do need to shop for amazing, unique, handmade treasures, here is your chance to save some money while doing what you were going to do anyway. We have dozens of talented artists from all over the world, mainly selling on Etsy, and all members of The Handmade Forum, that have banded together for a one-day-sale. Saturday, November 8th from 12:01am to 11:59pm EST, all participating shops will honor the same coupon code: SALE2014. The discounts range from 5% all the way to 25% off, and some shop owners are even including freebies, and/or gift wrap in addition to the discount. See the interactive brochure below for more info on the participating shops and remember to check out Stella Ziganti Designs for 20% off plus free gift wrap with every order using the coupon code SALE2014! Happy handmade shopping and wishing you the happiest of holidays! Read more: http://thehandmadeforum.boards.net/thread/619/handmade-forum-christmas-sale-brochure#ixzz3HRY1djO4 The Handmade Forum is hosting an international Christmas sale THIS SATURDAY, November 8th, with more than 40 participating shops! What does this mean? Well, dozens of talented artists, artisans, quilters, cooks, and crafters of The Handmade Forum have banded together for a one-day-sale. All day on Saturday, November 8th (from 12:01am to 11:59pm EST), participating shops will honor the same coupon code, SALE2014. The discounts and freebies range from 5% to 25% off, free items included, and free gift wrap or any combination of the above. The lovely Katie Joy of Uniquely You Jewellery has created an interactive, downloadable brochure showcasing all of the participating shops and the discount that will be offered. Stella Ziganti Designs is participating with a 20% discount, no minimum purchase, and free gift wrap! Don't forget to use the coupon code SALE2014 at checkout on Etsy to receive your discount. Please spread the word because this is our first annual Christmas sale and it won't happen again until next year! Read more: http://thehandmadeforum.boards.net/thread/619/handmade-forum-christmas-sale-brochure#ixzz3HRY1djO4  Today is all about Sammy's Jewels over on The Handmade Forum, as we continue the Spa Day Series. Sammy has an Etsy shop where she makes kawaii and creepy cute jewelry and hair clips out of resin. She's recently included cross stitch as well, though her focus remains on resin jewelry. Sammy is inspired by Japanese street fashion and says that most of her jewelry has a kawaii element (the Japanese word for cute). My favorite of Sammy's creations are the various hair clips, and there are tons to choose from!
Everything available at Sammy's Jewels is handmade by her in her home in Michigan. There are traditional colored items like the egg hair clip pictured above, as well as a pink version. Angel wing hair clips are available in solid colors or variations of half black or half white (or any color you wish to request as a custom order). Sammy also has a large selection of Halloween themed creations from bat and dripping heart necklaces to skeleton hand and bone hair clips!
 I've been eagerly awaiting today since the kickoff of The Handmade Forum's Spa Day Series almost two weeks ago. If you've seen my Etsy shop, or know me in person, you know that I LOVE sterling silver and natural, earth-mined stones, and I am fascinated with the organic yet polished look of the two of them together. That said, it's no surprise that I obsess a bit over nearly every piece in Dix Cutler's Etsy Shop, Dix Sterling. What makes her shop different? Well, Dix takes the sterling and works it into textures that remind me of the those found in nature. Everything from a lake rippled by the wind, to the smooth but bubbled inside of an abalone shell, to a piece of ice formed on top of flowing water. She selects stones that accent and compliment the metal, improving the finished look instead of overpowering the sterling silver. A few of my favorites:
I could go on and on about Dix Cutler and her lovely Etsy shop. Actually, I'd love to be a fly on the wall of her workspace while creates these pieces. I might have to settle for putting one or two of her items on my birthday wish list, but a girl can dream! It's been a genuine pleasure exploring her shop and learning a little about who she is as an artist and person, and I'm ever-so-glad that she saw that silver jewelry making flyer some fourteen years ago.
Make Mine Patchwork is today's shop of the day as the Spa Day Series continues over at The Handmade Forum. This everything patchwork Etsy shop is owned and operated by the lovely and talented Karen Relfe of Birmingham, Alabama, and is really full of all things patchwork. Karen dreams up and then creates every single item in her shop. She makes quilts, pillow covers, home decor, purses, aprons, seasonal items (think stockings and holiday specific decor), and an impressive selection of baby items. In fact, her animal bibs are absolutely precious. If you look closely, you'll notice they are incredibly detailed right down to the plush fabric ears and embroidered noses and whiskers. This is a small sample-- they are available in multiple colors with different fabric for the ears. So. Stinkin'. Cute.
Karen's leaf inspired table runner and pillow covers are fantastic, and definitely my favorite items for fall. The leaves are so colorful and span the entire spectrum from pale yellow to nearly burgundy, with variations as impressive as any real forest.
I'm incredibly glad Karen is a member of The Handmade Forum, and through her shop I've really gained a new appreciation for all things quilted. Thank you for sharing your talent with us!
 Hue+Wood is the shop of the day today in The Handmade Forum Spa Day series! This fantastic shop full of geometric hand painted wood jewelry and keychains belongs to Miran of Brooklyn, NY, but her creations should belong to all of us. She has some seriously cool items ranging from necklaces all the way to keychains, and there really is something for everyone. My personal favorite has to be her gold and black geometric wood necklace--completely handmade, drilled, painted, linked and finished. This striking necklace in the gold tone is perfect for fall, but the necklace is also available in several color variations.
I suppose what strikes me the most is how Miran has a way with abstract--she makes it look easy, although that's an extremely difficult thing to accomplish! She uses color in the purest ways, and black in just the right places, and creates gorgeous finished pieces. You can also find her work at Miran Studio on Etsy where she showcases her striking black and white abstract paintings. Keep up the beautiful work...it is inspiring!   The Handmade Forum Spa Day Series continues this week with Flaherty Naturals. This amazing Etsy shop is owned and operated by Debbie Cagle Flaherty, based in North Carolina, and specializes in organic skin care products, lotions, oils, scrubs, balms, soaps and much more. If you genuinely care about what you put in and on your body, have sensitive skin, or just like a more natural approach to health and beauty, this shop is worth checking out! Debbie really does make something for everyone, from loose leaf white tea with organic peony flowers to lavender lip balm (I want both!).
I will definitely be heading over to Flaherty Naturals for stocking stuffers and gift basket treats this year. In case you want to do the same, or can't wait that long, she is having a sale through the end of September using coupon code SEPT10OFF25 for 10% off any purchase over $25.
 The next shop in The Handmade Forum Spa Day series belongs to a jewelry artist named Katie Joy. She is the owner/designer/maker and everything else that works together to bring us Uniquely You Jewellery. Her shop is bright and fun, and her creativity is especially evident in her work. She creates modern geometric painted wood bangles and earrings, decoupage bracelets and glass jewelry in a rainbow of colors.
Katie Joy is always adding gorgeous and fun new jewelry to her Etsy shop. Whether you've shopped Uniquely You Jewellery before, or this is the first you've heard of it, you absolutely should check out her shop for your holiday shopping (or just because it's awesome)!
 Today, over at The Handmade Forum, we are continuing the Spa Day series and celebrating a woman named Carol Quinn and her Etsy shop, Quinny's Crochet. Carol is extremely talented and makes a wide variety of lovely crocheted items, including scarves, hats, neck warmers, eyeglass cases, brooches, baby blankets, and layettes. I always admire her scarves because a girl can't ever have too many scarves, right?
Thank you Carol, for sharing your talents on Etsy and bringing back sweet memories and making me smile with your lovely handmade items.
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