In My Mailbox

I won this Inspired Book Jacket *Firewalker/Stormwalker Design* from Paper Cut Reviews. Thanks, Steph and Chas! I'm so excited to win this! I've never seen anyone selling book jackets in Malaysia.

I won this18K Gold Bangles with Semi Precious Iolite and Crystal from Pradman Jewelry. It's really beautiful and eye catching. Too bad my wrist size is too small. Thanks, Nicole! Visit Pradman Jewelry on Etsy.

From The Dead by John Herrick
Won from Good Choice Reading. Thanks Dee!

A preacher's son, a father in hiding, a guilty heart filled with secrets: When Jesse Barlow escaped to Hollywood, he hungered for fame--but eleven years of failure result in a drug-induced suicide attempt. Revived at death's doorstep, Jesse returns to his Ohio hometown to make amends with his preacher father, a former love, and Jesse's own secret son. But Jesse's renewed commitment becomes a baptism by fire when his son's advanced illness calls for a sacrifice--one that could cost Jesse the very life he regained. A story of mercy, hope, and second chances, From The Dead captures the human spirit with tragedy and joy.

{Feature + Giveaway} RedBracelet's LuckXury Collection

Tali is the founder of RedBracelet on Etsy, which is based in Tel Aviv, Israel. She is currently 38 years old and a mother of two children, Shelly (11 years old) and Alon (6 years old). She has an MA in political science and communication. Her Luckuxy collection combines 'Luck' and 'Luxury', as you can see below:

LuckXury fashion welcomes good energies ♥ ♥

LuckXury jewellery collection is an original combination of good luck & wishes, fashionable, trendy design & a comfortable feeling. Luckxury can be part of your daily life - there's no need to take it off thanks to the durable & water proof materials used in creating it. Well... let's face it, who wants to take off a vital jewelry that has the power to give you luck, joy, success and protection against the evil eye?

LuckXury is handmade and designed by Israeli designer, Tali. Each piece of jewelry combines hand knitting and sculpturing. The turquoise amulets are being sculptured from a special blend that is developed exclusively for this collection in order to have a durable and washable product.

All LuckXury collection is shipped with a gift from Tali (RedBracelet.etsy.com) in a festive wrap with a gift from her: A designed blessing card – empty, for buyers personal use, in a great smelling envelope.

The "LuckXurys cameos" are unique and specially designed with Kabbalah motives and spiritual folklore amulets that protect and use against Evil Eye. The "LuckXury" collection and cameos is certainly the Best Gift for yourself or your beloved, whom you wish to be safe, healthy and happy!!!

* INTERVIEW *

How did you start your art/craft?

As all good things in life are accidental, I designed and created a unique turquoise hamsa-hand necklaces. One pair. For myself. For years I thought that turquoise is a vital color, so I designed lots of jewellery from metal and sometimes combined with turquoise components. My love for this color is mostly in the jewellery field, not connected to folklore believes, but to fashion taste. I think this powerful color is well-suited with almost every color.

I have all materials because I need to add some products in a shop to get to a certain sum for credit card transaction. I use calcium, polymer clay etc.

I also have some stones I bought 3 years ago during a vacation abroad and used only few of them since. And of course, I already had crafting tools. It all combines together to produce a wonderful, strong and unique look. Many people were asking me to make a few for them. I was used to such requests since I had crafted jewellery as a hobby for more than 10 years. But this was different. It looked like no other... So I decided to respond and accept the orders. After a few months of marketing to shops, online marketing piqued my interest. This was really cool because it suited my lifestyle as a career pr woman.

Who / What is your biggest inspiration?

When I got married, my grandmother, which came from Bulgria to Israel a long-long time ago, put [A GARLIC!] inside my bra, on the morning of the wedding day. She said that it will protect me from the evil-eye and will assure that only good energies are around me. That strong memory was in my mind when I first created this turquoise-turquoise… which is another belief of my grandmother. This family tradition gives the concept a real meaning.

I've just started the LuckXury collection for more than a year. It is a unique advancement of the usual jewellery I used to make. It has a fashionable look and a marketing concept, which is an interesting combination of something the eye can’t see - believe, spirituality and fashion - material and design innovation and true wishes.

According to Tali, people who can enjoy her work are ones who are...

optimistic, believing in the good, hoping for the best, feeling the joy of color and remembering good energies each time he/she looks at the LuckXury jewellery collection.

Do you have any advice for amateur crafters out there?

Yes, my advice for them is to...
* find a suitable field / category and have friends connected to it

* be friendly to others

* be a giving person – customers will come back!

Tali will include a small gift with every purchase, which is a pretty greeting/blessing card (blank for the customer's personal use.)

Oh, and try to snap good pictures for your items / products.

TRY TO CREAT A SOLID CONCEPT AND FROM THERE TO PATH THE VARIETY.

Besides handcrafting beautiful accessories, is there anything else you are passionate about?

Beauty , fashion and aesthetics… and vegtables

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Madonna Kabbala Red String Hamsa Good Luck Evil eye protection Double turquoise eyes ($2.50)

"Hamsa" is believed to be a power of protection from Evil Eye and for good energy, prosperity, health and happiness. All these good things will happen to the one who hangs Hamsa in his house, car, on his body etc. This is the reason for hanging small Hamsa ('Hamsika') on baby's strollers. Hamsa is the most popular and ancient protective symbols of many religions all over the world but it came first from Arab traditions. "Hamsa" means "five" in Arabic, a number who reminds the five fingers of the human hand and its physical abilities to fight, change situations and to protect. The number Five has, according to the common believes, magical power to gain fulfillment and it symbolizes the creators protective due to the analogous to god's name in Hebrew and Jewish mysticism.

LuckXury Brown bracelet - multi Kabbalah for fashion and good energies
($50.00)

Turquoise is the traditional color of the Hamsa that suits her thanks to its strong energy against Evil Eyes. It is a strong color that leaves no one indifferent, and it is always fashionable too!

luck charms ivory-gold mustard wild bracelet turquoise cameo bohemian fashion hippy so long with an indian button ($100.00)

Garlic is a symbol for mystical powers that can protect the wearer from negative vibrations of the evil eye, jealousy and law energies. These believes were created mostly at the Balkans countries due to its strong smell that can keep the demons of the evil eye away.

Sweety girly bracelet blue and golden pair turquoise red and pink hearts decor ($25.00)

Eye symbolize the fight in the evil eye. The ancient Greek seafarers painted eyes on the prows of their ships as protection against the evil eye power. According to the traditional story, the evil eye runs away as soon as it meets the Jewelery eye. Evil eye tend to think it is a real eye that catches her worst behavior.

Red bracelet eye cameo luck evil eye keeping away Kabbalah faith ($35.00)

Red string According to the Kabbalah wisdom colors have specific frequencies and energies. Red is the color of danger associated with blood but also the color of love and passion. Thank to those associations it is the most powerful symbol and color for evil eye protection, as the Kabbalah wisdom recommended

Tali has offered a lucky reader $20 to spend at her shop. The winner can use the gift certificate to redeem product(s) which sums up to $20 or use it when purchasing from Tali's shop to get a rebate. All readers can get a 20% discount when they mention "Aik" in the "Note from buyer" when making a purchase from redbracelet.etsy.com.

You have to do ONE of all the ways stated below to enter. It is not mandatory to complete all of them. Each one that you completed apart from your first entry will be counted as an extra entry. Please leave separate comments for every (extra) entry and leave all the usernames / links so that I can verify your entries. Most importantly, don't forget to leave your e-mail address!

1. "Like" Tali's Facebook Fan Page

2. Send Tali a Friend Request on Facebook

3. Follow Tali on Twitter

4. Visit Tali's shop, find your favourite piece and "write" on Tali's Facebook wall what you love the best from redbracelet.etsy.com + a link to the piece
5. Post it on www.facebook.com/luckxurys too (Refer to 4)

6. Heart your favourite piece from Tali's shop on Etsy
7. Heart Tali's shop on Etsy

Giveaway is open worldwide and will end on 15th November, 2010 @ 6 p.m. Malaysian time.

Marlo Noel Is Now On The Bright Side Project!

Marlo Noel is featured on The Bright Side Project!

Stand a chance to win a $200 gift certificate by answering this question:

What piece(s) of jewelry in Marlo Noel’s Etsy shop would brighten your day? How would you where it or who would you give it to?

Please spread the word by telling your friends by word of mouth, e-mail, blog, tweet, facebook etc. Thanks and good luck!

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By the way...here are some awesome contests!

Jewelry
* Need bling on your wedding day? Enter to win a gorgeous necklace from Guy and Eva at Mint Green With Envy.
* Win a pair of pink sterling silver earrings from Blue Scarab Jewelry at Mint Green With Envy!
* Win a $50 gift certificate to The Vintage Pearl at Simply Stacie
* Love The Vintage Pearl? Enter to win more jewelry at Just Simply Southern.
* Win any item (up to $40 value) from Sweet and Chic Designs at Salad for Breakfast.
* Lily's Valley is giving away a silver plated/glass pendant necklace

Accessories
* The Classic Bride is giving away a gorgeous set of vintage wear!

Check Out Marlo Noël's Jewelry!

Pretty jewelry always gets my vote! Please check Marlo Noël's Etsy Shop now! She has an an array of exquisite jewelry specially handmade from various semiprecious faceted briolettes. International shipping is only $4. Custom orders are welcomed.

Read my interview with Marlo Noël HERE.

Sophia VII Earrings ... Mystic Pink Topaz $48

Charlotte Earrings...Champagne Citrine and Rhodolite Garnet $88

Olivia III Necklace ... Sky Blue and London Blue Topaz, Rhodolite Garnet $118

The Amethyst Collection:
Sophia IV Earrings ... Amethyst $ 48

Lucy IV Necklace ... Amethyst $78

Visit: www.marlonoel.com
Read: www.marlonoel.blogspot.com
Follow: http://twitter.com/marlonoel

Review and Interview : Marlo Noël Jewelry

I received a package in the mailbox 2 days ago. It was beautifully wrapped and nicely sealed. If you've been reading my blog, you should know I love receiving things in mail. I simply love the packaging! Can you guess who sent it to me?

Inside the box, there's a sweet, petite box and a letter.

Do you see what I see? A note card and...

A beautiful 18" necklace adorned with a translucent London Blue Topaz drop!

It's the Maribel II Necklace ... London Blue Topaz!

Alright, let me tell you what's going on : Marlo from Marlo Noël Jewelry has sent me a beautiful necklace for a review! It's called the Maribel II Necklace ... London Blue Topaz. I was so excited and eager to wear this on. It looks gorgeous with everything, which means --- I can wear it anytime, anywhere, on any outfit! Marlo says that the Maribel II Necklace ... London Blue Topaz would look amazing with a spring dress and a cardigan.

The topaz is about 7mm tall by 7mm wide, and the necklace is approx. 18" long on a sterling silver chain, finished with a sterling heart clasp and tiny blue topaz rondelles. It is multi- faceted, and the colour is a pale, translucent light blue. From here, I can conclude that this topaz is of good grades. Plus, Marlo's craftsmanship is excellent, and I can't even find the slightest defect.

I was harboured with lots of praises when I put this necklace on. Everyone thinks that I look much prettier with this necklace on. Maybe it gives me a boost of confidence in some special way. Personally, I love the style --- simple and nice, and I love the colour of the necklace, which is a pretty light blue, so this necklace is definitely a perfect choice for me. It's not too appealing, but at the same time, its beauty shines from within. For me, it's second to none!

I strongly recommend Marlo Noël Jewelry to everyone! Please check out Marlo Noël Jewelry for more wonderful jewelry!

Interview with Marlo from Marlo Noël Jewelry :

1. Hi, please introduce yourself.
Hi, I'm Marlo, designer for Marlo Noël jewelry. Thank you for having me!

2. How was your shop started?
I've been making jewelry since I was 9, but I didn't really know anything about Etsy until a few new coworkers introduced me to it last August. They saw my jewelry and said, "Why in the world don't you have an Etsy?!" I enlisted my brother-in-law, Max, who edited hundreds of jewelry photos. Without his help, I'd have very average pictures with grey backgrounds and inaccurate color. Post-production really is the secret to great photos, and thus, a successful online shop! I guess I veered away from the question a little there...

Maribel II Necklace ... London Blue Topaz $ 42.00

3. Who/What is your source of inspiration?
I get inspiration from wedding blogs like Snippet & Ink and 100 Layer Cake, and from beautiful, creatively merchandised shops near my home. I'm also very inspired by letterpress and typography.

Madeline III ... Coin Pearl and Rhodolite Garnet $68.00

4. What handmade possession do you most cherish?
I'm struggling a little bit with this one... I guess I'd say the necklace I wore in my wedding, which was basically a huge cluster of a bunch of different gemstones with a large, coin-shaped mint quartz at the center. I intended to make a shadowbox with that and some other special items from my wedding, and I kind of forgot when I misplaced the necklace for about a year. Thanks for reminding me- I'll have to reopen that project.

Peyton Earrings ... Sky Blue Topaz, Rhodolite Garnet, Iolite $ 98.00

5. Which items in your shop receive most compliments from customers worldwide?
The most popular items by far are the Lucy, the Mary, & the Blair necklaces, and the Kate & the Alice earrings. Although if I was answering based on sales, it would be the Anna and Maribel necklaces.

Anna VI Necklace...Mint Quartz, Aquamarine, and Whiskey Quartz $ 48.00

6. Which item from your shop do you like the most? Why?
Although I love all of them, my current favorites are the Anna VI necklace, because the color combination and style are simple and modern, and the Alice earrings, because who doesn't love a cluster of rainbow colored sapphires? Oh, and I also love the Grace necklace, because there are silver shards that run through the stone, which is really cool, but doesn't show up in photographs very well.

Catherine Bracelet ... Pink Tourmaline, White Topaz, London Blue Topaz $138.00

7. How do you promote your Etsy shop?
I email lots of bloggers to see if they'd be interested in doing a feature on my jewelry, or perhaps a giveaway for their readers. I've done 4 giveaways with different wedding blogs of gift certificates to my shop, so the winner can choose what they love best. I also advertise with one blog at a time, which definitely gets traffic to my shop. I like to choose blogs that have a complimentary style to my own, where I think the readers would be interested in my jewelry. I'm getting ready to run an ad with 100 Layer Cake, which we just finished designing today! I try to blog as often as I can (which isn't as often as it should be), and I have a Twitter, which is a great way to tell followers that you have new items in your shop.

Rachel Bracelet .. Sky and London Blue Topaz, Mint Quartz, Amethyst and Iolite

$ 238.00

8. Make a wish!
Okay! (everyone knows you have to keep it a secret or else it won't come true)

~ A great thank you to Marlo for making this review and interview possible!~

Lovely links:

Marlo Noël - Custom Jewelry Design

MarloNoel on Etsy - Custom Semiprecious Faceted Briolette Jewelry

Marlo's blog : design by the sea

Marlo on Twitter : http://twitter.com/marlonoel


*Custom-made pieces are available.*

About the designer:
Marlo is currently pursuing her love for jewelling, drawing inspiration fro her seaside home in Cardiff, California. She designs numerous pieces for each season's collection, only the finest of which are shown on the website.