Here are a couple of the latest business card designs available in my Etsy shop :) Enjoy!
So so sorry for the large gap in posts.. it's been crazy busy over here lately. But I have lots of new stuff to share!! I was at a craft show this weekend and I have the remaining inventory of my wine jewelry up in my Etsy shop. Don't forget that this make perfect gifts for the wine lover you know! :) UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE - - - All new necklaces now feature a sliding bead adjustable cord rather than the double knots. A much clear look and super easy to adjust! One of my favorites.. Always Kiss Me Goodnight, and in a fun minimalist wood sign. Perfect for gifts! Find this one and others at SpunkyFluff on Etsy.
So I found this beauty the other day... stylish, and made of cork! Made by Mim'arte in Portugal. Find this one and more in their shop Mimarte Cork on Etsy.
Had your eye on a business card design? Now is your chance to grab a deal. :) Now through September 3rd, order a premade or custom design business card graphic to print from home or through a service - and get the back design free!
When placing your order, please do not purchase the listing for the back design. Here are just a few of my latest premade designs. I also do custom work. :) www.polkadotsquaredesign.etsy.com Today I'd like to introduce you to Valerie Tyler of Miscellanea, I found her shop the other day and I find her work absolutely amazing. So full of texture and different metal tones, which I love! I got to chat online with her a bit and learn a bit more about her and her collections. I also handpicked a few of her pieces to showcase here to give you a feel for what she creates. Gorgeous right?! {You should see her other collection... amazing. More on that below!} So Valerie, when did you start designing or how long have you been creating jewelry? "I took a jewelry course in college for a fun elective. It wasn't until well after I finished grad school that I decided to pursue jewelry design as more than a hobby. I went full time with my jewelry design last year and now it's my primary business" What inspires you and your work? "My home is South of Cleveland, right next to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, so I am inspired by both the cities industrial, rustbelt history as well as nature. You'll find influences of both in my work. In addition, I like modern style and simplicity so you'll find many of my pieces are minimalist or geometric in design." Tell me about your collection, what might I not know at a glance browsing through your shop? "I actually have two distinct lines of jewelry. My eponymous line features my higher end sterling silver jewelry which I also exhibit at art shows. Everything in that line is completely handmade. Even my textures are all entirely hand-forged with various tools versus using a rolling mill. My Miscellanea line allows me to explore current design trends and I'll frequently use vintage materials and raw gemstones." What are your personal favorite materials and colors to work with? "Many of my pieces use recycled or repurposed sterling silver in the efforts to be eco-friendly. I also love uniquely shaped and raw, natural gemstones so I will frequently hunt down unique gems." What do you do when you're not designing stunning accessories? "I'm actually a mother to be, so right now there is some major nursery preparation underway. As part of that journey I've also branched out using all the social media and marketing skills I've developed from running my own business (as well as a background in management) to create a blog called Motherhood in Progress where I could share both journalism, photography and social marketing related to motherhood. Since going full time with my jewelry I have had a piece featured in US weekly, won my first art show award (a judges selection award at the Cain Park Arts Festival) and will get to sit on the jury of an upcoming art show. It's been busy, but exciting." If you want to see more of Valerie's beautiful work, make sure you visit her shops below. Yes, she has two as she mentioned above. And I promise you, you don't want to miss that other shop... even more absolutely stunning work.!
www.miscellaneabyvalerie.etsy.com www.valerietylerdesigns.com Oh and here's a special treat from Valerie - see something you like? Use code POLKADOT for 10% off her Etsy shop! Yesterday I decided to take my 2 year old {almost 3!} out for a treat after school. So we headed over to the local yogurt shop and he got to pick out his favorite 'ice cream' - the pink one, aka strawberry. He's even upgraded to enjoying M&Ms and sprinkles on top! He used to hate the different textures in it, but he's all for it now.
There were no other customers in at the time, so we had the place to ourselves and enjoyed a fun yogurt moment together. Talked about school, and yogurt of course. Can you tell he loves the stuff? It's not a common thing, so it is a treat when we go. :) So I got to thinking about other small treat things we can do, aside from sugary sweets of course. So here's my list of ideas. Some may not be for you, so you may love, but the general idea is to think of fun things to do for one on one time. {Even though baby sister was also with us, that can't be helped sometimes, but she quietly enjoyed the time as well.} 1. As above, frozen yogurt places are a sweet trend right now and make fun stops for the kids. Plus they're all over the place! You probably have one within a 15 minute drive too. Pick your flavor, pick your toppings, and pay by the ounce. Love! 2. Cook! Or bake. My son LOVES to help in the kitchen. It can be nerve-wracking sometimes, but maybe he'll be a fancy chef someday. Find a easy, and relatively clean recipe {no nasty meat juices or egg} and dive in. I love the idea of a egg-less cookie recipe. He gets to have fun stirring, or squishing, and lots of time to watch them bake in the oven. {He's always requesting that the oven light be on while we're baking so he can watch.} 3. Puzzles are always fun too, at least for me. I love a good puzzle. Though I generally prefer the ones with tons of tiny pieces, but I'll compromise and do a large piece puzzle for my kids. I'll live. :) We've even found character puzzles that are black and white and ready to color, double the fun! 4. A classic, read a book. Let them run and pick it out. My little man tends to choose his football or potty book. I think I must have those memorized by now... and... 5. Go for a walk. Seriously. My kid loves to walk, or usually run. It's a major win for everyone, get some fresh air, some exercise, and if you're lucky... a bit of a tan! Don't forget the sunscreen on the kiddos though. Talk about what you see, count things, and talk about what they did at school that day. You can even do mini races - from this tree to that light post, etc. And if you have a tiny one too, like me, they're generally portable and love the fresh air and walking too. Buckle them into a stroller, or wear them. I use my Beco Gemini and she stays happy 90% of the time. :) We usually have busy, hectic days but it definitely helps lower the stress of the little ones {and me!} when we can sneak in a few quiet moment to just be. Baby girl is starting out on solids now, so that means I get to make baby food again! {Another hobby of mine} Today I decided to make pears. Partly because they're watery and will do well in a blender.. our bullet thing broke which was the only thing I had found that would properly puree the thicker foods like potato and avocado. Could be just me and my blender too, I might just have to figure it out. :) So... follow along with me here {I have pics!} and I'll show you how I did it. What you need:
I rinsed the pears, removed those pesky stickers, and then peeled them. {I had a pick of the peeling and cutting, but it didn't turn out.} Then cut into chunks, not tiny, you don't want them to melt away in the steamer. Add the cut pears into the steamer and put the lid on. Stir up the pieces now and then so they get evenly heated. Mine steamed for about 15 minutes until they got to the consistency I wanted them. Which was softer, and the ones of the bottom were starting to dissolve. Actually, if you're making this for a 6 mo old or up, you don't really need to steam them. But I like to, so I did. :) Once the pears were cooked, I tossed them into the blender and hit PUREE. It took a bit of stopping, stirring, and more pureeing to get everything nice and smooth. While the blender was going I pulled out my ice cube trays for freezing the baby food. I LOVE these with the lids. We bought them from Bed Bath and Beyond. But you can just easily do this with a regular ice cube tray and cover with a couple layers of plastic wrap. Which I also do because sometimes I ending making more than what my two trays with lids can handle. Once the pears are pureed, I add in this last step. I have this hand bowl like strainer/sifter that I pour the puree into and then push it through with the back of a ladle. At first you'll probably just get pear juice, but keep pushing and the pear will make it's way through as well. This assures me that there aren't any chunks left that the blender missed. Makes this paranoid mama feel better. :) Now I have this pretty, smooth, pear baby food! Ready to freeze. Spoon it into the ice cube trays, cover, and place in the freezer until frozen solid. I usually leave mine in for several hours, or the day, before popping the cubes out. Then I use a gallon size freezer bag to store them in the freezer, labeled with the name of the food and the date made. Ta da! Homemade pear baby food. :) My go to for baby food information is this wonderful site - Wholesome Baby Food. TONS of information, monthly food charts, and more.
> Next up is going to be sweet potatoes! I found these lovelies this morning - gorgeous! I adore the feel of the lace surrounded by the rustic metals. From ThatOldBlueHouse2 on Etsy, the lace has been placed within sheets of glass and then soldered into the frame with a brass chain. Make great gifts, bridesmaid accessories, or even 'spoil me' moments - like I'm considering. ;)
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