June is Busting Out All Over…

“Mine is the Month of Roses; yes, and mine
The Month of Marriages! All pleasant sights
And scents, the fragrance of the blossoming vine,
The foliage of the valleys and the heights.
Mine are the longest days, the loveliest nights;
The mower’s scythe makes music to my ear;
I am the mother of all dear delights;
I am the fairest daughter of the year.”
-   Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

(From babiesonline.com) The rose, is the flower for those born in June. It is a beloved flower for its beauty and fragrance with a long history of symbolism and meaning. The ancient Greeks and Romans associated the roses with their goddesses of love Aphrodite and Venus which is probably what has led to the red rose being considered the rose of love in today’s modern culture.

Color Meanings:

  • Red: love
  • Pink: grace, lesser feelings of love
  • White: innocence, purity, secrecy, friendship, reverence and humility.
  • Yellow: Yellow roses generally mean dying love or platonic love. In German-speaking countries, however, they can mean jealousy and infidelity.

The rose is the national flower of both England and the United States, and the state flower of several U.S. states including Iowa, North Dakota, Georgia, New York and Texas.  Here are a few “rose” items that were made by fantabulous Team North Georgia artists and artisans:

June - Bones 'n Roses

Bones 'n Roses - a card wallet by arrrt

La vie en rose necklace by cardinalhouse

La Vie en Rose Necklace by cardinalhouse

Rose Ribbon Brooch by BethToddCreatz

Rose Ribbon Brooch by BethToddCreatz

Rose Garden Purse by JoyAnna

Rose Garden Purse by JoyAnna

The pearl is the modern June birthstone.  (From about-birthstones.com) … These gems have adorned crowns, clothing and temples and were said to be a favorite of Cleopatra.  Only those with royal status once wore pearl jewelry, but eventually, these gems were seen among all classes of people.  They continue to be viewed as a mark of taste and refinement, as well as a symbol of purity, and they are often given to celebrate a marriage or the birth of a child.

Pearls are nature’s perfect gift, suitable for all ages and elegantly worn with everything from jeans to an evening gown. A few “pearls” from our most tasteful, refined, pure and elegant Team North Georgia artists and artisans:

My Bonnie Joy by looksgoodonya

My Bonnie Joy by looksgoodonya

Wee Grapes earrings by seedlingsjewelry

Wee Grapes Earrings by seedlingsjewelry

Father’s Day Gift Guide

I don’t know about you but I always find Father’s Day to be one of the most difficult holidays. I never know what to get him! And with June 21st rapidly approaching I thought a few of you might be thinking the same thing.

Mrs. John B. Dodd, of Washington, first proposed the idea of a “father’s day” in 1909. Mrs. Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart. William Smart, a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife (Mrs. Dodd’s mother) died in childbirth with their sixth child. Mr. Smart was left to raise the newborn and his other five children by himself on a rural farm in eastern Washington state. It was after Mrs. Dodd became an adult that she realized the strength and selflessness her father had shown in raising his children as a single parent. Now that’s a father!

TRADITION

So here are a few ideas for what to get your dear ol’ dad. If you are the traditional type who likes to go with the standard card & tie for Father’s Day then the North Georgia Street Team has got you covered. Just grab this Louisville Slugger Card by SmellyRhino & this one of a kind silk tie by AlchemistArt.

ACCESSORIES

But perhaps you have a dad who likes different accessories. Then how about this super cool beret by ElephunksTrunk. And what dad doesn’t like Leather?! LeatherFromTheAbyss has everything your Leather Loving Dad could ask for. Check out their cuffs, sheaths, key fobs & belts for a great gift.

CUSTOM

But that’s not all. For those of you who wish to get your very special Father a very special gift why not get him something custom made. A journal made by ARRRT! might be right up his alley. Or a custom made figurine of Dad & the kids by KellysClayCreations will forever capture the specialness of this day.

FOOD

However, if you have a dad like mine your best bet is to get him something good to eat! Like some yummy Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies by SweetDreamsBoutique. Or if he likes to cook, some hand blended spices from LittleDragonLady is sure to make him smile.

DO IT YOURSELF

Well, I hope this has given you a few ideas on what to get that special man in your life this Father’s Day. But for those of you who want to make your own handmade gift from the heart, here are a couple of tutorials just for you.

Family Marble Magnets

Daddy & Me Mug

Congratulations, Celeste!

The North Georgia Street Team would like to congratulate Celeste from ElephunksTrunk.Etsy.com for being the winner of the DingoGirl66 Blog Contest. Congratulations, Celeste! We hope you enjoy your prize.

Seller Bio: Dingo Girl’s Den

www.Dingogirl66.Etsy.com

Tell Us a Little About Yourself. I was raised on a farm in north Georgia. Growing up, I always did crafty things. I had parents who really supported my creativity – especially because I have always had two left feet! I use to draw what I could see in clouds and nature, and by the time I was 12 or 13 year old, I had begun painting with oils and acrylics. By 15, I was working in soft sculpture, ceramics and screen printing. I began sewing on a machine about three years ago and doing appliqué work about 1 ½ years ago. In trying many different craft mediums, I found that I liked sewing the best because it allows me to manipulate textures, colors and dimensions to get the results that I desire. For me, appliquéing is like creating a painting with fabric.

How Did You Pick Your Shop Name? My shop name comes from my nickname, “Dingogirl,” that was given to me in my teens and just kind of stuck. And what is a dingo? It is a den animal – meaning that it is very self-contained and has everything it needs in its den.

What Makes Your Items Special/Unique? Dingogirl66, features one-of-a-kind soft sculpted toys, pillows, blankets, hoodies and purses. The toys are whimsical woodland animals or cute and creepy creatures that I call “mutants.” I began drawing them as little cartoon characters that have evolved over time. And now, I enjoy bringing them to life. I think it comes from reading Edward Gorey, Dr. Suess, Tolkien, Mark Ryden and Jim Henson. If there was one person in this world that I could meet, it would be Jim Henson – so I could tap into his mind. I love the drama and comedy behind everything he has ever created. I view him as an icon and mentor.

Is There Anything Else We Should Know? I love Japanese toys, faeries and other mystical items. Really, I just love anything that is off-the-wall that has a sense of humor to it and makes me feel like a child. When I begin to create a toy, I usually have only the shape of the body in mind. I create the majority of them from recycled material such as old wool sweaters. Once I have completed the shape, I sculpt the rest of the features by hand.

I currently reside in Grant Park in Atlanta and have lived here for about five years. My yard is overrun with whimsical yard art and gnomes as well as multiple gardens. When I am not crafting, I do interiorscape design and maintenance for upscale hotels, atriums, restaurants and cooperative buildings. It is very fulfilling to be able to design a planting arrangement or floral arrangement and then see the finished project. I have formal training in landscape architecture.

I am a huge animal lover with three dogs, three cats, a tortoise and two fish tanks. These guys are my children and consume or consummate my motherly instincts. I have always loved dogs and would do anything to save one. Recently, I helped a stray find its way back home. The owner was thrilled, and I was relieved! I also have studied canine training and psychology and have worked with an animal behaviorist in the past.

CONTEST INFO:

Go to Dingogirl66.Etsy.com & have a look around. Come back here & leave a comment about your most favorite item. Doing so will enter you in a contest to win your choice of any Zippered Bag from Dingo Girl’s Den.

Congratulations Flower Winners!!

It was a close race this month with such beautiful entries but our top 3 winners were…

1st Place: KellysClayCreations.Etsy.com

1st Place: KellysClayCreations.Etsy.com

2nd Place: SmellyRhino.Etsy.com

2nd Place: SmellyRhino.Etsy.com

3rd Place: ElephunksTrunk.Etsy.com

3rd Place: ElephunksTrunk.Etsy.com

But let’s not forget about our voter winners! A big North Georgia Congratulations goes out to BugEater.Etsy.com & Liz for winning the fabulous Flowers Prize Packs!!

Be sure to keep checking this blog for more chances to win all month long! Our next Monthly challenge voting will begin on June 1st with the theme “Sun, Moon & Stars”.

Flowers Challenge

April Showers Bring May Flowers… especially here in Georgia. So this month the North Georgia Street Team is proud to bring you a beautiful bouquet of Flowers!!!

Choose your favorite from the group below & you will be entered in a contest to win one of these fabulous prize packs made up of some awesome items from Team NorGA shops. Here’s what you could win:

 

Flowers Prize Pack #1

Flowers Prize Pack #1

 

A Pair of Dishcloths from FoxyGKnits, Cocoa Soap from HartleySoap, Flower Pot from KellysClayCreations, & 5 Floral Scented Tea Lights from WorthySoyCandles.

 

 

 

Flowers Prize Pack #2

Flowers Prize Pack #2

A Floral Zipper Pouch from DingoGirl66, Flower Power Scarf from WorthySoyCandles, Tropical Punch Soap from HartleySoap, A Pendant Necklace from MarciaPalmer.

 

Below is our collection of Flowers challenge entries. To view the entries close-up, you can click on the links below the mosiac. That will take you to the Etsy listing for the item where you can see more pictures, get more details & even purchase the item if you like! You can vote once between now and midnight EST on Thursday, May 7, 2009. Note voting rules: Everyone, including Team NorGA members, may vote for a favorite entry. If you have entered a piece in this challenge, you are not eligible to vote. The challenge winner will be announced on May 8th, 2009.

1.  Fire Flower Shrug by WorthySoyCandles.

2.  Happy Sunflowers Blank Notecards or Invitations by SmellyRhino.

3.  April Showers Bring May Flowers Zippered Cotton Pouch by CoonAnd Cole.

4.  Fascinator- Blue & Peacock Feather Hair Comb by ElephunksTrunk.

5.  Cosmos- Crochet & Glass Pearl Necklace by SeedlingsJewelry.

6.  Rise & Shine Earrings by DuoEarrings.

7.  Les Fleurs- Retro Decor for Window or Doorway by BethToddCreatz.

8.  Dogwood- Original Signed Fine Art Photography by Cybergirl5710.

9.  Goddess Shawl Wrap- After The Rain by FoxyGKnits.

10. Shades of Blue Flowers Frame by KellysClayCreations.

How To Enter:

  • Simply make a comment on this post and tell us what your favorite item is.
  • Be sure to leave your contact information (Email, Etsy shop, etc.) Any entries without a way to contact the person will be disqualified.
  • You get 1 entry for leaving a comment. Only 1 entry per person/email

Note: Contest open to legal US residents, 18+ years old. Void where prohibited by law. Odds of winning depends on how many valid entries are received. Winner will be chosen using Random.org’s Integer Generator. First Place winner will get to choose which of the 2 prize packs they want to receive. 2nd place winner will receive the other pack.  No purchase necessary & purchase will not increase your chances of winning.

Shortly after the contest ends, the winner will be contacted. If you do not respond to the message that you won the prize within 72 hours, a new winner will be selected. Contest ends at Midnight EST May 7th, 2009.

*** Search “Team NorGA April” on Etsy.com for more great Flower items ***

Be sure to check back between the 1st & the 7th of next month when the Challenge will be Sun, Moon & Stars!

(Please note your comments must be approved, this keeps our spam down, so if you dont see yours right away don’t worry!)

Getting the word out!

The North Georgia Street Team grows bigger & better everyday! One of our most recent expansions was a YouTube.com Video that features several of our team members. This video was created by KellysClay Creations, so a big thank you goes out to her! Check out the video:

And word quickly spread about our video to the wonderful people over at HandmadeMarketing.org (thanks to our very own FoxyGKnits) & they wrote up a lovely article about what our team has done! Check it out.

Congratulations Julie Boucek!

The North Georgia Street Team would like to congratulate Julie Boucek for being the winner of the PAINTEDbyLauren Blog contest! Congratulations Julie. I am sure you will love the beutiful art that you receive from Lauren.

Seller Bio: Painted By Lauren

dsc_0966www.PAINTEDbyLauren.Etsy.com

Tell us a Little about yourself? My name is Lauren Harrell and just this year I began painting for a living. Thankfully my husband has a fulltime job J. I graduated from the University of Georgia with a BFA in Fiber Arts and prior to this year worked in the interior design field. While I enjoy all creative processes, painting has always owned my heart.

How Did you get Started Doing What you Do? Life circumstances really. For as long as I can remember I’ve said ‘one day I want to paint full time’… that ‘one day’ came a lot sooner than I expected.Life is a little unpredictable like that.

How Did you Pick Your Shop Name? I’m kind of all over the map with what I paint, so I wanted to keep it basic. I think it gets the point across!

What makes your items special/unique? Because of my background in interior design I have an inability to separating art from the potential space it might occupy or from the person that might receive it. I desire to beautify most of the time rather than create art for arts sake (polar opposite from what I was taught in school). I guess my love for incorporating words (quotes, poems, etc) into my art is what makes it most unique, but I always aim to create pieces that I would display in my own home or be excited to receive.

CONTEST INFO:

Take a look around my blog, come back here & leave me a comment about something or some part that you like, and you’ll have a chance to be the proud owner of one of my 5×7 prints. I’ll choose someone at random!

Lauren Harrell
PAINTEDbylauren.etsy.com
PAINTEDbylauren.blogspot.com

Congratulations, Susan Lawrence!

The North Georgia Street Team would like to congratulate Susan Lawrence! She was randomly chosen as the winner of the prize from Burp’s Baubles lovely shop. Keep checking the blog for more chances to win great prizes!!