Nicolette’s Design Diary

It’s Halloween Madness at the Etsy store starting today October 22 until Halloween! This means Free Shipping on all of the items in my Etsy Store until October 31st. Also, look for a special Halloween Madness Deal of the Day where you can get a special deal on any items in the shop that has an orange border around it. The items change daily, so check on my Etsy store daily, or check here on the blog to see what the Halloween Madness Deal of the day is. Get some holiday shopping done early!

Here’s Today’s Deal

Dried flowers and embroidered threads gives these book earrings a lovely and unusual look and texture as well. These book earrings have covers made of cotton rag paper embedded with dried flowers and embroidered with cotton threads. With inner pages made with Brockway text paper, these earrings are also bound with starched linen bookcloth and 14kt gold fill wire and french hook earwires.

Normal Price: $18.50
Today’s Halloween Madness Price is $15.50 + free shipping!

Each pair of earrings come on an earring card that doubles as a mini-book. Open the pages and read about “The History of the Book”!
Click here to check them out!

Plus, check out the new items on the store as well

Here’s Today’s Deal

Recycled never looked so good. These book earrings have covers made of printed recycled paper. With inner pages made with Brockway text paper, these earrings are also bound with Italian bookcloth and 14kt gold fill wire and french hook earwires.

Normal Price: $16.25
Today’s Halloween Madness Price is $14.25 + free shipping!

Each pair of earrings come on an earring card that doubles as a mini-book. Open the pages and read about “The History of the Book”!
Click here to check them out!

Plus, check out the new items on the store as well

While I’ve been plugging away on some new jewelry (and some TV series), I’ve also been updated the Etsy store as well. Some are one of a kind so if you like what you see, visit the store now and get them before they disappear. Click directly on the photos to see them or you can visit the shop directly to see the whole selection!

If you want up to the minute updates on when new stuff goes up on my Etsy shop, follow me on Twitter!

After some really great weather here in Chesapeake for the past couple weeks, it seems like we’re in for three or four really cold, soggy, days. Looks like fall is definitely here. Fortunately, staying inside is not too much of a bummer, because I’m now deep into book jewelry-making mode, partly in preparation for the holidays, but mostly because I got some really great paper samples to experiment with.

I’m especially intrigued by some of the “flocked” paper samples I’ve been working with. These papers have a “flocked” or velvet like design printed on top of the paper. The result is a very tactile velvet texture that “feels” interesting as well as looks interesting. I’m pleased with a great many of the designs and I’m planning on having these up on the Etsy shop sometime soon…so keep an eye out there or on Twitter.

Another great thing about cold, soggy days and jewelry making? Series marathons! I’ve already went through Seasons 1 and 2 of True Blood, all six seasons of Sex and the City (and the movie) and I’m now working my way through the Gilmore Girls. Whoever thought of television series on DVD was a genius. Hopefully the rain will hold out until I get through all of my earrings and Season 3 of Gilmore Girls.

I just added three new pairs of small book earrings to my Etsy store yesterday. These are actually one-of-a kind designs so once they’re gone…they’re gone! Click on the photos below to check them out or go directly to my small book company etsy store to see the entire selection.

If you want up to the minute updates on when new stuff goes up on my Etsy shop, follow me on Twitter!

I first learned how to crochet when I when I was 9 or 10…so I have a soft spot of beautiful crocheted items. And the photography of the item is beautiful too. This linen pincushion with the crochet motif was made by photographer ( that explains the beautiful photography), graphic designer, and artist namolio. You can check out more crochet and linen items on her Etsy shop.

Okay, so how cool are these miniature glass chocolates? They’re made by glass artists Dinah and Patty Hulet. They have a beautiful line of glass chocolates, candies, and other beautiful and fortunately non-fattening treats. You can visit their website here.

Usually I like to blog about jewelry, but this was just too cool not to blog about. This calendar is what happens when art and simple science collide. This calendar by artist Oscar Diaz combines link, paper and the power of capillary action to design this calendar. A piece of paper is embossed into the numbers of the month. The end of the paper is immersed in an ink bottle and capillary action colors in the numbers as the days progress. Way too cool!

This calendar by Oscar Diaz is on exhibit in Madrid, Spain at the Círculo de Bellas Artes. Thanks to Craft Magazine blog for the link!

Just a quick note to let you know that I’ll be speaking at the Rosen Group’s Buyer’s Market of American Craft on Friday, July 31st, in Philadelphia, PA.

The Philadelphia Buyer’s Market of American Craft is the largest wholesale market for handmade craft where artists and gallery owners and other sellers of American craft meet and buy crafts. If you’re an artist hoping to sell your crafts to galleries and gift shops that cater to the handmade market, the Buyer’s Market is a great place to get started.

This Friday, participating as a panelist for an educational boot camp on how artists can survive the recession. I’ll be on a panel discussing the Internet and blogging along with Buyer’s Market founder Wendy Rosen (gulp!) and Janet Francouer of Carolina Creations. Other topics will include sessions on toy safety, economic stimulus loans, and store marketing.

For more information about the Buyer’s Market, you can visit the Rosen Group’s site.