Handmade Favorites for April 19, 2009

A few weeks ago, I introduced my little sister to you through her love of all things "monkey". Well, this week, I'd like to introduce my older sister, Karen. There are tons of things I could have picked to represent her, but none spoke to me more clearly than her love of music. God blessed her with a gift for learning and performing music. She has a passion for it that inspires me. I found some great music-related handmade items and I present them to you now.


The reasons for choosing this first item were threefold. First, it's a ukulele, in honor of our Hawaiian heritage. Second, it's a ukulele (I know, I know, a bit redundant), which is one of the instruments Karen is learning to play. Third, and finally, it's this awesome Hand-painted Pirate Ukulele and well, ARGH! I love this thing so much that it is the first item I have ever posted two pictures of! This find is by far one of my favorites that I've featured on my blog. I love the detail Inexplicable Confetti put into it and how the ship is painted against a black background; it really makes it stand out. The skull and crossbones at the top of the neck is great and I LOVE the treasure map on the back! The only problem I have with this creation is that the audience wouldn't be able to see both sides simultaneously while it was being strummed!

Images used with permission from Phillip at Inexplicable Confetti.


Next I bring you some great accessories for all female musicians to take notice of. These Treble Clef Earrings are from Leisa B. I'm not sure on the size of these earrings, but they look like they'd be rather large, which I love, but being hand-formed out of anodized aluminum, they won't weigh a ton like other large earrings. They can be made in numerous wonderful colors and I'd be rather excited to have a rainbow of these in my jewelry box. These would be the perfect accessory with a tee and jeans or to add a quirky twist to a more formal outfit. I think it would be great to wear this with a little black dress to a cocktail party!
Image used with permission from Leisa B.


Fused glass is one of those mediums that always amazes me, especially when the resulting art looks like these amazing Turntable Pins. I don't know if I can express how awesome I think these pieces by Jamie Burress are! I mean, just look at the detail and how perfectly the fusing of the glass came out! To give you an idea of how much detail there actually is, these pins are only 2" x 1 5/8". I don't know any DJ's, but I can think of several people who would love this funky accessory.

Image used with permission from Jamie Burress.


At Jewelry by Jennifer Casady, I discovered tons of high-quality sterling silver jewelry. I think I said "ooh" about every item she has up for sale. This week, though, our theme is music and nothing says "legitimate musician" like a Custom Hand-Stamped Sterling Silver Guitar Pick. The picks can be customized with any words/numbers you'd like and are hand-cut, hand-stamped and hand-shaped to complete the final product. She really puts a lot of work into getting these just right. I really like the idea of giving the guitar players in my life a keepsake pick that will last forever. This is a beautiful piece that would definitely meet the standards of any professional jewelry purveyor.

Image used with permission from Jennifer Casady.


The next item I bring to you this week is this very, very sweet Your Song Ring by Rickson Jewellry. The song featured on the ring on her Etsy shop is "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston. You can see that the melody of the line is engraved on the outside of this sterling silver ring and the words are engraved on the inside. You can also send her your song and have that engraved on the band instead. I love the sentimental potential this ring has. Can't you picture it? Matching wedding bands, father to daughter rings, best friend rings! The possibilities are endless. This is definitely going on my Christmas wish list for hubby this year!

Image used with permission from Rickson at Rickson Jewellry.


Handmade baked goods are back! Prepare to be awed! The folks over at Charm City Cakes created this one of a kind cake and I think it would make a perfect birthday cake for Karen! She currently plays drums for the praise band at her church, so it would be a perfect fit for her. I just love all the great things produced by Duff and his crew. My favorite is the little Pearl logo on the side of the big tom. What a great cake!

Image source: Digg.com.


Well, that's it for this week! I hope you all enjoyed a peek into the greatness that is my sister, Karen! Thank you to all our artists this week for giving me permission to feature their work.

Enjoy the remainder of your weekend and thanks for reading!