This week I am excited to feature Lynn of UnaOdd. Lynn makes resin, clay and acrylic jewelry which features her love of nature. Lynn is also a busy mom involved with her children’s school. Enjoy a day in her life!

6:30 a.m.  The alarm clock goes off.  Today I only hit the snooze button twice so I’m up at 6:38.  I quickly check my e-mail for any overnight sales or conversations from my Etsy shop, UnaOdd.  Nothing  this morning.  While my children are getting ready for school I shower and dress, then wash up the morning dishes.

8:30 a.m.  I drive my children to the school bus stop, then do a quick grocery store run.  I am home by 9:00.

Tonight is a fundraiser at my children’s school.  The Arts Day Committee that I am on is running a talent show, bake sale and art sale.  We are raising funds for our Arts Day Program which brings artists into the school to demonstrate their artwork to the students.  Our PTA informed us that there is no extra money in the budget this year, so it’s up to us to raise all the money we need.  I’m donating my time, artwork and two loaves of banana chocolate chip bread so I  need to start baking!

9:45 a.m. Banana bread is baking so I take a break for breakfast - finally.  While eating I check my shop and read up on a few blogs and  Twitter.  After breakfast I clean up the kitchen.  The bread is baking and the house smells heavenly.  Too bad both loaves are going to the  sale.

10:30 a.m.  I start painting some posters for tonight’s show and sale.  Good old potato stamp technique comes to the rescue!  While the  posters are drying I realize that the light is wonderful so I do some  product photography for later listing.  I have a very simple set-up,  but it relies heavily on good natural light.  When the light is favorable I try to be ready to shoot.  A gauzy curtain, sunshine and a  home-made multi-colored board backdrop are what I use the most.  I  made the backdrop in different color blocks so I can move my pieces  around to the color that suits them the best.

12:00 noon  Lunch!  I take a half hour to eat and check on my accounts, answering a few conversations that have come in. After lunch I work on a submission of some photos for Lark books, do some photo editing and a few loads of laundry.  The mail arrives with a supply delivery -always exciting!  Everything is as ordered and I spend a little time playing with the supplies, planning out what I’m going to make with them.

3:30 p.m. I’m off to my children’s school to help set up for the evening’s event.  The team works hard and well together and we have  the show set up by 5:00 p.m.  It doesn’t officially start until 7:00 so I run home to make dinner, then back to the school by 6:15. The Talent Show is wonderful.  The kids do a great job and really seemed to have a great time.  The art and bake sale does really well too.  We bring in almost $1,200 for our Arts Day program!  Breaking down and cleaning up takes a little while.

10:30 p.m. I just got home from the sale.  I have a glass of wine and check my shop.  No sales on Etsy today, but I feel really good about the hard work we all put in and the great artists we can now bring in to inspire our children.  I visit and comment on some blogs.

12:06 a.m.  Finally off to bed.

Michelle is a graduate of Albright College with a B.A. in Visual & Apparel Merchandising. After years in the fashion/ retail industry, she is now a WAHM. Michelle is a self-taught jewelry designer and owner of Michabella Creations.

The name Jibby and Juna comes from the names of two imaginary friends. That playfulness and creative fancy is evident in the polymer clay jewelry made by Genevieve Williamson, of Southern York county.  Textures and muted earthtones  are a delight for the eye.

Want to see more? Where can you find Jibby and Juna? She’ll be the artist of the month starting in March at Radius Gallery at the State Museum in Harrisburg. She’ll be there in person on the first Sunday of the month (the 7th). If you need to see more right now (like I did), here’s her etsy shop, Flickr photostream and blog.

You can probably guess that I’m not doing a good job being  “in the moment.”  With one look at the beautiful blue bird in lush green grass and gorgeous metalwork for the garden- you might just catch what I’ve got a little of.

How about this beautiful pendant by Charmed I’m Sure (Mechanicsburg)?  Made from recycled parts, this piece is a delightful assemblage on copper using pictures from a discarded Audubon Guide and a sheet of weathered copper given to me by a friend.

We met Sandra Webberking (Springfield) at the Buyers Market of American Craft Show. She is a delight and her work is fabulous! I like her artist statement… being an avid Gardner, it seems natural that I gravitated toward creating whimsical sculptures for the garden I spend so much of my free time in. I value the process of finding objects, listening to their story and reincarnating them into the creatures they will become.”

Kate, along with her husband, bring together farm, food and design at The Steel Fork. They also design and create sculptural metalworks using recycled farm machinery – Gatski Metal. Kate is also the mother of two busy little children.

distinctive valentine’s day gifts for the animal, insect and bird lover

animal lover scarf by xenotees

ruby beetle mechanique by 19 moons

cedar waxwing watercolor by sixsisters

all handmade in Pennsylvania and found in the HiP flickr pool.

After a short break, I am back this week with fellow jewelry artist Jodi of Tubby Tabby’s Jewelbox. I’ve seen Jodi’s work up close at The Hodge Podgery where we both have items for sale, and her designs are both unique and creative. Jodi uses dominos as a backdrop for many of her pendants. Recycling at it’s best! Enjoy a day in her life…

As a self-employed graphic designer, I work from home and therefore my day can start anywhere from 5:30 am to Noon. A typical day for me is spent in my pajamas at my computer.

After I drag myself out of bed and loosen up all my stiff joints, I pour myself some iced tea and go directly to the computer. Checking emails is my first priority (after the iced tea and cigarette). I love checking email as I am always looking forward to that overnight Etsy sale or new graphic design assignment.

12:20 p.m. Next step, twitter. Ah, the twitter, where I can find comfort knowing I’m not the only one who’s suffering with boredom or financial woes. After a few minutes (really hours) of tweeting, I realize I have to get something accomplished today. I begin to think about my new jewelry designs. Mostly, my design process, for the jewelry anyway, just comes to me as I begin to make things. I have certain ideas in my head, but they always turn into something totally unexpected. I will usually work on jewelry for a few hours until I end up with at least a few pieces I am happy with. Yippee! I’ve accomplished something for the day! Now to get SOMEONE else to think it’s great and buy it!

3:30 p.m. I’ve now realized I haven’t eaten all day. When I get involved with something, it’s usually very intense and until I’m finished, I’m usually not aware of my hunger.

3:31 p.m. Eat something, anything, cause now I’m starving.

3:35 p.m. (note the time) I said I was starving! I now have to photograph my new creations (if there is still light in the window) I will photograph, make adjustments in Photoshop and begin my new listings.

4:00 p.m. Woohoo! Received a call from a customer. A design job is coming tomorrow, that’s wonderful!

5:00 p.m. Wait for David (the significant other) to make dinner. I am not the greatest cook.

5:45 p.m. Eat dinner, watch TV, play games on the computer.

6:30 p.m. Check in with my tweeps!

8:30 p.m. maybe play with more jewelry designs, watch TV, pay bills.

9:30 pm. more of the same (I am guessing now this boring life is not what you signed up for when you started to read this story).

More of the same and so on and so on until…

3:30 a.m. maybe now I can sleep…oh wait, here comes another hot flash! Damn menopause!

Michelle is a graduate of Albright College with a B.A. in Visual & Apparel Merchandising. After years in the fashion/ retail industry, she is now a WAHM. Michelle is a self-taught jewelry designer and owner of Michabella Creations.

you can add these to my wish list.

sterling silver jewelry by esma studio.

fine crafts with bits of red.

silver focal center piece by holly gage

gyotaku by micheal reimer

handbound book by elizabeth gates

all exhibiting at the Pennsylvania Guild Fine Craft Fair in Lancaster this weekend.

Elizabeth Sterling and her husband John market their one-of a kind furniture and jewelry boxes at shows in the Northeast and Midwest, through their web site, and their etsy shop, so wabi sabi. Elizabeth shares her life and love of all things handmade, homemade, and homegrown in her blog so wabi sabi.

I discovered this lovely and talented jewelry designer when we were both participating in a show this summer. Typhaney’s jewelry is inspired by nature and the beauty of the stones, and this definitely comes through in her work. She also designs some very clever interchangeable necklaces, in which you can wear several ways. I hope you enjoy a day in her life!

My daily grind; Wake up, let the dogs out, start my coffee, and feed the zoo! I have 3 cats and 2 dogs. Today started out even better than normal since my husband has a half day he decided to make us breakfast while I took a shower! After breakfast, I relax a bit with the dogs and drink my coffee. Coffee is a very important part of my day. I keep strange hours and need the caffeine boost! 

  During this time I check email for orders, check my calendar, and various sites that I am a member of or have some interest in. I try and plan out most of my day. I am happy today will be a full Typhaney B. Jewelry day! I am also an office manager at a toy design studio four days a week.      
            
I have to prepare for an appointment later in the afternoon to restock a boutique that I pulled jewelry from due to a recent photo-shoot. During the photo shoot I had to remove the tags from most of my items.  Cleaning up the shoot was a fast and unorganized venture, so I ended up putting jewelry away with out re-tagging it. My first project today is to re-organize inventory. I pull and pack orders that need to go out and set them aside. I spend a few hours doing organizing, tagging, and adjusting invoices. I set a majority of my stock aside for an upcoming show and pack the rest to bring back to the boutique.

It was a really great day out so I took the subway and walked a bit. I stopped in a store I have been meaning to contact for a while, chatted a bit and left my business card. I will follow up with an email in a few days to see if they are interested in buying. I make it to the boutique I am returning jewelry to, and help the owner put display. I was asked to participate in a trunk show which is on the same day as another event I am doing but promise to drop off extra jewelry so they can have it with out me there. I now begin to feel a little overwhelmed and realize I am low on some supplies so I head to jewelers row.                                    

I purchased a few ounces of wire. Unfortunately they were out of one of the sizes I use, so I am going to try something different and hope for the best. I also purchase a new steel bench block because I have beaten mine to death. I get back on the subway and head home. My husband has already returned from his short day of work and I tell him about my afternoon. I play with the dogs for a bit and start cleaning up, throw some laundry in and make dinner. I have the evening to myself because my husband got called to work at his other job. I spend some time measuring and cutting wire to be shaped and hammered. 

I have some deadlines looming so I set the tools aside and head to my computer. I have to work on a couple small banner ads for holiday advertising. Most of it is due during this coming week but I will be on vacation so I need to take care of it now. My least favorite part of what I do is anything to do with photo shop and editing pictures. It drives me crazy, and I am usually not satisfied with the result until I have spent way too much time. By 1:30 in the morning I have made 3 different versions of a small ad for an online magazine, and a new logo banner for a blog. My husband returns and is surprised to see me awake, so I finally decide to shut the computer and give in to sleep.

Michelle is a graduate of Albright College with a B.A. in Visual & Apparel Merchandising. After years in the fashion/ retail industry, she is now a WAHM. Michelle is a self-taught jewelry designer and owner of Michabella Creations.

1. Twilight Inspired Crystal Ball Necklace by FallenHearts - $30

2. Aceline by treeandkimball - $28

3. Audrey Ring (Vintage German Glass) by laralewis - $9

4. Pearl Teardrop Lariat Necklace – Sterling Silver by ERMoriginals - $25

5. The Key to the Secret Garden- Vintage skeleton key on fairy ribbon by LexiandGem - $25

6. leaf necklace by meganauman - $63

7. Fall Leaves by modernbird - $30

Jenya is a Philadelphia based artist who focuses on the concept of unique and original designs that are done using free form technique. Her forEvaMore handmade clothing line features one-of-a-kind pieces made with natural materials and her EvaForeva shop is full of hand knitted winter accessories.

two weeks ago i launched a new extension to scoutie girl: scoutie girl gifts.

sg gifts is about two things: community and buying handmade. or is that one thing?!

scoutie girl gifts is fostering a sense of community by encouraging *you* to submit your own gift guide galleries of handmade goodies, rate posted gift guides, and leave comments with your thoughts & additional links.

and, like always, scoutie girl – just like handmade in pa – is encouraging people to buy handmade gifts for friends & loved ones! to further this goal, i’ve included basic tips for beginners and easy-to-use options for finding appropriate handmade gifts. scoutie girl gifts is also skinned for compatibility on mobile devices!

here’s how you can help: go window shopping, find 12 handmade items you love, send me the URLs. i’ll post your selections, credit you as the curator, and you can share your post with the world! it’s fun & easy, and probably something you do on a daily basis, anyhow – yes, i know what you do in your free time. or, simply, let your friends & readers know about the site and i’ll be eternally grateful!

last night, i posted what i hope will be the first of many handmade in pa gift galleries. it’s called gray days in pennsylvania and features 12 of your favorite pa crafters! don’t forget to leave a comment, rate it with the stars at the bottom of the gallery, and tweet it!