Eye See You

I kind of fell off the map this month. Well, December has a way of sneaking up on you and bludgeoning you with parties and events until you come up for air sometime...well, about now I'd expect.

Here's the monthly roundup of the new creations of December (via the team thread)...

Dream Dial by The Lady Horologist

Love the pretties...

Art Nouveau Necklace by Lisa Marie's Piece

And, of course, I have quite the affinity for the knits (and crochet)...

Beaded Lace Knit Shawl by Knit Purl Squirrel

Unique OOAK Poncho by Chewsy By Design

Triangle Scarf Shawl by ohmay designs

This brooch would work well on a shawl or such...

Alligator Vintage Brooch by This and That Crafter

And I'm not sure if this is cool or if it creeps me out. Definitely not for a bedroom. But it was the perfect piece to inspire the post title...

Dragon Eye Talisman by kookybat

Happy end of December!

Where I Fess Up

I have a confession to make. I used to take a lot of time on these posts. I'd come up with a theme, search through our team's shops to find things that fit the theme...

But lately, I've started cheating. Instead of coming up with a theme, I just peruse the "Show Your Handmade Creations" thread on the team discussion thread, and pick a few items that catch my eye. (Or, I find a shop that is new to me, and I peruse the shop to find something to highlight.) I've been doing this for several months now.

Whew. It feels good to get that off my chest.

So, this month, here's what I found...

Crystal & Pearl Bracelet by Oh My Beading Heart!

Topaz Bracelet by LisaMarie's Piece

Jewelry catches my eye always. It helps that quite a few of the team members make jewelry. And I especially love earrings...

Purple Jade Gemstone Earrings by Bobbles By Carol

Sometimes I have no good reason for being drawn to something. Perhaps it's just the colors...

Chakra Crystal Stone Plaque by Saber Shores

Iridescent Gypsy Moth by Crystal Mist Cottages

Or it's something that makes me laugh...

Embroidery Wall Art by Peg Grady Art

And since I'm a knitter and crocheter, anything fiber related catches my eye...

Chevron Crochet Sports Team Blanket by ChevronLane

And just for fun, this is one of mine...

Lip Balm Holder with Clip by Zizi Rho Designs

Anything caught your eye lately? Do you peruse the "Show Your Handmade Creations" thread?

How Others Package

Sometimes gifts are so beautifully packaged that they make the actual gift so much more special. I still have the packaging from a little jewelry shop on the Ponte Vecchio in Florence. My husband bought me a necklace 20 years ago and I've saved the box plus the ribbon and sticker it came with, which I had carefully put back together.

Wearing the necklace the other day made me wonder  how fellow CCCOE teammates gift wrap or present their handmade goodies.

Here are some I found. I hope they inspire you to think or rethink your presentation!

From LisamariesPiece
http://www.etsy.com/shop/LisamariesPiece

From iCharming
http://www.etsy.com/shop/iCharming

From SoPrettySoVain
http://www.etsy.com/shop/SoPrettySoVain

From thepinkcamellia
http://www.etsy.com/shop/thepinkcamellia

From sliceofdelight
http://www.etsy.com/shop/asliceofdelight

Thanks for reading! If you have ideas of what you would like to read about in this blog, please let Liz or me know, or better yet, you could write a guest blog. If a novice like me can do it, you can too.

Posted by Millie
http://www.etsy.com/shop/eocrafter
http://www.etsy.com/shop/mhandmade

Pull Your Hair Back

I've been experimenting with making barrettes...

...and I got to wondering. I can't be the only one. What sort of barrettes are my fellow teammates coming up with?

Well, that's an easy search.

First I found these two stunning pieces from The Rustic Home and LisamariesPiece.

These are the sort of barrettes that I find myself drooling over at craft fairs. My hair is pretty thick, so I need nice things to hold it back. Sturdy is good too.

Then I saw these shiny ones by The Pink Camellia and 2Dy4.  

It was hard to narrow it down to one example from each of these shops. Too many choices.

Then there were some flower-themed from Snapdragon Lace and Rindow Designs.

I need to stop looking. There are so many nice barrettes and hair accessories. I can't choose.

These from Lil' Princess Bowtique and My Sweetie Bean are way cute.

These are aimed at a younger set. I don't think I could get away with wearing them myself. Although, I might just try...

Finally, the unique from Tresijas and EvalynBlackDesigns.

The first one is from an actual vinyl record album. As for the second, we all know that feathers are really big in accessories at the moment.  

I'm impressed. I think it's time to extend my barrette collection. Can you ever have too many barrettes?  

This post was contributed by Liz from Zizi Rho Designs. All pictures link back to the items on etsy. Also, search "barrette" and "cccoe team" to find some other amazing items.