GIVEAWAY: The Silver Craftsman

The Silver Craftsman features unique hand-crafted items that are made using repurposed silverware. What sets The Silver Craftsman apart from other artisans employing this technique is that he recently celebrated his 16th birthday! We have had the pleasure of getting to know this young entrepreneur, Sheldon Roy, and his wonderful support system made up of his mother, father (pictured) & other family members.

Sheldon began The Silver Craftsman in September 2012 offering rings & bracelets made using old silverware. However, his product line quickly expanded, including unique items, such as stamped garden markers, Mr. & Mrs. wedding cake forks, and napkin rings. A visit to The Silver Craftsman's Facebook page introduces many new products that Sheldon has begun offering. I love the new leather cuffs embellished with stamped silverware (pictured). And the personalized necklace featuring spoons with a customer's children's names is amazing!

If you live in the Texas area, you can visit The Silver Craftsman at the 6th Annual Funky Finds Spring on March 8th & 9th in Fort Worth. Sheldon will also be selling his products at Vintage Market Days held March 21st through March 23rd at the Diamond W Arena in Alvarado. The Silver Craftsman occasionally offers giveaways via Instagram, so be sure to follow!

*** GIVEAWAY - Closed - Congrats eclairre! ***

PRIZE: One lucky winner will receive the beautiful silver spoon bracelet pictured above!

***Please leave an email address so I can contact the winner!***

TO ENTER: Leave a comment on this post noting one of your favorite items from The Silver Craftsman Etsy shop.

EXTRA ENTRY (optional): Follow The Silver Craftsman on Facebook, then leave a comment on this post noting you have done so.

EXTRA ENTRY (optional): Follow The Silver Craftsman on Instagram, then leave a comment on this post noting you have done so.

ENDS: Tuesday, March 4th, 2014, at 6pm CST.

Lover.ly

Weddings occur year-round, but summer seems to be known by many as wedding season. Regardless of the time of year, brides spend numerous hours searching for inspiration so they can create the perfect day for their soon-to-be-spouse, their friends & family, and themselves. Weddings are a reflection of a couple's taste & interests. It's also a time when brides can fulfill a fantasy of their perfect day. A fairly new site, Lover.ly, is a great tool for brides-to-be. The site is described as being a visual search engine & cloud scrapbook for all your wedding inspiration. With a database that is updating & evolving daily, the site has an archive of over 100,000 images organized by their blogging editors & community of users.

Lover.ly allows you to easily find gorgeous wedding images & ideas, save them in bundles you create, and share them with your friends and bridesmaids. I love that you can browse by color (the site features 16 popular wedding colors), style (vintage, rustic, military, etc.), or category (flowers, rings, stationery, etc.).

According to the most recent newsletter, several trends have surfaced over the past month. These are based on what topics have been frequently searched for on the site. Three of the top-emerging wedding trends are aqua & peach (photo 1), a combo that creates a cool, soft summer wedding palette; equestrian elegance (photo 2), perfect for rustic, barn weddings; and burlap & lace (photo 3), a textural combination that many - including me - are fawning over. To find out what's new & hot in weddings, check out Lover.ly's Popular Bundles section. Click here to start exploring.

left.beach.fotos

left.beach.fotos offers personalized beach writing photography taken on the beautiful beaches of Hermosa Beach, California, by Nicole Leigh. Each personalized photograph (pictured) is a handmade, original piece of art. You are able to specify which names or messages are written in the sand for weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, invitations, and anything else you can imagine! Nicole offers save the date postcards & magnets that are a beautiful, unique way to let your family & friends know about your upcoming wedding. These also make wonderful stationery, note cards and thank you cards. If you prefer to purchase an 8x10 photo that is personalized, Nicole offers that service as well. Check out left.beach.fotos' Facebook page for more information & examples.

Funky Five: Summer Wedding (Part V)

1. 25 Ways to Something Blue from Belle the Magazine

2. Free Printable Thank You Cards by Do-it-yourself-Invitations.com

3. DIY Jeweled Cake Stand by Glamour and Grace

4. Album Wedding Invites via Design Sponge

5. Crates and Ladders by Primadonnabride

This Week's Events

Thursday, July 21
Indie Wed, 5-10pm
Aérée Loft, 1520 W. Fulton, Chicago, IL

The Very Green Social, 5:30-8:30pm
IndieGenius, 409 N. Zang, Dallas, TX

Friday, July 22
Art Night with the Pittsburgh Pirates, 5-8pm
PNC Park, 115 Federal St., Pittsburgh, PA

Friday, July 22 through Sunday, July 24
Deal & Dalley in the Alley
Sifu Design Studio, 5044 N. Clark St, Chicago, IL

Saturday, July 23
Blim Market, 5-10pm
Alley of Main & Broadway, Vancouver, BC

Family Day, 11am-4pm
Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE,
Washington D.C.

Urban Folk Circuit, Noon-8pm
Sifu Design Studio, 5044 N Clark St., Chicago, IL

The Creative Collective Craft & Fine Arts Fair, 10am-9pm
The Historic Headhouse Shambles, 2nd & Pine St., Society Hill, Philadelphia, PA

Bakery Square's Summer Street Parties, 1-6pm
Bakery Square, 6725 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh, PA

Austin Flea, 11am-5pm
The Highball, 1142 South Lamar Blvd., Austin, TX

Indie Craft Bazaar: Bohemian Craftsody, 1-6pm
Cinema Paradiso, 503 SE 6th St., Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Saturday, July 23 & Sunday, July 24
Bricktown Art Festival, (Sat) 10am-5pm, (Sun) 11am-5pm
200 S. Mickey Mantle Dr., Oklahoma City, OK

Sunday, July 24
Indie Mart, Noon-7pm - After Party 7-9pm
Thee Parkside, 1600 17th St., San Francisco, CA

Bakery Square's Sunday Marketplace, Noon-4pm
Bakery Square, 6725 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh, PA

MarketDayz, 9am-6pm
Conifer Community Park, 11369 S. Foxton Rd., Conifer, CO

Summit Festival of Fine Arts & Crafts, 11am-6pm
Beechwood Road & Union Place, Summit, NJ

Funky Five: Summer Wedding (Part IV)

1. DIY Tulle Fringe Garland by The Sweetest Occasion

2. DIY Vintage Hankie-wrapped Hanging Mason Jars by Stamp 48

3. Chic Wedding Chalkboard at Craftzine

4. DIY Cherry Blossom Craft Projects by Hostess With the Mostess

5. Custom Sparkler Holders via Craft Gossip

Funky Five: Summer Wedding (Part III)

1. DIY Burlap Boutonniere from Adventures in Dressmaking

2. Wedding Napkin Flowers Tutorial from The Long Thread

3. Charming Wedding Decoration - Baker's Twine! from Junebug Weddings

4. DIY Guest Book from The Wedding Chicks

5. DIY Birch Wood Centerpieces from Keepin it Thrifty

Funky Five: Summer Wedding (Part II)

1. Unique Wedding Guest Book Ideas by Create My Event

2. DIY Project: Chalkboard Vases by Belles on a Budget

3. Ring Favor / Table Decoration by The Hybrid Chick

4. Cross Stitch Place Cards by The Making Spot

5. Drink Stations by Elizabeth Anne Designs

Funky Five: Summer Wedding

1. Peacock themes are hot right now! Brenda's Wedding Blog features all the accessories you'll need for your themed affair.

2. Austin Wedding Blog features 33 {Summer} DIY Wedding Projects, including a DIY Cheery Dessert Table (pictured) originally posted by Project Wedding.

3. Pretty Chic Blog shares a tutorial for creating a simple modern wedding cake (found via Craftzine).

4. Chez Wedd shares several unique ways to use watering cans as wedding decor.

5. The Silly Pearl shows how to create your own beautiful bridal hairpins.

This Week's Events

Wednesday, May 18
No Glitz, No Glory Special Exhibit Opening, 6:30-9pm
Exhibit Runs through September 25th
National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame, 1720 Gendy St.,
Fort Worth, TX

Friday, May 20 & Saturday, May 21
Craftin' Blues, (F) 4-11pm, (Sat) Noon-11pm
Haddad Riverfront Park, Kanawha Blvd. & Capitol St.,
Charleston, WV

Saturday, May 21
8th Annual Montford Music & Arts Festival, 10am-8pm
Montford Ave. between Cullowhee & Waneta St.,
Asheville, NC

Hand(Made) In Marriage, Noon-5pm
Teamster Temple, Lawrenceville, 4701 Butler St., Pittsburgh, PA

6th Annual Trenton Avenue Arts Festival, Noon-5pm
Trenton Ave. & E. Susquehanna, Philadelphia, PA

Deep Ellum Outdoor Market, 11am-5pm
Covered Lot Behind Cafe Brazil, 2820 Indiana Blvd., Dallas, TX

Brooklyn Craft Central's 3rd Spring Market, 11am-6pm
The Archway under the Manhattan Bridge, Dumbo,
Brooklyn, NY

BUST Magazine Craftacular & Food Fair, 11am-8pm
82 Mercer St. (between Broome & Spring St.), NYC

DC Craft Mafia Spring Thing, 11am-5pm
Parking Lot of St. Lukes Episcopal Church, 1514 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C.

Cat-O-Matic: 10th Life Fundraiser, Noon-5pm
MADE, in The Foundrie @ Chesterfield Mall, 291 Chesterfield Mall, Chesterfield, MO

Market on the Strand, 10am-4pm
Saengerfest Park, 23rd & The Strand, Galveston Island, TX

Brickell Bazaar, 2-8pm
Tobacco Road, 626 S. Miami Ave., Miami, FL

18th Annual BBC Juried American Crafts & Fine Art Fair, 11am-6pm
81 Bedford St., Barrow & Commerce Streets, NYC

Coppell Farmers Market Customer Appreciation Day, 8am-Noon
455 Bethel Rd., Coppell, TX

The Great Rescue Roundup, 9am-4pm
Fort Worth Stockyards, Fort Worth, TX

Home & Handmade Market, 8am-2pm
Jackson Street between La Salle & Clinton Streets, Ottawa, IL

Curiosity.Haus – Contemporary Craft & Design Fair, Noon-5pm
Orange Tree, 38 Shakespeare St., Nottingham, UK

Saturday, May 21 & Sunday, May 22
Silver Lake Jubilee, (Sat) 10am-11pm, (Sun) 10am-9pm
Street Fair, 1070 Myra Ave., Los Angeles, CA

Renegade Craft Fair, 11am-7pm
Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Rd., Austin, TX

Old Gruene Market Days, 10am-5pm
1641 Hunter Rd., New Braunfels, TX

Maker Faire, (Sat) 10am-8pm, (Sun) 10am-6pm
San Mateo Co. Event Center, 1346 Saratoga Dr.,
San Mateo, CA

Saturday, May 21 through Monday, May 23
Artisans at the Distillery, 11am-6pm
The Distillery District, 55 Mill St., Toronto, ON

Sunday, May 22
Blim Monthly Community Market, Noon-5pm
Heritage Hall, 3102 Main St. (Main St. & 15th Ave.),
Vancouver, BC

Valley Junction Spring Art Market, 11am-5pm
Fifth St., West Des Moines, IA

Fine Art & Designer Crafts on Bleecker, 11am-7pm
Bleecker Park, Hudson & W. 11th Streets, New York, NY

Wedding Idea & Inspiration

Spring & summer are always busy with weddings. Lately, I have come across so much great information regarding handmade wedding touches. I thought I would share some of the resources & ideas I've discovered around the web.

Crafting A Green World shares the Hottest Sustainable Wedding Trends for 2011 according to Recycled Bride.

Elsie Flannigan launched a blog, Le Wedding Party, dedicated to wedding inspiration.

The Austin Wedding Blog is full of eye candy & inspiration!

Crafting A Green World shows how to create an easy DIY bridal bouquet.

Craft Gossip has added a DIY Wedding category to their site. This is a great source for tons of wedding ideas.

Purchase a copy of Handmade Weddings - More than 50 Crafts to Style and Personalize Your Big Day from Chronicle Books

100 Layer Cake is another great site to find pertinent wedding info & ideas.

Etsy Wedding highlights exceptional handmade wedding items. (pictured: signs by Shandrus Creations)

Recycle Your Wedding - Buy & sell everything for your wedding via Recycled Bride or Ruffled who also has lots of inspiration on their blog.

Modern Wedding is an Australia-based website that has tons of wedding info, as does their blog. (pictured: cookies by Sweet Couture)

Craftzine posted a DIY Wedding Projects Roundup featuring a variety of how-tos.

Emmaline Bride also has great handmade ideas for brides.

K is for Calligraphy offers lovely stickers, including Save the Date stickers, perfect for soon-to-be-married couples!

If you're in need of paper and/or envelopes for your DIY invitations, Paperworks is a great source that I've used before with great results.

Planning a wedding is a lot of fun, but can also be stressful. Here's a few tips on how to stay calm before your wedding.

This Week's Events

Wednesday, January 26
Opening Reception: Casting On: Knitting in Manitoba, 6:30-8pm
Manitoba Crafts Museum & Library, 1B-183 Kennedy St., Winnipeg, MB

Friday, January 28
Cultural District Gallery Crawl, 5:30-9pm
Pittsburgh, PA

Friday, January 28 & Saturday, January 29
Handmade Music: Luthiers Exhibition, (F) 7-10pm, (S) Noon-6pm
West End Cultural Centre, 586 Ellice Ave., Winnipeg, MB

Friday, January 28 through Sunday, January 30
Sugarloaf Crafts Festival, (F/S) 10am-6pm, (Sun.) 10am-5pm
Dulles Expo Center, Chantilly, VA

Saturday, January 29
Liverpool's Big Vintage Fair: The Winter Sale!, 11am-4pm
LJMU Student Union, Maryland St., L1 9DE Liverpool, UK

2nd Annual Indie Wed, 10am-4pm
Ravenswood Event Center, 4043 N. Ravenswood Ave., Chicago, IL

Saturday, January 29 & Sunday, January 30
Brooklyn Flea, 10am-6pm
1 Hanson Pl. (at Flatbush Ave.), Brooklyn, NY

Le Garage Sale, (Sat.) 10am-5pm, (Sun.) Noon-5pm
Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Rd., Austin, TX

Saturday, January 29 through Thursday, February 3
NY Internat'l. Gift Fair, 9am-6pm most days
Jacob K. Javits Conv. Ctr., 655 W. 34th St., NYC; Piers 92 & 94, 711 12th Ave., NYC (55th St. & 12th Ave.)

Inviting Style Designs

Inviting Style Designs features custom books and journals for all of life's special occasions. Custom baby books, pregnancy journals, and wedding planners are just a few of the items offered by designer Danielle Joeckel. These custom, unique pieces can be used as gifts for someone special or as a treat for yourself. Each month there is a different "Book of the Month" making that particular book 10% off for the entire month. When placing your custom order, you will be able to specify your choice of ribbon, cardstock colors, and your choice of font. *Special Offer: Buy any book & receive 10% off another book of equal or lesser value. Include code funky10 in notes to seller to redeem offer. Expires December 20, 2010. (pictured: Custom Bridal Organizer)

CupCake FabuLous

CupCake FabuLous features mail-order cupcakes in a jar - the perfect way to treat yourself to a yummy homemade cupcake anytime! These delicious treats can be delivered nationwide or, if you happen to be in the DFW area, they will be delivered to you in person. All of the CupCakes are made with the freshest ingredients and all come right from the oven and into the jars. There are two cupcakes in each jar and frosting is layered between each cupcake. The best part is, you eat them right out of the jar (spoons are included)! These CupCakes, available in flavors like Double Double Chocolate & Very Cherry Vanilla, are perfect for ANY event from corporate meetings to birthday parties as there is no mess to clean up. Also, the jars can be customized and can even be decorated with any type of sticker or label you might like to use. If you're looking for a tasty wedding or party favor, check out CupCake FabuLous. They even make great baby announcements since they are completely customizable!

*GIVEAWAY - Closed - Congrats Paula Clare! Enter to win a CupCake in a Jar (winner's flavor choice) from CupCake FabuLous. To enter, simply visit CupCake FabuLous and leave a comment noting the flavor you would most like to try. For an additional entry, become a CupCake FabuLous fan on Facebook & leave a comment her noting you have done so. Giveaway ends Sunday, July 4, at 9pm EST.

Weekend Events

WHAT: Indie Wed
WHEN: Saturday, January 30; 11am-5pm
WHERE: Showroom at the Ravenswood Event Center, 4025 N. Ravenswood Ave., Chicago, IL

WHAT: Le Garage Sale
WHEN: Saturday, January 30 and Sunday, January 31; Noon-5pm
WHERE: Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Rd., Austin, TX

WHAT: Sunday, Crafty Sunday
WHEN: Sunday, January 31; Noon-5pm
WHERE: Queen Bee's Art & Culture Center, 3925 Ohio St., San Diego, CA

Painted by Renee

Painted by Renee is a lovely shop filled with what I can only describe as lots of eye candy. Renee designs lovely French paper goods including French Art Tags, Bridal Party Favors, and much more. Like many, I am fascinated with Marie Antoinette and she is the subject of many products this shop offers. Marie, Her Peacock and Her Royal Carriage is an interesting collage tag design featuring shabby chic & sepia tones. I also love the Exquisite French Shoe tags available in three colors & designs. If you're looking for unique wedding gift tags, you definitely want to consider the Wedding Dress French Mannequin tags. Renee also creates a variety of beautiful note cards & place cards, such as the French Marie Antoinette note card set. And with the holidays quickly approaching you do not want to miss the Christmas card & tag selection.

Caroline Creates

Caroline Creates is a wonderful source for unique stationery and invitations. Caroline Hull has many great designs available that can be used for a variety of occasions. The bird and tree invitation is perfect for a wedding, shower, or any other celebration. If you're looking for something a bit bolder, there's the flourish save the date and Damask invitation. Perhaps my favorite design is the fun popcorn invitation suitable for children's parties or even an Oscar celebration. Also available are beautiful personalized notecards and stylish letterhead.

The Shops @ Funky Finds

If you don't already know, The Shops @ Funky Finds is our online marketplace. Our goal with this site is to provide artisans with an easy-to-use and affordable venue in which to sell their items. Ultimately, we want artists and designers to spend less time behind the computer and more time doing what they love.

We recently lowered our prices and have introduced a referral program, as well as an advance payment system. Users that pay for three months in advance will receive one month free. Purchase nine months in advance and receive three free months! That means you can sell for one year for as low as $17.91. Talk about a deal! Our Shops blog provides readers with detailed FAQs, a tour for prospective sellers, and more.

Of course, buyers will love The Shops @ Funky Finds because they will find lots of great handmade goods ranging from accessories to wedding goods.

Tan-je-reen Design

Melanie Gaffney owns the online stationery boutique Tan-je-reen Design. But before she is a small business owner, she is first and foremost a mommy to a wonderful little boy. Unfortunately, her wonderful little boy is also the inspiration for her latest creation, the Not So Naughty cards. These cards are a novel way to break the ice with other parents & hopefully forge a friendship in the end. Tan-je-reen also offers lots of great stationery that is perfect for gift giving and note sending. There are many designs to choose from that can be personalized, my favorite being the retro flowers. And, no matter what the occasion, you will find many great invitation designs, as well. Melanie has invites for weddings, children's parties and more. You definitely do not want to miss the Sweet Tanjereen section featuring stylish handmade gifts and accessories. Receive a 15% discount on your order with coupon code funkyfinds. Receive a 20% discount on orders of $75.00 or more with coupon code 20off75!

Jayda

Jayda, a previous find, recently launched their newly designed site that now serves as the portal to all their brands. JaydaWedding is the place to find eco-friendly wedding & shower invitations and favors. JaydaBaby has a wide selection of green baby announcements & shower invites. Order your baby announcements from the Classic or Luxe collection & you will receive a free matching baby bag. And JaydaEvent covers just about every other occasion you can think of, including moving, birthdays and holidays. Don't miss the eco-chic gift bags complete with rewritable gift tag.