Weekly Review - The perfect studio tank top

I usually spend my work day in whatever I wore that morning to do yoga in. Its comfy, and I rarely see anyone other than my husband. Elizabeth of esdesigns recommended this great tank from Land's End. She said the fabric is great, cool and dry and not too clingy. Perfect for the summer heat, especially here in Georgia! And I can't wait to get one for the most important reason - why? Because it has an inside pocket for my ipod! Comfy tank I can do yoga in and then head off to the studio in comfort with a special pocket for my little ipod. I have become quite addicted to listening to audiobooks in the past few months and am constantly trying to figure out the best way to keep the headphone cord out of the way. More than once its caught on something like the edge of my anvil or work bench - and ripped the headphones right off my ears. Luckily never something dangerous like a lit torch!

Charm Swap Update - Get Ready, They're Almost Here!

Have you been wondering about our charm bracelets? I have! and now for the update.

All three bracelets will be on sale within the next couple of weeks. 50% of the proceeds of each complete bracelet will be going to EtsyMetals Youth Outreach Program, which will be donating to three different organizations - one for each bracelet.

Charm Swap #1 proceeds will go toward the metalsmithing program at “Art Start” in New York.

Charm Swap #2 proceeds will provide scholarships to youth who could not otherwise afford classes at the “Pratt Fine Arts Center” in Washington.

Charm Swap #3 proceeds will be used to purchase metalsmithing tools for “DREAMS of Wilmington,” in North Carolina.

There will only be one bracelet of each of the 3 charm swaps. So be prepared that once its gone, its gone for good! Get your wrists and wallets ready!

Individual charms are on sale currently in our EtsyMetal team shop. So if you have your eye on just a few, you can create your own charm bracelet or necklace!

We are already gearing up for charm swap #4! So if you miss out on one of the three bracelets, you can be on the look out for our next one.

Here are some teaser photos:

CS3

CS2

CS1

Etsy Metal Finds

With the slight warm up outside, I am becoming increasingly anxious for summer to arrive. Warm balmy nights, good friends, and outdoor parties immediately come to mind. This week, I am excited to share some of the great items I found on etsy to help you prepare for that evening garden party! Enjoy!

Tortoise Pattern Bowl in Amber and Royal Blue from Campana Ceramics

5pcs Promotion Pack - Magical Night White from mamafangku of Designer Playground

Celaya Table Runner from MargotBianca

Poppy Letterpress place cards/enclosures. Set of 10 from Dingbat Press

EtsyMetal News 4.24.09

3 Dandelion Necklace from NinaGibsonDesigns

Hey all! Read on for news from our members this week.

Nina from NinaGibsonDesigns will be a vendor at the Floral Park Home Tour this weekend, April 25-26.

A handful of EtsyMetal members were recently featured on the Modern Jewelry Designs blog. Check out the blog to read a great interview with Jesse from JesseDanger posted on Wednesday, April 22nd.

Ashley from ashleyjewelry will be at the Funky Finds Spring Fling in Fort Worth, TX on Saturday, April 25th.

Kathryn from KathrynRiechert will be at booth #905 at the Riverside Arts Market this weekend in Jacksonville, FL.

Congrats to Colleen of ColleenBaran for hitting 400 sales in her Etsy shop this week!

Be sure to visit the Mother's Day Gift Poll on Etsy to vote for bloomstudios' Limited Edition 14k and Laboradorite ring!

And don't forget to check out the Nashville Walden Artisan Market this weekend--see the blog post below for more details.

Walden Market in East Nashville

If you live in or near Nashville, this is the monthly Artisan Market not to miss! Located at the Walden Building on Eastland Ave., it houses a myriad of vendors from vintage clothing and furniture to handmade goods and art. Several Etsy sellers make it a priority to vend there, such as Etsy Metal team's Amanda of Bijougirl Designs, Etsy's Mary of Maryink, East Nashville Upholstery, Pink Cupcake Vintagee, Jane Osgood, and Squirrel Pearl, among many others!

The Market is open this Saturday from 9am-5pm and this Sunday from 11am-4pm.
If you're in the area, make plans to come out and shop the wares, get a cup of joe and a panini at Ugly Mugs next door or a smoothie at Fresh Blends or hold out until the Taco truck arrives and load up on Mas Tacos!

Earth Day - Ethical Jewelry?

100% recycled 18kt New Zealand alluvial beach gold ring by Ash Hilton

A frequent topic of discussion among Etsy Metal members is ethical metalsmithing. Since precious metals and gemstones must be mined, they have a huge impact on the environment. There’s an impact on human lives as well, when there are conflicts over mining rights and when mines poison workers and communities, and when diamonds are sold to fund conflicts in war torn areas. So what are the options, for jewelry makers, and for consumers?

One increasingly popular solution is not to use precious metals and gemstones at all. Jewelry may be made from non-precious materials or re-purposed objects. Another solution is the use of 100% recycled precious metals. According to a recent article in National Geographic, all of the gold ever mined would only fill two Olympic-size swimming pools. So while much of the gold in existence now has always been recycled, the value of gold (which has increased during the recession) still drives new mining. More information on recycled precious metals and mining can be found here:

http://www.hooverandstrong.com/category/HARMONY+at+Hoover+and+Strong/
http://www.nodirtygold.org/home.cfm
http://www.ethicalmetalsmiths.org/index.html
http://www.trustingold.com/content/view/19/56/

And check out Moissanite, a great diamond alternative. There's also some good info in this post by Danielle Miller.

Etsy Metal Finds

Wonderful Etsy Finds with Mother Earth in mind!

Mini Bouquet Trio - Natural Handmade Soap - Ltd. Edition Mother's Day by Alchemic Muse

Organic Washcloth Scrolls by Green Haven Soaps





Drinking Glass beer Bottles, Rolling Rock Recycled Glassblowing by Nick Paul of Windy City Glassblower




Sustainable Wallet....Quilted Vintage Fabric Card Cozy by Rikrak