Niza Handbags & Accessories ~ So nice !

We have changed our store name on etsy to NizaHandbags.  They have taken off quiet well.  I have been told our bags ruin women for other bags.  We offer them in recycled wool, recycled denim, recycled linen and also in new fabrics.  Each bag is picked apart in the description as to its origin.  Our bags are very organizational.  They always have pockets on the front for your most important things, like cell phone, garage remote, glasses.  And they have pockets on the inside, and most come with a mounted key ring and clip so that your keys are easy to get at, not in the junk in the bottom of the bag. Check out our bridal handbags for yourself or to give as shower or pre-wedding gifts.  We have bags for all seasons and reasons.

Berry Extraordinaire Lampwork Beads

Happy Valentines Day.  I got you a beautiful bead photo.  This exquisite little bead is less than 1".  However, the detail is just incredible.
Liliana’s artistic technique emphasizes focused improvisation and a willingness to treat glass as a partner in her process. “Making glass beads is like choreography to me. I conceptualize a bead, and in its creation the glass, the colors, gravity, the flame—just like dancers—build on my vision with their own natural interpretations. I enjoy the surprise.” The glass colors she engages range from the bold and outspoken to the quiet and transcendental. She varies surfaces from smooth and glossy to textured, rich in relief and dynamism. These too encapsulate metaphors of experience, pointing to the shifting realities of day to day human existence.

Originally from Moldova in Eastern Europe, Liliana Cirstea Glenn has lived in Russia, Romania, Alaska, and Iowa. She resides in BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, where she creates contemporary glass art in her home studio.

MASTERFUL MIXOLOGY IN MASS

ANNIE BRIGGS of YARMOUTH, MA,  Creates one of a kind Crochet Apparel designs, creates, and sells original and custom size handmade women's crocheted and eclectic couture from many fabrics and fibers.
She uses only the finest apparel quality cotton yarns and an eclectic array of textiles in her work. Her creations are fashion forward as well as vintage inspired replayed designs from the 40s through the 60s are the dominant themes.
She offers a unique Try-it-On option and she is available 12 hours a day, 7 days a week to answer questions, offer suggestions and provide professional and honest opinions.
The colors in this piece are my very favorites.  Thanks so much, great job, Annie !

LIGHT AS AIR, PRETTY AS A PICTURE

This AMAZING dress is by Barbara Poole of  BOSTON, MA.  Barbara is a fiber artist who creates exquisitely crafted handmade fashion accessories from wool, silk and glass beads. She creates amazing one-of-a-kind wearable art.  She uses exciting combinations of wet felt, dry needle felting, beading, sewing and unique fiber art techniques. Her work is always a surprising mix of Inspired elemental colors, earthy textures, and disciplined craft. Barbara's work is available at Bead + Fiber, and on the web at www.bfelt.com and at her Etsy Store at www.barbipoole.etsy.com. Absolutely GORGEOUS !  Thanks, Barbara

I HAVE A NEW DESIGN HERO, ANGELA GERHARD

Angela Gerhard’s work is created through the fusing of vitreous enamel directly onto metal, either with a torch or in a furnace, at temperatures up to 1500 degrees Fahrenheit. Various metalworking techniques - both ancient and modern - are incorporated to create the base forms to which the vibrant glass color is fused. Metal is cut, pierced, embossed, filed, soldered, formed and finished by hand. Several forms and embossed metal surfaces are created with the aid of a 20-ton hydraulic press and handmade dies. Layering, etching, sgraffito, and over and under-firing the enamel creates varying effects in color, texture, and surface design. Each piece is individually fired up to 20 times. Sterling silver “frames” are often textured and oxidized to complement the enameled forms they hold. Much ingenuity is called for when setting enamels, and Angela enjoys the technical challenge of creating pieces in which the handmade rivets, tab-settings,, and/or bezels not only securely fasten and protect the enamel, but also become an integral part of the overall design.

All jewelry is produced in Angela’s private metalworking studio, which is housed in a bright, high-ceilinged former factory building in the hills of Western Massachusetts. Much of the inspiration for her work is drawn from the close observation of seemingly mundane things: paint chipping off of rusting pipes, old signage, concrete, and magnified perceptions of microscopic worlds. The influence of Modernist painters is evident in more recent work, as is her interest in asymmetry and achieving visual balance with color and pattern. Angela seeks to communicate a similar sense of discovery in the work she creates, encouraging the wearer to truly engage in each piece and view it as a miniature, portable, and personal work of art. Every piece of jewelry is lively and undeniably distinct, and her collection has quickly earned recognition and praise from clients and professionals within the national art and craft community.

I REALLY love fish !

I am an absolute fish nut!
I love to fish.
I love to watch fish.
I have fish tanks done in wood, paintings of fish, I have done fish sculptures, fish curtains, fish beadwork, fish jewelry boxes.....I think you get the point.
I haven't run into anything local to feature, that grabbed my attention lately, so I figured I'd put in my recent underwater ocean life mural. If you're local, and want a fish mural for your home or office, convo me.

YOUR OLD FENCEPOST MAY BE HIDING SOMETHING

All it takes is a guy like this to bring it out. Timber Turner Woodturning of WILBRAHAM, MASSACHUSETTS makes these great "weed pots" from a material you would generally toss in the landfill. I love the play of the old against the new. He works out of a well-lit shed in his backyard with a wood stove going in winter, drawing inspiration from what he sees outside. You can almost smell the wood chips, can't you? You know I love to see things being recycled so this just made my day. Hope it makes yours too. Click on the photo to see more of his excellent wood turnings.

REPRESENTATIONAL PAINTING OUTSIDE OF BOSTON

WOW ! I wish I could paint in this loose style ! It just looks so freeing. This painting is by Michelle Arnold Paine of WALTHAM, MA. I just love her playful use of paint. She has a church interior in her shop that is also stunning in its simplicity. Michelle has been exhibited across the US and also has her work in the permanent collections of Valparaiso University, Indiana.
Please do check out her shop for a tour of some truly wonderful places.
Very nice work, Michelle.

August Artist- Dana Filibert: A Mixture of Many Mediums

We chose our August artist of the month Dana Filibert not just because we support local artists but because of her versatility, creativity, vision, talent and the ability to work with several mediums. Whether it is steel, epoxy, mixed media or simply pencil on paper her sculptures and designs truly reflect an amazing individual with limitless talent. Her work is sure to inspire the artist in all of us. I have met Dana and she is a very down-to-earth individual who is true to herself and her art, I encourage one and all to visit her website.

Enjoy!

http://danafilibert.com/section/132844.html

Niza Handbags introduces our bucket bags

 These are made from recycled clothes with some new fabrics mixed in. They do some pretty cool tricks.

1. Keys clip to a key ring fastened to the top of the bag either inside or out.
2. Cell phone pocket is on the outside, so no more digging that out of the mire in the bottom.
3. Lots of pockets
4. Beautiful trims, buttons and details
5. They open up nice and large, so you can see what the heck is in there.
   

Custom ones are available.We have lots of styles & colors to purchase in our store.

(Links disabled here, see NizaHandbags.etsy.com  for Niza Handbags and Accessories)

SPIN THE COLOR WHEEL, FIND A GREAT QUILT

I love the graphic quality of the quilts in the bibliophile store! She uses blocks of colors that play off each other well, and juxtaposes them against white. So they have a very clean, modern look. Her table runner in shades of orange would go amazingly well with our orange slice clock....oops....a shameless plug! This artist works out of HOLYOKE, MA. She says she started quilting in middle school with a nine patch pillow in home ec, and ended up finishing it in the first weekend instead of it taking the quarter as the teacher had planned. I know....sounds like something I would do. She quilts and does photography as stress relief while she completes her masters.
She has a second etsy store also, ParalaxPhoto. Click on the quilt to go to her etsy store to see more beautiful quilts. Really nice stuff, keep it up !

I CAN HOOK YOU UP WITH A CROCHET CLASS

I may be teaching a crochet wall art class at the Shaker Gifts Gallery. People keep asking to see some of my projects, so I said I would post them here. There is a tree in one of the first blog entries, way back when. The top houseplant one, is regular yarn. They are all about 2 feet tall and not flimsy at all. If you are interested in taking the class, let me know. The blue one, is just an abstract sampler of sorts.

JENNY LILAC CAPTURES HOLYOKE

If you've ever been to Holyoke, Massachusetts, you have probably noticed that there are a LOT of industrial, brick buildings there. Jenny Lilac captures them in their best light, with paint, making what might be considered mundane by some people, into beautiful works of art.
Jenny is a mom, who lives in Holyoke. She shares her studio with her 6 year old daughter and husband, who writes music and plays guitar. She likes to collage and scrapbook. Some of her pages have been published in Memory Makers and Leisure Arts books.
I have chosen her painting called 90 Race Street. I just love it !
Just click on the painting to visit her shop.

FEBRUARY BY THE SEA, WITH A BEAUTIFUL HEART PENDANT

I can almost feel the salty, cold air on my face when I see this photo. The lines of the pendant are a stroke of genius ! This comes to us from Liliana Designs, of Scituate, Massachusetts. The creator, Susan Wilson - Martin, kayaks aroound Boston Harbor and Cape Cod islands hunting beautiful and historic sea glass, which she has a substantial collection of. She then crafts beautiful jewelry like this amazing piece at left from the glass and combining it with sterling silver. Absolutely stunning, Susan !

A LITTLE PIECE OF NOHO IN OUR OWN BACKYARD !

We have something REALLY exciting right here in Westfield, Mass.....brand new, just opened this week with a soft opening. A new art gallery just opened next to Pilgrim Candle right in the midst of the new bridge mess, called Shaker Gifts. Just go to the double door entrance where the black dog used to be.
(You can park on the north side of the building, and then when you leave go around the back and between the two buildings so the traffic light will help you get out easily should you need to head south.)
Despite what the name may lead you to believe, the art is quite bright and colorful and very etsy-like. There is a good range of repurposed and recycled goods. Everything is created by local artists. The owner of the gallery, Karen Novak, makes beautiful Nantucket baskets. Karen is a bright and fun person with a good heart and lots of know-how.
I have watched the transformation from drab space to colorful and gleaming gallery, and I have to say this: You HAVE to go. It's just so much fun! The gallery is not just a gallery either. There will be classes taught by local artists and other assorted functions. So if you are looking to learn how to sew, make a fishing rod or attend a stitch'n'bitch, you really must stop in. You can sign up to get onto the mailing list for classes while you're there. The space is much larger than this of course. I just snapped a couple of pics for you to whet your appetite.

Finally....Our first modern wall sculpture for 2009

It's very hard to do the clocks, crochet, and manage to get some wood projects done also, but my husband has been home recovering from a herniated disc, and he is finally well enough to get some woodworking done.....so my idea, his time and talent.
If you know me, you know I love modern. This one is done in turquoise blue faux stone. It measures 19x25x2.75 and is available on our site. We have very similar ones available in tropical tan, faux gray granite, faux oxidized steel and acid wash hot pink.
Click on the picture for more info.

ONE SIZE FITS ALL......FOR REAL

You know how T-shirts sometimes claim one size fits all, and the claim is just plain silly? Well I think this time the claim could be made. I love this great recycled necklace EnviroMental made from a t-shirt. She has them in quite a few colors, and also makes jewelry from maps. She also has a second store on etsy where she sells her baby items called OliBear. She makes pacifier clips that do not contain chemicals. DD is from Nashua, NH, so pretty close to Mass. She likes to crochet, knit, paint and is learning to sew too. I love this necklace both for the form and because it's recyceled material. Great job, DD.

Announcing....our Bouncing Baby Website......YAY !!!!!

It arrived this week. I hadn't even realized I was expecting. It's just adorable, keeps me up till one am, requires round the clock changing. On the upside, in 16 years, it won't be backing my car into a phone pole. Check it out.
BearlyArtDesigns.com

(Site has since been changed to NizaHandbags.com)

FROM THE HAPPY TRAIL.....TO YOUR NECK

This adorable pendant, available in many colorways, is a cairn pendant, a memorial or marker done from a series of stones seen along hiking trails. jeniferglagowski's etsy store has these wonderful pendants, paintings and note cards. All her items are "made with happiness".
I read her profile, and you can too by visiting her shop. She sounds like the kind of totally fun person that you and I would love to hang out with.
Jennifer is in Northbridge, Ma. She teaches snowboarding and skiing and loves to hike. When she has a minute to sit down, she creates some really fun jewelry. Great stuff, Jenifer.

There's no place like home

Check out the wonderful colors in the photo and of course the main attraction, the house pin. This is a polymer clay creation sold in aktie9's etsy store, 3 AM art productions. Heather is a massachusetts artist living in West Boylston, who lives to DIY. She is formerly from Wilbraham. She takes great photos, and makes adorable polymer clay creations. Great work Heather.

BEARLY ART CROCHET SHOPPE NOW OPEN

Sorry it's been a while since I've added anything. Clock sales have been absolutely nuts, and I opened a second Etsy store called bearlyarttreasures. That store features my own design of pigtail crochet hats for adults and children, my necketbooks, which are freeform crochet necklaces that are also purses for your cell phone, license & cash, keeping your hands free while shopping. Of course they also go great with sweaters. There are also vintage items there.

Stop in and check it out.

WOLLYBITS FOR YOU AND YOUR POOCH

Gosh, I wish I could knit like this ! The matching handbag and doggie sweater are the creations of Maura from SPRINGFIELD, MA. She learned Aran cable knitting as a young mother in Ireland. Now that her children are grown, she makes these wonderful bags and doggie sweaters. She also enjoys completing custom projects, so if you are looking for a talented knitter, here you are. You can contact Maura through her etsy shop by clicking on the link. Very nice work, Maura.

Nantucket Basket Purses, but with a new twist !

Durable and cherished Nantucket baskets are on many vacationers' wish lists when visiting the Massachusetts shoreline. Now you don't have to drive out to the coast. Upmysleeve makes wonderful basket purses, but not the same old, same old. Sarah's basket purses have new twists, like gold seashells against blue....really nice, huh? Sarah is located in HAMILTON, MA. She was a workaholic involved in investments, and now makes these great basket purses and beautiful jewelry instead. This would be something you don't see so often anymore....a corporate story with a happy ending. Congratulations, Sarah, beautiful work.

BEAUTIFUL SPRING PODS PRINT by Poetry

What amazingly green color. Can't you just picture how great this would look in your kitchen? You'd be thinking spring even in the dead of winter. This print, and others like it can be found in Poetry's Etsy shop, which you can get to by clicking on the photo link. Poetry, aka Maria Lewis, works out of CONCORD, MA., where she lives with her husband and her dog. Her photos have been featured in art shows. Check out her store. She has some very cool photos.

TOO PRETTY TO SLOBBER ON

I have been telling my friend Jenn, who lives right here in WESTFIELD, MA., that she should open an etsy store for quite a while. She upholsters, sews, does alterations and has one of those nifty embroidery machines that you just throw the fabric at it, and it makes you something nice. Not really... it actually does require some real studying to get it to do what you want.
She has put together a pretty good collection of really awesome hostess aprons that are made from formal dresses or day dresses, and she manages to maintain the style of the dress as she embellishes and comes up with these REALLY awesome aprons. If you have a favorite dress that is now too tight, and you've finally come to terms with never being that small again, maybe having it made into a hostess apron will be a great way to have it come out of the closet now and then. Check out Jenn's shop, and contact her. She LOVES crazy custom projects.
UPDATE:  Jenn is selling her aprons in my BearlyArt shop on Etsy, so the photo-link has been adjusted.  (She had issues getting her products listed).

What's more magical than woven ribbon?

Feast your eyes on this vibrant handbag made of woven ribbon. It was made by cactusheadstudios of WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA. The bags bright colors make you think of sun and water and fun. The creator of this wonderful bag is a puppeteer. She says she loves all things silly and whimiscal.....Sounds like my kind of girl.

TREE AND BUTTERFLY MITTENS FROM SNOWFAERIE

HAPPY NEW YEAR !! These great mittens are my first find of the new year. You KNOW I have to love these, right? They have that not both the same thing going for them....and matching is SO over-rated ! They are exactly the magical mittens I would expect a snowfaerie to make. Snowfaerie of SPRINGFIELD, MA., creates with "thought, joy and happiness" and it sure does show in this wonderful pair of wool mittens.

CONGRATULATIONS NANCI !!!

Congratulations to Nanci Konsavage of Boiling Springs, South Carolina. She won a free labrador retreiver wall clock in our first clock giveaway which ended December 15. Thanks so much to all who entered.... better luck next time. We will do this again. It was fun.

Meghan Burch creates fabric works of art

Aren't these coasters just adorable? I love the pop of the light green on the dark green. The frosty cold drink looks pretty chill too. Meghan is from CHICOPEE, MA, just a little northeast from here. This is what she has to say about her designs.

“My work is about playing with simple, two dimensional materials, images, shapes and patterns and transforming them into objects that are comfortable, useful and beautiful. I’m inspired by nature, the intersections of natural and man-made materials, creative non-artists, patterns of light, sound, food and architecture. My work with young children continually reminds me of how I think creation should be approached: as both play and work.”

Very well put, and very nice product.

Care to see what's around the bend?

Some really pretty jewelry designs, that's what. Meet Becky of ATBcreations (around the bend). Becky started making jewelry because she needed a holder for her badge for her day job. That was 3 years ago, and she has been having a blast making her whimsical creations ever since. She lives in TOLLAND, MA., selling her wonderful creations through Etsy and soon her own web site. She even teaches beadwork in Southwick. Becky is a very busy girl. Keep up the good work, Becky.