Tefi Loves: The Brass Menagerie

The Brass Menagerie is a collaboration between Bria and Marco, two part-time jewelry designers living and working in Singapore. Their shop features sweet animal rings and laser-cut pendants in the form of long delicate leaves and peacock feathers. Our favorite is the birdy silhouette ring, pictured left. Also available in the shop is a large cocktail ring featuring a bling-bling diamond design.

The store name was adapted from Bria's favorite play, The Glass Menagerie, and Marco takes pride in their shop avatar featuring his sweet squirrel ring. Their jewelry-making relationship is a compromise, and according to the artists: So far, so good!

Shop: http://www.thebrassmenagerie.etsy.com/ Location: Singapore

Mark Your Calendars!

We at Etsy Dallas are planning our first annual Spring Fling. Save the date and save your dollars so you can stock up on local handmade art and crafts!

When: Saturday, May 16th

Time: 11am-5pm

Where: South Side, 1409 S Lamar, Dallas

Cost: FREE!

Why: Over 40 local artists and crafters, Free raffle, and Make-&-Take crafts for the whole family!

Baby Hiatus

Dear readers! I will be taking a month-long hiatus in January. My baby is due any day (minute?) now and I will be busy nursing and caring for a newborn over the next few weeks. My Etsy shop will remain open, but please expect shipping delays as I will not be able to check my email too often. Because of this, I am keeping all shipping and handling charges FREE until things get back to 'normal.' (Will they ever be?)

Thank you for a wonderful 2008 and for all of your love and support. Happy 2009 to you all!


Me and J as Juno and Paulie, Halloween 2008

Tefi Loves: Snow Days

Raincloud scarflette $36 Shop: http://www.allinstitches.etsy.com/ Location: New Mexico

Puffball 5x7 photograph $15 Shop: http://www.robertsocha.etsy.com/ Location: Sparta, New Jersey

Mr. Snowee keychain $5.50 Shop: http://www.yummypancake.etsy.com/ Location: Lancaster, Pennsylvania Meeting Mr. Bear art print $22.50 Shop: http://www.secretsuperheroes.etsy.com/ Location: Inverness, Scotland

Snow Tree pendant necklace $25 Shop: http://www.sammi84.etsy.com/ Location: Toronto, Canada

Mark Your Calendars!

On April 25th, two amazing things will happen. I will be a mom for the first April in my life, and I will be a vendor in Fort Worth's first Spring Fling! This show is organized by the folks at Funky Finds, a great online blog featuring handmade goods from around the world. Lucky for us DFW-ites, Funky Finds is based right here in the metroplex, which means we get to participate in this upcoming handmade bazaar!

I'll have a ton of my felted jewelry for sale as I slave away on new designs over the spring during my maternity leave (that is, when I'm not nursing, changing diapers, or trying for 5 minutes of sleep). Also on display, I'll feature a slew of my Nuts & Seeds pieces, featuring beads made from nuts and seeds from the Colombian rainforest.

So mark your calendars for April 25th!

Tefi Loves: Anne-Julie Aubry

Somewhere over the moon there is a young raven-haired girl lost in a strange, enchanted garden. She counts ants, swims in a misty lake, and frolics among larger than life flowers (left). This haunting girl is the imagination of artist Anne-Julie Aubry who uses both traditional painting and modern digital formats as the mediums for her strange and lovely work. Her inspiration comes from her childhood, fairytales, nature, and dreams as evidenced in some of her haunting pieces pictured below. Available in her Etsy shop are prints, buttons, cards, and more.

Shop: http://www.annejulie.etsy.com/ Web Site: http://www.annejulie-art.com/ Location: France

Tefi Loves: In My Backyard

The name says it all. In My Backyard features sweet handmade items either inspired from the artist's backyard, or gathered from her backyard. A perfect example: the Little Bird wooden pin pictured left made from her old rose tree. From her "little old cottage with a large garden in New Zealand," In My Backyard creates brooches, stationery, zipper pouches, and gocco prints all adorned with the things she see's in her backyard: birds, cabbage trees, berries, and pods. Some of our favorites are pictured below: Shop: http://www.inmybackyard.etsy.com/ Web Site: http://www.inmybackyard.co.nz/ Location: Christchurch, New Zealand

Tefi Loves: Nuts

Go nuts over these delightful handmade finds featuring nuts and seeds - all found on Etsy.com!

Felted Wool Acorn set of 12: $24 Shop: http://www.lilfishstudios.etsy.com/ Location: Brainerd, Minnesota

Little Pine Drops earrings: $14 Shop: http://www.trystbykerry.etsy.com/ Location: Toronto, Canada Peanut Dress size XS: $45 Shop: http://www.lyptis.etsy.com/ Location: Melbourne, Australia Squirrel with an Acorn art print: $9 Shop: http://www.barkingbirdart.etsy.com/ Location: Portland, Oregon Green Nut Combo necklace: $24 Shop: http://www.tefi.etsy.com/ Location: Dallas, Texas

Acorn I Spy kids' toy: $24 Shop: http://www.thosegreathousewomen.etsy.com/ Location: Michigan, USA

Flora + Fauna Handmade is a series of spotlights and reviews that celebrate art, craft, design and the natural world we live in.