Special Feature Friday: Jewelry by Johan

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In our series about shops to go to for your wedding day, we have discussed dresses, ring bearer pillows, bouquets and guestbooks. This week it is time for the binding factor, and for the one thing you will wear with you the rest of your life: the wedding rings. 

Johan is the shop owner of Jewelry by Johan. He opened his Etsy shop in 2008 when it was still a 2 man show run by himself and his wife. In the up following years Johan saw a great increase in orders, and he hired his son in law and his daughter to help him run the shop. Jewelry by Johan is a real family business, with an eye on quality and sustainability. The materials Johan uses are unique and offer many options in design for wonderful rings.

Johan uses a wide amount of materials for his designs, the ring above is rose gold with dinosaur bone and Gibeon meteorite inlays. Besides dinosaur bone and meteorite Johan also uses wood, titanium, platinum, gold, palladium, mokume gane, tungsten and many other metals. Besides the metal rings can also be inlay ed with precious stones like Jade, Mother of Pearl or Turqoise. Johan can also set any precious or semi precious stone.

Besides wedding rings Johan also sells jewelry sets, engagement rings, interchangeable rings and pet memorial rings. 

Special Feature Friday: For Love Polka Dots

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After the wedding dresses and the brides accessories we will continue our series on weddings with some more essentials for a perfect wedding day. This week we will be looking at a shop where we can find invitations, table numbers and guestbooks.

At For Love Polka Dots you can find the essentials for your wedding as mentioned above. With a big and wonderful collection of guestbooks all in different styles and sizes, this shop definitely has something for everyone. Many of the guest books can be personalized to your own wishes. For Love Polka Dots also offers boxes to keep your guest book in after the wedding, the boxes are made to fit the style of the book itself.

Of course, cards are send out to announce your wedding to your friends and family. For Love Polka Dots offers sets of luxury cards, made with much care. As well as the guest books, the cards come in many styles and sizes. From simple to elaborate and from modern to classic. The listings are all custom, and colors and fonts in the cards can be adapted to be in line with your wedding theme. Table numbers, placement cards and RSVP cards can also be printed to fit in the same style as your wedding cards. 

Next to guestbooks and cards, For Love Polka Dots also offers a selection of wedding favors bags, tags, cake toppers and signs.  

Special Feature Friday: Heart Shaped Petals

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As I mentioned last week, this is a series of Special Feature Friday about marriage, in which I will share about some Etsy shops that sell the most wonderful items for a perfect wedding day. 

Last week we started off with Polina Ivanova's wedding dresses. This week we are moving on to a shop called Heart Shaped Petals. Andreia from Heart Shaped Petals offers a great selection of essentials for any wedding day, from the ring bearers pillows to fabric bouquets, it can be found at her shop! 

This is a linen ring bearers pillow with a heart in peach colored cotton roses. It contains a rhinestone in the middle, and two ribbons to attach the rings to. Besides pillows Andreia also sells ring bearers bowls. The bowls can be personalized with the wedding dates, names and a phrase. 

Andreia also creates beautiful bouquets for the bride or bridesmaids. The flowers are made of satin, and then decorated with brooches and rhinestones. Unlike a bouquet from real flowers, a bouquet from fabric flowers will be an ever lasting memory. It won't loose it's color or its leaves, and it can continue to be a part of your home decoration. The bouquet will be made to anyone's wishes, and various materials can be added. Andreia also makes accessories and can have accessories made to fit with the bouquets. Garters, hair accessories, corsages, bridesmaid bouquets and the ring bearers pillows can all be made to fit in the same color and theme. 

Andreia wants to give a discount to the readers of this blog, discountcode "HSP 010" is active until the end of March and gives a 10% discount.

Special Feature Friday: Polina Ivanova

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In the couple of weeks ahead I would like to feature shops with their main focus on marriage.
Etsy has a great number of shops who offer the best products to make any wedding perfect.

This weeks feature is about a dress maker located in Sofia, Bulgaria. Polina Ivanova has been designing and drawing clothes from a very early age. At 17 she convinced her parents she wanted to go to an arts college to fulfill her dream to become a clothing designer. At college she learned everything about sewing, designing and she started selling her fashion in the 3rd year of college. She graduated from college as a fashion designer and entered a internship in Italy. In Italy she learned from the best and got inspired to start her own atelier. After a couple of months in Italy she returned to Bulgaria and started to make clothing for local customers and for a national tv show. She opened her Etsy shop 4 years ago, and is using all of her experience to create beautiful wedding dresses.

This is a skirt with an A-like skirt made of Chantilly lace. It has two layers of tulle witch creates volume and movement for the skirt. It comes with a belt make from silk taffeta, witch is imported from Italy. The skirt closes with a zipper in the side. It can be worn with a bodice or corset or with another dress, so it can easily be turned into another dress. This is especially handy for brides who prefer to wear something easier for the reception, or who like to change their outfits during the day. 

An open back lace wedding gown with a chiffon draped skirt. This dress has a flawless fit and is made with materials from the highest quality. The designer Chantilly lace has a stunning scalloped edge. The dress is made with 100% silk chiffon and two layers of luxurious satin lining. It is possible to choose the length of the lace, to be either waist, hip or mid thigh length. It is also possible to change the sleeves, add in bra cups, or to have the dress made with a different color lace.

All the dresses ordered at Polina Ivanova are made in her studio to your measurements, in many cases it is also possible to make the changes to ensure you will get the perfect dress for your special day!

Polina offers the readers of this blog a free sash or belt with an order made in her shop. Simply write FREESASH in the comment section of your order. 

Special Feature Friday: Larkspur Hill

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Recently I ran into a very special Etsy shop, it sold a type or product I never thought about. I knew it existed, but I did not know the possibilities, so it kind of feels like a new world has opened.

Larkspur Hill is owned by Cindy, and in this shop one can find a wonderful selection of dried flowers. Larkspur Hill is the piece of land where Cindy and her husband live, and where they raised their 5 daughters. They are the owners of a beautiful garden where they grow all kinds of flowers.
Cindy works in the garden in all weather, and her hard work really get payed off! She picks the flowers and then dries them, they are for sale in her shop and are shipped out to every corner of the world. 

I must admit, when I first saw this shop I thought that the only thing to do with dried flowers is to use them as potpourri or to put them in a vase. But in all honesty, the dried flowers I came across in my life where always these dull bushes, with no color in them. Cindy proved me wrong, the flowers in her shop are beautiful in color and look like they came fresh from a garden just minutes ago.

You might wonder what the options are with dried flowers, I can tell you that the options are endless. The rosebuds above for example, can be used as table decorations at weddings or parties, or maybe to brighten up the table for that special date. For those into candle and soap making, I would think they would make beautiful decorations to make the soap-bar or candle more special. 

Flowers can not only be used as table decoration, but also as decoration for a dish These violets are completely safe to eat, and will brighten up a dish like nothing else. They can be used in a salad, as a garnish, they can be frozen into ice cubes for a cold drink, or as decoration on a cake or chocolate mousse, I can even imagine they would look great in jelly! 

Cindy's flowers do not have to be refrigerated, and can therefor be shipped worldwide. 

Cindy offers a discount code for the readers of this blog, with code 4AISHA15 you will get a 15% discount. This code is valid for January and February 2015 

Special Feature Friday: Still Water Candles

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If you ask me, Candles are essential for the dark days of winter. As many as possible. A couple of nice candles will make a house look more cozy, and heat up the room. With the night setting in as early as it does now, they offer comfort and a sense of calmness. 

Still Water Candles is a shop with a wonderful collection of candles. Most candles come in wonderful scents to brighten up your home. 

A mason jar candle, I really like mason jars in the home as decoration. Some of the scents available for the candles are: Peppermint, Pumpkin Apple Butter, Mulberry, Pear spice and Cookie cottage.Not sure wich scent is best for you? it is possible to order a sample strip, so you can have a smell before ordering! 

Of course, there are also candles for those who prefer their candles unscented. This cinnamon candle looks good, and comes without scent. Perfect for those who are sensitive for scented candles.

Besides candles for the holiday's, Still Water Candles also offers a great assortiment for weddings, in the shape of unity candles, and candles perfect for a wedding reception. 

Janelle, the owner of Still Water Candles offers the readers of this blog a 20% discount with discount code: FALLDAYS

Special Feature Friday: Simka Sol

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Sara is the owner of Simka Sol, an Etsy shop focused on eco-conscious products with a unique style. Working as a graphic designer, Sara felt the freedom of expression in the cooperate workplace was too limited. She decided to quit her 9 to 5 job and invested in her own company. She makes her designs from the heart.

Everything down to the production process is about minimizing her carbon footprint. Misprints are used to clean the workplace, eliminating paper towels. The ink used is 100% eco friendly, not only good for the environment, but also for the user of the product. There are even plans to switch completely to solar energy in 2015!  

At Simka Sol one can find clothing, accessories, jewelry and home decoration. One thing that strikes me the most is the details of the prints. The designs give a clear picture, yet leave a lot to the imagination. 

The print on this mini dress was accomplished by removing the color from the garment, and leaving behind a creamy colored design. The fabric is soft to the touch and allows for a lot of stretch, because of this way of working. The dress has a gorgeous drop down back and is made of cotton spandex.

A lovely collection of housewares and decorations is also available at Simka Sol. This is a dish towel made of Egyption Cotton. It was hand printed in the studio at Sara's home, from an original design hand drawn by Sara.

Sara offers the readers of this blog a 10% discount with the discount code: SIMKA10

Special Feature Friday: Koelnschaetze

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To stay into the holiday spirit I would like to feature another shop with holiday items. Koelnschaetze is a shop on Etsy selling table decorations. I know for many people who love to throw dinner parties, table decoration is just as important as the meal itself, and the preparations for a party often start weeks in advance. With the holiday season it is always a good idea to start early, and put extra care in a festive table. 

Koelnschaetze is the shop to go to, not only for holiday decorations, but also for decorations for weddings. Though I must say I find the decorations in this shop suitable for many different themes.

This beautiful centerpiece is a different take on setting a table. It is a real eye-catcher and the little scene in the middle of the gate gives a wonderful feeling of Christmas. 

I am stunned by the detail in this piece, it is gorgeous! Shaped like a pine tree, one can find the most wonderful wood animals among the trees. This will work well as a centerpiece on a table or a decoration on a dressoir. I can imagine this will also work as a replacement for a Christmas tree for people with limited space or a limited budget. 

Special Feature Friday: Ivory Mint Cards

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We have moved house, and gotten quite far with putting everything at it's place, so this week there is time again for a Special Feature Friday!

It is November, and Christmas is not far away. Etsy is home to many shops with wonderful Christmas items. This week I would love to feature a shop selling Christmas cards. 

Ivory Mint Cards has a wonderful collection of postcards, not only suitable for the holidays but also cards for the whole year around. Cards can be bought as singles but also in handy packages.

This reindeer card features a cute reindeer with a red hat. It is printed on thick creamy white paper and comes with an envelope of recycled brown paper. The cards are A6 sized and blank on the inside. 

Ivory Mint Cards are printed professionally on top quality paper. The card is packaged in a clear plastic envelope to keep it tidy and shipped out in a hard back envelope to keep it flat.

Not everyone you know might like the holiday season, but maybe you still would like to send your friends or family who dislike the holidays a card. Here is your solution, the Bah Humbug card, for those not in favor of the winter holidays! 

Special Feature Friday: Betsy Bensen

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Oh Dear, because of the move and the extra hours I do at work I completely forgot it was Friday yesterday! So, as an exeption this Special Feature Friday is published on Saturday!

Betsy Betsen a shop on Etsy , selling handcrafted jewelry. Betsy works with precious metals and gemstones and pearls. All her pieces are one of a kind. Betsy has a 25 years experience as a metal-smith and jewelry maker and all the skills and insight to produce unique and strong pieces.

This is a pearl ring with a freeform freshwater pearl. Next to the pearl you can find a London blue topaz. It is hand crafted in sterling silver. There is a 18kt gold bezel around the topaz, and there are two 14kt gold balls on the sides of the pearl.

A necklace with a stone called Willow Creek Jasper, which is mined in Idaho. The design in this stone makes it a unique piece. The sterling silver and gold pendant was made by hand, and a very lustrurous pearl was added. The back of the pendant is just as pretty, it is pierced with ginkgo leaves!

Betsy offers free shipping within the USA until November 5th 2014, with discount code: AISHA

Next week my sister is staying over, and the Friday we will spend at the zoo, therefor, no Special Feature Friday this week, but be sure to come back the 15th of November. The whole month of November and December we will give extra attention to the upcoming holiday season! 

Special Feature Friday: So Many Somethings

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Because I am still surrounded by moving boxes, and the moving date is coming quite near, I will do a short Special Feature Friday this week. Short, but very sweet!

So Many Somethings is a wonderful shop run by Abby, she sells home made sweets and cookies.
Abby finds quality and delivering a good product the most important aspects of her sweets. Her sweets look gorgeous and very attractive. The marshmallows will be great on a winters evening or for the upcoming holidays. If you are like me, and you like to use your candies and chocolates as a piece of edible decoration, Abby's shop is certainly the place to go!

These wonderful cherry marshmallows are gluten free. The marshmallows you can find in So Many Somethings are not the gummy stale marshmallows you are used to, but light and fluffy cubes of confection. They are available in 3 sizes. Marshmallows are also available in other flavours. 

White chocolate lemon truffles, how beautiful do these look? They remind me of freshly rolled snowballs. They are also available in a gluten free version, and would make for a wonderful gift!

Abby offers a 20% off coupon for the items in her shop, with a minimal purchase of $20. It is valid until Christmas day 2014. 

Special Feature Friday: NoraKaren

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Nora from NoraKaren worked as a fashion designer for many years, one day she decided to paint a peacock feather on a pair of shoes. It was an immediate success. Nora designs her shoes for the special days in life, wedding days in particular. Her shoes are all hand painted and unique, they will be the eye catchers of any outfit.

Not only paint is used to make the shoes beautiful, crystals, strass and brooches can be added as well.

These shoes are decorated with daisies. The shoes are available in 11 colors. The daisies are painted on by hand, the detail is truly stunning! 

I love these red shoes with snowflakes. I think they will make for a great pair to wear to a Christmas party, but they will also work for a winter themed wedding. The added rhinestones really make for a great finish, giving a luxurious look to the shoe. This shoe is also available in other colors.

You prefer to have a matching purse with your shoes? No problem for Nora also offers a lovely range of shoes with matching purses! 

Nora offers free shipping within the US, with this discount code: FREESHIPPINGSHOES

Special Feature Friday Hearth and Heritage

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Hearth and Heritage is the shop to go to for wedding favors and thank you gifts. Sue is the owner of this shop, and offers a wonderful range of candles, soaps, giftbags and skin products. The items are inspired by British Heritage. Natural wax bases are used for the candles, combined with 4 scents to choose from. For the lotions the purest high quality bases available are used, and then mixed with signature scents. 

Rose & Neroli is a bodylotion made with natural ingredients. The lotion is high in cocoa butter and vitamin E to nourish the skin. It is a absorbent moisturiser that is taken up by the skin immediately.

They come in a easy pump dispenser to minimize spilling and messiness. A body wash and a natural wax candle are also available in the same line of scents. 

These personalised scented candles will be perfect as wedding favours. They will make sure that people will remember your wedding day for a long time to come. They are made of soy wax, pure cotton wicks and essential oils for scents. The scent you can select yourself, with 3 choices available: Bluebell, Jasmine and Gardenia. They are wrapped in cellophane and the color of the ribbon can be coordinated with the color theme of your wedding. 

AUTHUMN20 will give you a 20% discount until the 6th of October 2014

Special Feature Friday: Louise De Masi

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Louise is a painter who lives on the mid north coast of New South Wales in Australia. She is the shop owner of Louise De Masi, a wonderful shop filled with paintings of animals. Louise is very lucky to live on a big property surrounded by state forest. Everyday she gets visitors from the forest, mostly birds like; Kookaburras, Kingfishers, Rainbow Lorikeets and Bower Birds. But also wallabies and kangaroos love to visit Louise's garden.

This is a print of an original acrylic painting from Louise's hand. It is a zebra printed on beautiful archival Fine Art paper. Even though it is a print, it looks a lot like the original painting. It will be sealed in an acid free plastic envelope and shipped out in a rigid cardboard mailer, all to ensure the print will arrive safely to any home around the world. 

I am a big fan of these two swallows, the colors used in this painting are beautiful, just as the details! This is a print of Louise's original work!

Besides the prints available in the shop, it is also possible to have custom work made. This is especially interesting if you would want to have a portrait of your pet. It is also possible to buy original paintings. There is a special section for this in Louise's shop.

Special Feature Friday: built on branches

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Searching for items to decorate the house for the upcoming autumn and winter season I ran into Built on Branches. Erin is the owner of this shop and creates woodland animals with wool and felt.The sculptural animals are made using the needle felting technique, and her brooches and ornaments are hand sewn and embroidered from pieces of felt.Next to this Erin also creates greeting cards and customized gift bags.

Several years ago Erin discovered the wonders of needle felting in a small supply store in Vermont. She decided to buy the supplies and learn how to needle felt. The moment the green eyes where sewn to her first animal it came alive, and this always remained her favorite part of the process!


The items made by Erin are very lifelike, yet the little details give them a personality and make them unique!

This wonderful grey rabbit is hand crafted, his hind legs are reinforced with cotton cord. He is grey and ivory with a dusty pink nose, and his body is made 100% wool. His bow tie makes him a real handsome gentlemen! He comes packed in a paper box tied with ribbon, ready to be a gift, either for a loved one or for yourself.

A collection of felted acorns will make wonderful decorations for your house. A set includes 6 acorns. They can be placed in a bowl, put on a shelf or on your table. I also think they will look wonderful in any autumn or winter inspired wreath. They come in a reusable cotton muslin drawstring bag. These acorns are available in 31 colors, so they can fit into any house!

Erin is happy to help out if a different quantity or color is required.

Erin was very kind to donate a discount code. For any order above 20 dollars you will get 5 dollars off with this code: HAPPYFALL14

This code is valid until December 31 2014.

Special Feature Friday: Peg and Awl

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Peg and Awl is a truly unique shop on Etsy.  Entering it for the first time gave me feelings of freedom and happiness. The items in this shop seem to have been made with a lot of thought and care. Peg and awl is run by Margaux Kent and her husband Walter, with behind them a team of specialized craftsmen and women.

Most of the materials used are organic, and many of them were once forgotten items saved from markets and houses, who have been given a second life. Even though there is a team behind this shop, all the items are unified in style. Margaux, Walter and their team do not only make the items beautiful, but also durable and fit for heavy duty.

This tree-swing brought me back to my youth, as I remembered the swing we had, it was attached to our barn and lots of hours were spent swinging on it. This large swing was made of pine wood. For years this piece of pine functioned as a floor joist for a 19th century house. The rope is 3/4 Manila with a 694 pound tension limit. The rope is looped through the seat and secured with a fisherman's knot. It comes with instructions on how to attach the swing to a tree or a pole. 

This is an extra large weekend bag. It was made with waxed canvas and finished with antique leather and a vintage metal zipper. It was build to endure! 

This ring with the image of a wood sorrel, or as others know it, the shamrock can be bought in 4 different metals: sterling silver, oxidized silver, bronze or gold. It is available in sizes 5 through 8.

Besides swings, bags and rings there are many other wonderful discoveries to find in Peg and Awl, and going over for a look trough the shop is certainly worth the effort.

Walter has kindly made a 10% discount code for the readers of this blog: LEAVESFALL

There is also a website, for those who would like to learn more. And if you want to stay up to date about this shop, I suggest you add them on Facebook or Twitter.

Special Feature Friday: Cruel Candy

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Avgi is the owner of Cruel Candy, an Etsy shop filled with handmade clothing and accessories.
The unique but fashionable style of  the clothes made by Avgi makes this shop a lot of fun to browse trough.
Avgi works with wonderful fabrics all with wonderful prints. We can find items in retro style, with cupcake print or with flowers. All in all the clothing produced by Avgi make for a wonderful fashionable addition to any closet.

This cute mini dress comes in 4 colors, white, black, red and emerald green. It reminds me of a 70s mini dress. It is made of a medium weight cotton garbadine. 

This wonderful skirt with a flower print is a real classic item. It is made of a medium weight toile with a lovely French print of flowers and people. This model is available in many wonderful prints, like cupcakes, checkered, and retro prints. This model is timeless and assures of a fashionable classy look.

Avgi was so kind to give the readers of this blog a 10% discount with this code: ISHJESBITS10

Special Feature Friday: Minouc Brocante

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I have a thing for vintage and antique's. Everything old has a story, and even though I often do not know that story, I find it fascinating to wonder where an piece has been in it's former lives. 

Minouc Brocante is a shop that sells wonderful vintage items. The shop is run by mother Nienke and daughter Minouc. Many of their family holiday's where spend in France, where they came about the most wonderful treasuries at antique markets and in secondhand shops. 

In Minouc Brocante we can find a great diversity of products. Wonderful tea sets, postcards, tablecloths, candleholders and handmade fabric buttons. The way the items are presented makes them very attractive, and in the photo's it is easy to see their charm and detail.

This wonderful tea cup trio was made between 1966 and 1969. It was made in Germany and marks '100 jahre Bareuther Waldsassen, Bavaria' . The fine gold decoration and the teal give this trio a fresh look. There is a beautiful collection of trio sets to be found in Minouc Brocante, from very elaborate designs to the more fine ones.

These apothecary jars make a great decoration for any kitchen. Besides being a decoration, they can be useful  for storing. More kitchenware is available in Minouc Brocante, including old copper ware.

For anyone in to sewing or quilting I would really suggest to have a look at their collection of fabrics. These vintage french fabrics are difficult to find in any shop but would make for great quilts or bed spreads. 

You can also visit Nienke and Minouc's other shop Minouc where you can find lovely hand made accessories.

Minouc Brocante offers a 10% discount to the readers of this blog with this coupon code: BLOGSPECIAL 

This discount code is valid until the end of September 2014.

Special Feature Friday: Ali Brown Photography

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It has been 2 weeks since the last special feature Friday. I have been on a 10 day holiday to the Netherlands, to see family, but also because of my sister marriage. It was a wonderful day, even the rain did not matter. Both bride and groom where looking amazing, and the cake was delicious!

But now, back in France, and back to work again! I will keep it short this week, but there is a lovely shop I would like to share.

Ali Brown Photography is an Etsy shop I found today. Alison is a photographer and always spend a lot of time looking for the perfect props. Eventually she decided to try and make her own props. With her knowledge of sewing she created a bonnet, and immediately she loved designing her own items!

In Alison's shop you can find adorable head pieces for your little one, but also beautiful vintage inspired accessories for adults. These items are not only usable for photo-shoots, but they will also be great to wear to a party or evening out.

This fine floral headband is handmade by Alison. Because it is handmade it will be slightly different every time. This insures you own an unique item! There are many other headbands available in Alison's shop, and you can order matching tutu's to go with the headbands.

The vintage inspired headbands will make great accessories for a themed party, Halloween or a festive evening. Of course they can also be used as a prop for a photo shoot! 

Special Feature Friday: Silver Spoon Creations

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I always figured there where a small number of  things one could do with a spoon, scooping being the most important of those things. But, recently I found out that spoons are actually way more versatile! 

Silver Spoon Creations is an shop that sells jewelry made from spoons. Mostly bracelets, to be precise. 

At first you might not realize that they are spoons, but the more you look at them the more you see the spoon it was in a previous life. The spoons used for these bracelets are mostly the vintage type that are beautifully decorated. Silver Spoon Creations is run by the wonderful couple Tim and Veralyn. Together they work for this shop, Tim being responsible for making the items, and Veralyn being responsible for making sure the listings are online and handling the orders. 

This bracelet was created out of 2 vintage spoons from a company called Rogers, the spoons themselves where probably made around 1948. Today they make this beautiful bracelet! It is possible to personalize a bracelet by having initials or names engraved in them. This will be great as a gift, or as a memory. It is possible to order multiple bracelets from Silver Spoon Creations to give to your bridesmaids. 

Besides bracelets you can also find necklaces and key chains in Tim and Veralyn's shop. These items will be great to wear as a set! Just in case you can't get enough of spoon jewelry, I suggest you visit California Spoon Rings. This is a shop run by Tim and Veralyn's son, and his wife. 

Tim and Veralyn have been very kind to offer a discount to the readers of this blog: BLOG15

It is only valid for Silver Spoon Creations and gives a 15% discount.