Daily Dream Daily Doodle

Please join the poll and help me out!!

2010-07-20T23:02:00.000-07:00

OK, this is a question I've been wondering about for a while, so I wanted to create a poll to hopefully see what most of you think!

As some of you know my butterfly earrings are listed in my etsy shop in a way that you can choose the color scheme, ear wire styles, butterflies etc. to create your own unique pair. Here is the listing if you like to take a peak; click click I'm aware this may not be the most convenient way for some of my customers as some people prefer to just click and buy without the hassle of thinking about which ones to choose, what colors etc.

So my questions is; what do you prefer? Take the time and create your own pair, or choose from the ready made ones listed as all you need to do is click to buy the one pictured and you are good to go! ?

I really appreciate everyone for participating, as I'm willing to do some changes in my shop depending on how this poll will end! :)

Love,
Derya

poll by twiigs.com

12:49am Friday, A quick post to show this to you!

2010-07-10T01:02:00.000-07:00

{Such a bad blogger I am I know I know..But to be honest I've been super busy, my shop was on fire for the last couple of weeks or so (no complains there!) I will come back again very soon to show you all the new super unique creations I've been working on, you can click here to see take a look at my new things (most of them are listed in my shop too)! I'm literally seeing butterflies flying around my head like in the cartoon movies but not birds; butterflies! lol }

will be back soon...

love

Derya

Style & Inspiration Boards Time! {and exciting new gorgeousness-esss}

2010-06-24T03:04:00.000-07:00

I know I've been absent lately and I feel bad for neglecting my little blog here, but it was for good! I'm just a little swamped with keeping up with my Etsy shop, custom orders, as well as preparing for 2 upcoming shows and some surprise projects going on. I actually can't wait to tell you about the surprise project and the story behind it because it was one of those magical things for me which made my jaw drop literally, anyway more on that later I promise!

I have some super new designs to show you. Also new style boards I put together for some ideas on how to create different looks with my 'Fluttery Breath of Life Necklace' and one extra bonus look with the little Take me to Istanbul Earrings! I hope you enjoy them, don't forget to comment and let me know which look is your favorite one!

Last but now least; if you are in the area; come and visit me at Patchwork Indie &Craft Show at Long Beach this Sunday! Yes, I will be showing/selling my designs there and I'd love to meet you in person. ;) I'll be at booth #61.

Let's start with the new designs, ohh how much I luuuve them and super excited too! ;)

You know I've been creating my butterfly pieces with organza fabric so far? Now silk too! I just love how silk gives such vibrant colors. I'm still loving my see through organza butterflies, how they take each other's colors and patterns when I cluster them, like watercolor painting. Both have different look and feel to them.

These below are the long/large single earrings I created them mainly with silk but some mixed with organza butterflies. I've done some photoshop magic on some of them. You can see some wings have a scene of nature (blue sky, trees and flying birds) within the silhouette of a butterfly. I think that adds a great interest to the design. I've also used gold framed acrylic spacers in different colors on these ones, they are very charming!

click here to go to the listing to see more of these pretties.

Meanwhile I also worked on my original organza butterfly earrings, the listing for them in my shop needed an update since I improved them a lot by time, also to be able to give more choices to my customers. Lots of more choices here

This necklace is a custom design I made for a client. I created it with the colors she preferred and in longer length of chain due to her request. It is a smaller version of my 'Fluttery Breath of Life' necklace.

This necklace below is created with the combination of silk and organza butterflies, I've also used hand died silk ribbon instead of chain which will be tied around the neck to desired length. Available in my shop now!

Here comes of of my most favorite butterfly creations so far; Fluttery Butterflies wide Cuff Bracelet or Anklet . Again mix of organza and silk butterflies clustered on stretch nude tone material which is adjustable to fit around wrists or ankles easily; also featuring 11 unique butterfly kinds!

Aaaand the style boards! For the butterfly necklace I put together 1 casual and 1 dressy look. I'm excited to hear which one is your fave.

And here is the bonus one; Traveling to Istanbul.. Turkish Tile earrings are available in my shop!

I hope you enjoyed everything you saw in this post, I'm so happy my creative mojo is back lately and only I wish I could make everything happen floating in my mind impatient to come out! :)

Love,

Derya

Amazing Wrapped Trees

2010-06-06T02:47:00.000-07:00

I was just going through my bookmarks (overflowing! Yeah I'm messy there too) and couldn't pass this one without sharing with you, because they are so inspirational so is the story of the artists; Christo and Jeanne-Claude are a married couple who created art together for 51 years! They met in Paris, France in 1958, sharing the same date of birth. Jeanne-Claude passed away in 2009.

Here is their statement for Wrapped Trees; "The temporality of a work of art creates a feeling of fragility, vulnerability and an urgency to be seen, as well as a presence of the missing, because we know it will be gone tomorrow.

The quality of love and tenderness that human beings have towards what will not last - for instance the love and tenderness we have for childhood and our lives - is a quality we want to give to our work as an additional aesthetic quality." (isn't that just beautiful?)

Wrapped trees by Christo & Jeanne-Claude, Foundation Beyler, Berower Park, Riehen /Switzerland (1997-98)

Breathtaking, aren't they?

All the images and information are taken from their website! I reccomend you to check out their FAQ and About pages too if you like to know more about the artists and their artwork, also to get answers to why/how they do that +more questions.

{I hope you are having a nice weekend! My Saturday was fun but a little sad-emotional at some parts. I'm looking forward to Sunday to go to Santa Ana Patchwork craft show. I'm visiting this one, but I will be vending at the Long Beach Patchwork at 27th, will let you know about the details later!}

love,

Derya

Where are you fairies?

2010-06-03T14:47:00.000-07:00

I'm missing my creative fairies today..

My mind is at somewhere peaceful by the sea, a quite little beach, a cold drink in one hand and a good book in the other, I'm under a big colorful umbrella, sun is warming (not too hot) but there is a little soft breeze too bringing the calming smell of sea salt and sea weed mixture I'm breathing in.. Sigh..

What is in your mind today?

This paper cut doesn't hurt!

2010-06-03T01:05:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to tell you about Elsa Mora here for a while because 1. Her work inspires me so much 2. Her work is worth being seen (trust me!) 3. I just admire her; she is one of the people I feel so connected even though I never met her in person, but I know in my heart that I'd love her if I did.

Elsa is a multimedia artist, she makes art dolls, she cuts paper the way no one does, she paints/ illustrates, she does ceramics, sews, writes four blogs including a personal style one and she is a mom of 3 children! Oh, not to forget she has a book too 'Blossom Buddies'!

If I could I'd put all the images of her art here but I tried to gather the ones I admire the most. Enjoy!

Don't you just feel like looking at these not to miss all the beautiful interesting details?

This is one of her dolls, Elsa makes everything with her hands from the tiny pencils to intricate miniature wall hangings.

Examples of her sculptural work

Elsa's ceramic work collection, I love all the organic details!

Elsa made this dress herself entirely! If I saw this dress in a store, I'd buy it in a heart beat. She says; "I made this dress dedicated to my Grandma Maria Julia. I named it "El Jardin de Maria Julia" which means Maria Julia's Garden."

To read more on the story of this dress click here

If you like to discover more about Elsa check out her; Etsy store Elsita, see more of her work in flickr, main blog, Papercutting blog, Art doll blog and personal style blog.

love,

Derya

P.S. Thank you THANK YOU so much for all your sweet comments on my style boards and liking them! I really enjoyed seeing everyone's responses! More of those coming soon.. :D

So Which one of these Styles are more YOU?

2010-05-26T16:08:00.000-07:00

I recently got the news about one of my metal mesh vintage reconstructed necklaces will be in a great magazine very soon! (more details coming, once the issue is out!) So I'm working on more necklaces in the same theme with metal mesh material to have more unique choices in my shop. This one came out from the studio first, it is all vintage materials/jewels re-purposed to create this piece.

I listed this gorgeous necklace in my shop, click here to read more details and to see more photos!

I know that not all of us are style gurus or fashionistas and sometimes when we find an accessory we love that may bring the question: How the H I can wear this with? So I decided to start making style boards with my jewelry designs to bring some ideas on minds about how to wear them.

Here comes the first look! The outfit is simple and plain with jeans, a white tank top and classic blazer jacket, but the outfit gets exciting with the fabulous emerald green high heels and the necklace. Maybe a going out at night look, but easily convertible to a day look if you change the shoes to low heels or flats!

And the second look I put together is more of a day look with a simple white summer dress, and the I wanted the metal studded look continue so I chose the jean vest and the shoes in that style! (I love that Vivienne Westwood purse by the way, isn't it so pretty?) The green on the necklace continues on the purse..

I hope these ideas inspires you! Comment on this post and let me know which look suits your style more! Would you like the idea of seeing more style boards like these with my designs in them? I enjoy creating them but will do more if you enjoy them too! :)

love,

Derya

A Great Reason to upgrade Your Flickr Account to PRO!

2010-05-25T20:16:00.000-07:00

I LOVE Flickr and I've been using it for free until a few days ago I upgraded my account to Pro. The reasons I decided to pay an extra $20 something (the price is for 1 whole year) while I could keep using it for free are most importantly; the ability to submit each of my photos to as many as group pools I want, and also to be able to have a 'stats' page where I can track where my views are coming from, which photos are more popular, etc. Last but not least; limitless photo upload!

I know we all love FREE but sometimes even a tiny investment can bring you a lot more benefit that you'd think! Here is why; today I realized a sudden increase on the views to my photostream, favorited photos, all followed with many -super nice- comments. I was wondering where all those were coming from then I remembered to check my stats page and voila! My Fluttery Breath of Life necklace which I've added to the CRAFT group pool, was featured on Craftzine blog! (yayy) That feature also brought a lot of views to my Etsy shop, blog, as well as new members to my Facebook page. I don't know how else I could find out about it if I didn't have the stats page when I was using flickr for free.

I'm aware this post written promotion all over, but I don't really care because it is my own experience and I wanted to share this with you because; especially people like you and me who has a creative business loves a genuine input from an insider. I'm not saying you go and upgrade your flickr to Pro and all the happy pink clouds will come to your way, we never know that but they may and I hope they do! ;)

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Please leave a comment if you have any questions about Flickr, how to upgrade to Pro etc., also if you have your own experience or input about this!

love,

Derya

Couch Potato- Busy Potato- Down Potato & a little Sweet Potato PART-1

2010-05-25T01:10:00.000-07:00

All above is what I've been last week! Now, let's examine them throughly and truly;

1. Why I have been a Couch Potato?

Being a couch potato is actually one of the staple ones in my list! :) Right side of the large-cozy and very comfortable couch in our living room is where you can usually find me (even if I'm not there, you can tell I have been there by the look of the misshaped couch) especially at nights, TV is always off, my laptop is 'well..on my lap', pandora station is on, and I do all kinds of stuff on the internet. Blogging, reading other blogs, listing new stuff in my online shop, editing photos, updating my flickr & facebook, catching up with friends online, searching for new unique materials, getting lost from link to link in the ocean of internet, and getting lost in the magnetic nature of Etsy with all the interesting items/shops (that is a dangerous one because whenever I do that I end up spending monees!) etc.

Soooo... long story short even though I feel like a couch potato while doing all that, I'm usually pretty productive and constantly learning new things. I guess at least that makes me feel not so guilty about the time I spend on the internet and the couch, right RIGHT?? :P

Here are some new Etsy finds I drooled over last week, which made my couch potato times more exciting!

Well it is almost summer and I need a new bathing suit. This pin-up style polka dot one from ladramaqueen makes me happy

when I imagine myself in it!!

And this Sailor tote bag to carry everywhere all summer including the beach!

It is only $33from bayanhippo I hearted a lot of their handbags actually,
I'm sure you will too!

Funny I always wanted RED shoes and T strap shoes and both never happened! I'm dreaming a pair just like these vintage shoes from bootmeister

They are a little small for my size but if you know any source I can find similar shoes (preferebly new) please let me know!

Last but not least I purchased these thank you cards from BusyBree

and these, because I think they are very cool and will look perfect

with my special packaging!

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I'm leaving the other chapters of me being Busy Potato, Down Potato & a little Sweet Potato to my next posts, so come back to read those very important things if you enjoyed this one! :P

Are you a couch potato too? What is your description of being a couch potato? Leave some comments, especially silly ones! ;)

love,

Derya

What is cooking in the studio..

2010-05-23T03:51:00.000-07:00

It started with that beautiful vintage lace fabric, I have a vision

but usually things end up a lot different than I imagined first,

so let's see what's gonna come out of it!

Fluttery Breath of Life

2010-05-21T01:13:00.000-07:00

My new butterfly necklace I recently finished, it will go to a photo shoot for a magazine very soon but I couldn't resist doing a photo shoot myself before I send it over! I'm so much in love with it, the photos were not enough so I did a tiny video too where you can see how butterflies are becoming alive with the soft breath of the wind

-click here to check it out-

Venice Beach

2010-05-16T21:44:00.000-07:00

This is me!

Hello friends!

Saturday I went to Venice Beach for the first time. It has a definitely different atmosphere ~~(Hey, I wrote 'definitely' without any spell errors for the first time, yayy!)~~ from the other beaches in Southern California. I must admit I felt a little uneasy first but then I started enjoying the crowd and all the vendors selling stuff mostly looked like each other, but it was fun to find really unique things at some of the booths.

I purchased a few things; a handmade cuff bracelet brass and has a few tiny pastel colored glass beads on it. I liked that it was roughly made and very simple. Then I found a really adorable onesie for my niece to be born soon, it is pink and has a BIG crown on the front with all rhinestones (pretty girly huh?) Then I found asymmetrical leather earrings, leather pieces are cut like leaves. We had a short chat with the sweet seller lady named Yolanda who makes them and I asked her if she sells on Etsy, and she said she was just thinking about opening a shop. We both agreed that it was a sign we did that talk and that she should do it! :)

Overall Venice Beach has sort of cosmopolit and very colorful feel to it,

and I mostly felt like watching around like a live performance with different characters, feeling like a tourist. The graffiti and paintings on the walls of buildings were really cool, I wanted the photograph everything, though it was cold and windy (I mean for California weather in the middle of the May) so I couldn't spend much time to photograph everything as much as I would like to! I got some quick snap shots though, I hope you like them. Even if you can't make it here, at least they will give you an idea of what

Venice Beach look like, eh? ;)

I love this one above!

Belly Dancer. A lot different than what I used to see in my country. I liked it though!

I wowed at these sculptures, all made from hardware and different metal components. Amazing job!

I put this one the last because it looks like it doesn't belong to the same theme as others, right? Well, that is how it is though in Venice Beach, at least that is how I felt like; On one side there is this ocean front street you walk through along with the colorful crowd watching interesting scenes, sales vendors etc. then you look over to the beach (sand and water side) and there is the peace and quietness, clean and smooth nature with no drama. Maybe I felt that way because it was called so there wasn't anyone swimming or laying down on the beach, so there was no action there..

love,

Derya

Moth to Jewels!

2010-05-12T23:06:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been seeing butterflies everywhere even
when I close my eyes! Though that is a little overwhelming from time
to time, I'm extremely happy and excited my butterfly designs are
receiving such wonderful interest & feedback from all over!

One of the best parts is that I've been getting a lot of bridal
orders lately on the bfly designs, especially the large bold single
earrings which excites me even more because as I see there are a lot of
cool ladies who are willing to go bold and non-traditional
with their bridal accessories! Isn't that great?

Kudos to all like minded ladies out there!!

I need to take more photos of this one, then it will be available in my shop!

Update* I couldn't wait and listed it as it is to add more photos later! ;)
click here too see!

love,

Derya

As promised here they are!

2010-05-11T22:09:00.000-07:00

Well, I just wanna say I'm in love with these two!
If I wasn't already married, I'd just keep either of them for my future wedding (maybe both)! :)

I didn't make them as only bridal pieces of course, I just think they have the quality to be worn by brides as well as your cool old jeans and a tank top combo! They are both one of a kind pieces because I've used vintage finds/brooches/components to make them. Anyway, I hope you like what you see, they are both recently listed in my shop here!

love

Derya

How far are you willing to go?

2010-05-11T02:25:00.000-07:00

I mean as far as the unusual-ness of the jewelry you wear? Would you wear this salt shaker ring?

I don't know about you but I just love creating this kind of unexpected jewelry pieces as well as wearing them. There are so much of the cookie cutter stuff in the market already, so why not go for something bold and surprising? ;)

Here are my latest designs, freshly added to my shop. I hope you enjoy what you see! Oh, there are also 2 new gorgeous cuffs I just finished (sneak peek on those are in my previous post) and I will share them with you here tomorrow, so come back to check them out, I know you won't regret! :)

Vintage sterling silver salt shaker ring- It is a keepsake piece which you can put a special note, or your favorite quote or whatever you want as long as it fits!

My newest addition to the cotton plants collection -double layered braided batik fabric with cotton boll charms and lucite flower on the side!

You may have seen these gorgeous earrings in one of the shots from my studio, well now they are available in my shop!

love,

Derya

I'm working in Frida's presence

2010-05-05T16:18:00.000-07:00

Diane - Mexisoul.Etsy.com

Yesterday I stopped by at Cantera in Santa Ana, the store my friend Diane has her art works besides little things she loves and hand selects for re-sale. Luckily she was there herself!! Diane is one of the biggest fans of Frida Kahlo (can you tell?) I love her style, but I love her soul more than anything about her.We like having long deep conversations about life and relationships, though we also crack up by our silly jokes a lot (ok 'my' silly jokes mostly). She calls me 'my gem friend Derya' I really like that, because she says it so genuinely from the heart.

This small print of Frida Kahlo caught my eye on Diane's display and I couldn't resist . I didn't hang it on my studio wall yet, so for now she is leaning towards my little blue sewing machine and watching me create, also inspiring me.

Frida also watched me making these new cuffs last night..

Is this just gorgeous or not? Purple enamel large flower is re-purposed from a vintage brooch,

I've added the rhinestones around the pearl at the center of the flower. The bigger rhinestone chain is going to drape towards the hand when worn on the wrist. This bracelet is not finished yet though, I will add leather inside of the leaf cuff part.

This cuff has a different base than the other ones I've designed.This time I curved a large intricately cut brass dragonfly wing, and did a white faux enamel on it. There is beige color recycled leather piece inside, so the cuff is also gentle on the skin. The large butterfly brooch is another vintage find, I've changed the rhinestones and added freshwater pearls on it. This cuff bracelet is almost finished, I will only add chain and clasp to the back side.I'm excited for both of these new cuffs!

¨¨¨¨°º©©º°¨¨¨¨¨

My friend Diane has a fresh new Etsy shop Mexisoul

She just started adding some of her jewelry designs, and some vintage finds, I'm hoping she adds some of her amazing embroidered wall art works too, so you can see those as well. Go and take a look at her shop, heart her, add her items in your favorites etc. I'm sure she will enjoy all your interest!!

love,

Derya

Marie Antoinette & my Messy Studio

2010-05-01T13:30:00.000-07:00

Secret is revealed! (see my previous post) Marie Antoinette brooches.

They are nothing like I've done before, my creations never looked this delicious,

more importantly I had a lot of fun making them! What do you think??

They fancy your sweet tooth?

"LET THEM EAT CAKE!"

(I made the sliced cakes with felt and leather mix, and teeny beads on top. The doily pieces are hand crocheted delicate lace pieces, and vintage brass stampings)

...and my messy studio corner! That is how I usually work; just messy. You can see some ideas I'm working on currently and also new upcoming pieces *wink wink!*

Love those metal mesh fabrics!

Hair comb with organza butterflies

Peacock Earrings, transfer on organza

what's cooking in the studio? I won't tell you but here are some clues..

2010-04-30T22:12:00.000-07:00

I'm in a little secrety mood today. :)

-Very much connected to this photo
-nothing like I've created before
-each of them has different ingredients
-contain some architectural details
-mouth watering qualities
-they are wearable (duh!)

OK I can't say no more but I'm just having a lot fun creating them. The secret will be revealed here in this blog very soon! Any guesses??

Oh by the way, here are my latest designs listed in my shop ( click on the photos to go to the listings)

Mystery mail from a stranger..

2010-04-29T18:42:00.000-07:00

“In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures.

For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.”

Kahlil Gibran

What is so good about 'sharing' anyway? First of all; it makes you feel good, right? Then it is free, yet you always get a good return for it (aka karma). The power of sharing just overwhelms me when
I think about it because most importantly 'sharing' gets bigger as you keep doing it.

I feel like there are a lot of sharing going on in my life nowadays. The one that made me extremely happy is the surprise gift of 2 books (of a Turkish Writer) mailed to me the other day (signed by the author and with a sweet note from the sender). All the way from my home city Istanbul/Turkey from someone who I never met before in person, but became friends through the internet. When I learned about what she does, it didn't surprise me why she likes my nature inspired jewelry that much,because she is a nature watcher!

My 'stranger' & 'Nature Watcher' friend...

She purchased three of my designs from my shop and I sent those to her with the addition of a pair of butterfly earrings as a gift thinking she'd love them as well. Right after she received them letting me know how much she is enjoying wearing them all (though she had to gift one of the earrings to her friend) and bragging about her goodies at every chance, I received the books! Whenever I see this kind of 'random act of kindness' from people, I feel like my heart is full of hope and that it is refreshed (as in Gibran quote). That is what keeps me going in this life like a refuel to my soul, motivates me to keep doing what I do, and also do the same to others what that has done for me. Because I know how it feels, how GOOD it feels..

Never be afraid of sharing!

Speaking of sharing I also like to send my thanks to 2 wonderful bloggers who has featured my designs in their lovely blogs Letha from Pursuit of Happiness (check out her amazing art here) and Magalie from Weddings & Pretty Things.

Belated 'thank you' to unofficial etsy featured sellers for doing a great inteview with me! I really enjoyed it!

Last but not least many thanks to Sweet Jenn (my new etsy friend) for meeting me last week, I'm looking forward to hanging out with her more! Jenn's husband James also has a shop on Etsy and was recently featured in Etsy Storque article!

♥

Derya

Forget the big picture, enjoy some small pictures instead..

2010-04-29T00:49:00.000-07:00

I took these little shots with my cell phone on my way to the 7-Eleven which is just around

the corner from our apartment. Spontaneous images of things caught my eye and looked pretty (in a way), simple and plain, without sweating to have that perfect shot. I'm thinking about doing more of that, because this made me realize; it is a great way to pay attention and really 'look at' your surroundings (which are usually invisible to us because we always walk pass them with our fast steps and full minds)

also to give a little break to your hard working mind..

Hard working minds..

I guess sometimes we just need to stop focusing on the 'big picture' , take it down from the wall of our mind, put it away where we can't see (maybe the garage) and try to find little simple joyful snap shots from daily life to do an arrangement to refill that empty wall.. No ambitions, no competitions allowed,

how does it sound?

Nothing luxurious yet very rich in a good way, kind of shabby.. made me feel like covering all the windows in my apartment with fabric.. ;)

I just love trees and love trees with flowers even more..

Poor dress hanger.. They made him carry things more than he can take obviously, he couldn't take it anymore becoming useless and old so he was thrown away to the street. Somebody didn't even believe that the dress hanger deserved at least to be placed in the trash can..

I guess the reason I love bougainvilleas very much; because they remind me one of my most favorite cities in the world, and the best vacation spot; Bodrum/Turkey

click here to see some photos of Bodrum

Vote for your Etsy Prom Queen! (pssst ! vote for me!)

2010-04-27T01:24:00.000-07:00

I just found out my Wings of Iris Necklace is in the Etsy Voter, yayy!! Please click here to go to the voting page, and select your favorite! Do you see which one I voted for? (look at the photo below) :P

How To: T-Shirt Scarves

2010-04-26T15:14:00.000-07:00

I found this cool video which gives clear and simple instructions on how to make T-shirt Scarves which became soo popular this year. I'm thinking about making one for myself from an old t-shirt!

Trip to the Golden Hills

2010-04-25T20:05:00.000-07:00

Out little getaway this weekend was so beautiful and refreshing! I've been wanting to see California poppy fields for a long time! Antelope Valley is about 2 hours away from where we live, even though it wasn't going to be a long trip we decided to leave on Friday, spend the night at a hotel on our way to the fields and start our fun Saturday all fresh and as early as possible!

Although extremely noisy elevator right next to our hotel room didn't let me sleep all night, I was too excited about the next day at the poppy fields, so I didn't let that ruin my day! It was all worth it for the poppies at the end of the day, seeing the hills covered with orange poppies as far as my eyes can see; took my soul to a place where I felt all worry free and calm.

I was a little stressed out about the warning we got when we were first entering to the fields 'Watch for the rattle snakes!', so whenever I'd see a whole on the ground while walking through the fields, I'd walk faster and try to keep in mind that snakes would be more scared from us humans then we are from them for sure. So they won't jump on me for no reason. ;)

The poppies in my country (Turkey) are very different than California poppies. Then ones grow in Turkey are red and have black seeds at the center like these click here, I personally like those more than the golden ones.:) The word for poppy flower in Turkish is 'gelincik', the word is coming from 'bride' in Turkish.

Now my next dream to hopefully come true soon is to have a trip to cotton fields! As someone who dedicated a collection of jewelry designs to cotton plants, I think I deserve that don't you think?

♥

Derya

sneak peek at the studio

2010-04-23T01:20:00.001-07:00

Coming soon..
Two new reconstructed vintage necklaces with pearls, chains,
chandelier crystals and taken apart old jewelry parts...
I need to take photos of them individually,
so these 'one of a kind' beauties will be
in the shop soon!

♥
Derya

from past, from nature, from my culture...

2010-04-22T00:25:00.000-07:00

I'm super excited for the new additions to my all 3 collections!
This one you see above is a single earring I shared the process photos with you here previously..It is a statement piece! Can you see the flying birds on the butterfly, and trees and the blue sky on the lower background? I've created those on photoshop, transferred onto organza fabric and combined with brass components. I think it turned out dreamy!
Very soon to be listed in my store.

Another single earring, and statement piece.
This one is going to be latest addition to my cotton plants collection. I love the color tones, the feel and the texture! Hand died to golden color sari silk ribbon is braided, at the center I've placed an antique brass branch with leaves and cotton boll dangle.

Two of these gorgeous reconstructed vintage
cuff bracelets are listed in my shop already and the other one is coming soon!

Last but not least Take me to Istanbul Earrings are now in silver tone & oval shape available in the shop! You can still find the original round &antique brass version here..

Love,
Derya

Sneak Peek at the Studio

2010-04-15T19:08:00.000-07:00

Wanted to share what's coming to shop soon. I'm seriously in love with these vintage
jeweled cuffs, I kinda have an evil desire to keep them
all to myself.. ;)

There is more cooking in the studio, two new necklaces with vintage jewels and
more additions to the Cotton Plants Collection,
cant wait to show you..soon..

love
Derya

'Set' is done, it is your turn to tell the story

2010-04-09T00:05:00.000-07:00

When I was studying Theater Set and Costume Design back in college; my favorite play or opera projects were the ones that are from the Ancient Greek mythology.. I was always amazed by the places, creatures, gods, goddesses and stories.. I think I loved the freedom of 'flying as much as I could' part as far as the design & creativity.. It was a lot more fun than working on a let's say Chekhov play where you have all the resource under your hands about the time period, opposite to the Greek Mythology which is only limited by your imagination..

This earring I've made last night, made me think of all the above which I see skies with stars, flying birds, turquoise waters, beautiful sand, climbing vines, and butterflies in it! Oh yeah, and the column of course, everything started with that piece at the first place. When I finished the piece it just looked like a little set design where you can play your own story in it, what to tell is up to you.

Lately I've been really into large statement single earrings, yes usually 2 is better than 1 they say, but sometimes not.. I enjoy creating pieces like that which can stand on their own as a focal accessory, and tells a lot already by itself, it feels like there is no need for another one..

I took a few photos during the process of creating, which you can see above.. They are not very good looking photos because it was night and the lighting wasn't good but anyway I hope you enjoy what you see!

Derya

Only Limited by Your Imagination

2010-03-31T21:50:00.000-07:00

Drooling over this amazingly creative display idea; bling bling on men shirts! It is prooved once again how sometimes extreme contrasts can result in a powerful eye-catching look!

Again.. Love this shot as well! (Well.. This is also here as more of an eye-candy for myself even though he is not the real Johnny! :P)

(Images taken from Vogue Gioiello)

Love,
Derya

Silverware Chandelier

2010-03-30T17:09:00.000-07:00

What a great way and a creative approach to re-purposing! I spotted this chandelier at a Bar& Restaurant in LA, the name is unfortunately escaping from me...
(Elsie reminded me the name of the place 'Kitchen 24')

I took the photo with my phone, so it is not perfect but hope you can see the details!

Love,
Derya

Inspired by an old Turkish belief

2010-03-21T23:19:00.000-07:00

As most of you know I'm originally Turkish. There is this tradition in my culture; new mom wears a simple red ribbon made into a bow around her head as a headband. I have seen this tradition going around since my childhood. Until now I never learned the reason behind it! Thanks to the internet magic, after a quick search I was informed; it is believed a new mom should wear something red right after giving birth to be protected from evil eye. In some other sources, they say; 'red' will protect the mom from a sickness (which is today known as post postpartum depression), another source says 'red' will give energy to the new mom.

I can't say I believe any of those personally, but I also kind of like the idea of doing something special with this old tradition! I also like the idea of the new mom wearing something lovely and life-full representing the magical happening which is bringing a baby into this world! We should not forget the after birth photos factor also, which will be in the albums for a loooong time, right? ;)

Long story short, I have been thinking about designing something special (my own version of this old traditional accessory) for my sister in law who is having my niece in August (yayy! first time auntie here!). I thought butterflies would be perfect for this, so I decided to create a headband that is still having 'red' but combined with delightfully clustered colorful organza butterflies which I create my butterfly jewelry with, also the addition of ivory feathers!

I LOVE how the headband came out, I can't wait for my sister in law posing wearing it with my little niece in her arms both healthy and happy!

Love,
Derya

Waves...wavy...waves again..

2010-02-22T15:21:00.000-08:00

I was going through my photos the other night, the album was from our Seattle trip last year.(Ahhh it was so beautiful I LOVED Seattle! ) At that trip, annoyingly enough (to my honey) I and my camera were the best buddies, stopping at every step and taking a million shots with my honey's lovely sound effect at the background 'grrrrrr!..'

Long story short, going through those photos I realized I had quite a few wavy shots, all from different places and all had different textures. I wonder if I'm particularly drawn to wavy things, and if there is some psychological reason behind it, hmmm? (I look for a psychological source for almost everything in my life, and often behind other people's too) .. Anyway, here I leave you with my waves from Seattle, see how they make you feel,
and let me know if you have any input!

Splurge yourself without breaking the bank! and more...

2010-02-21T02:44:00.000-08:00

First the good news: Remember my 'wings of iris' necklace at the Handmade Olympics? Well, proud to announce that it is a silver medalist now! Many thanks to Kristal from the Rikrak Studio for hosting such a big and fun event, also to all of my super nice supporters for voting for my necklace! The support was just incredible, I was speechless seeing my family, friends and lovely fellow Etsy artists helping me spread the word like it was their own event! THANK YOU thank you and thank you! :)

I went ahead and selected my favorite items from the amazing Etsy sellers' shops, who helped me on my little journey. These are very few of them, but I wish I could have them all here! I especially wanted to choose from their very cool but affordable items for you to 'splurge yourself without breaking the bank' (or a loved one, or me for example!)

-How adorable is that cupcake hairclip? I had to heart it for my niece to be born soon!
From chomelchomel $6

-I think that eco-friendly Kids Journal is a great gift option for the little ones to keep them busy while discovering their artistic skills! From Nicopapergoods $21

-You can surprise a friend or your honey with their favorite chocolates and this cute kisses heart pick , it will brighten their day instantly! From Brownsco $12

-As a big fan of hair accessories, these jade and marcasite vintage style hair pins are must have to add some jewel sparkle to any style of hair! From littlewhitechapel $14

-I'm in love with everything in orlydesign shop! Look at these love birds,how adorable? She will even customize them for you with your initials! Perfect gift idea for many occasions! $45

-Boats of Vietnam from dmahlow . I found this artist's technique very unique, as he creates this mosaic look by cutting up the original photo piece by piece, and repositioning them!
The print is $15

- Skeptis shop has full of colorful and fun jewelry! These vintage beaded Strwaberry Shortcake Earrings are looking so sweet, makes my mouth water! $14

-Here is a great eco-friendly idea! charstreasures makes these cards with vintage doilies, how clever! $5 with free shipping, what a find!

-Don't we all love owls? These tile coasters from lterrill9 will add color and fun to any room!
$17 for a set of four.

Fluttery Breath of Life this is!

2010-02-17T00:21:00.000-08:00

As I work more on my organza butterflies/wings collection, even more unique designs are coming up right after another. I fall in love with each one of them.

Especially this new amazing necklace makes me wanna get married again and wear it with a simple off white gown at a spring wedding in a whimsical theme. *sigh*

For the long single earrings I have used more insect wings this time, as I'm always fascinated with the amazing beauty on the details of those wings. Each earring features wings from 7-8 different insects from the mother earth...

Click here to see the rest of my butterflies/wings collection.

love,
Derya

She said YES wearing my wallpaper necklace!

2010-02-11T21:51:00.000-08:00

It was August 2008, a sale from my etsy shop seemed pretty random to find out later that it was going to be one of my best stories to brag on my jewelry designing. Having etsy convos with the buyer lady I found out she was buying the necklace to wear at her wedding. I was thrilled of course, not just because one of my designs was going to be a part of someones very special day,but also the fact that the necklace was made out of re-cycled wallpaper! The wallpaper came from an old wallpaper samples catalog that was about to trashed by the interior design department of a college.

Since then I have been telling this nice little story to everyone with an excitement and proud, and yes bragging too! Then a few days ago (after about 1.5 years) I got a message from the very bride asking me if I was interested in seeing the wedding photos and her wearing the necklace with her gown! What can I say? I had to say 'of course!' (meaning 'hell YEAH!! and you are asking?) :P

Today, she sent me the photos and I almost fell out of my chair! After getting the permission from her, I couldn't wait to share the photos and the story here!

THANK YOU Stacey, this was one of the best gifts I've ever received! I wish you all the beautiful things from life..

Love,
Derya

I need your Votes!!

2010-02-09T20:35:00.000-08:00

Here is lovely reason to break the ice and update my neglected blog! ;)

My beautiful and unique 'Wings of Iris' necklace is chosen to compete at Handmade Olympics, out of hundreds of items submitted!! Who is going to decide which lovely item wins? YOU! So, please check out this page and vote for my necklace if you believe that 'Wings of Iris' should be the winner!

It is at the second place now, will you take it to the first place?

Love,
Derya

My Cotton Plants are in Paper n Stitch!

2009-11-18T11:03:00.000-08:00

Brittni is the sweetest, and I love her blog. This morning I woke up to her nice feature on my Cotton Plants Collection in her Paper n Stitch blog, and I was a HAPPY girl!

Love,
derya

Designing with a special client at my studio!

2009-11-11T03:23:00.000-08:00

C found me through Etsy, asking about my butterfly earrings. When we found out that we were almost neighbors (she lives in Long Beach, I'm in Orange), we set up a meeting at my studio. C is getting married next year, so she was looking for unique pieces to accessorize. We created a large size butterfly single earring for her, collaborating together. We both loved the results, and enjoyed the process. I'm so excited to design coordinating pieces for her wedding, like hair pieces and shoe clips in all butterfly theme. I can't wait!

Love,
Derya

Cotton Field Earrings- Simply Unique and so Organic

2009-11-09T18:58:00.000-08:00

One of my creations that I'm so proud of and currently in love! Sorry to brag, but I know they are one of the most unique little things you will find in jewelry world! ;)

Just listed in my little corner click here to see and shop!

Cotton Plants Collection is about to Launch

2009-10-27T13:54:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited about this, can't wait to start listing the pieces to my online shop! They'll all be available soon!

If you are on Facebook, please join my jewelry page to be alerted with the newest items, news and special discounts only inclusive to the members of my group! Click here to go to my page (after signing into your account)

Love,
Derya

Kahlil Gibran Quote Collage Necklace

2009-10-25T00:04:00.000-07:00

My friend introduced me to Gibran by birthday gifting me a book of his 'the prophet' , which she said she always keep it on her night stand. Now I do too.

This necklace I created is a special piece to me, which has a quote of his on it "Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair."

Just listed in my shop, waiting for another fan, or a friend of a fan to be gifted. ;)

love,
Derya

Lockets with Vintage Jewels, Who doesn't love that?

2009-10-23T23:54:00.000-07:00

I do! Here are some pieces from my Lockets Collection, newly listed in my shop, all one of kinds, all looong necklaces, and more to come soon..

Love,
Derya

I've been having fun with these..

2009-10-23T03:33:00.000-07:00

I've been enjoying Photoshop Elements while practicing and discovering it's possibilities. If you are a hobbiest of photography like me, I really recommend that you try that program. I preferred elements because I didn't have any experience with photoshop before, and the price was a lot more affordable for me to just to test the waters first, instead of moving directly to the big thing!

I have a sony cyber shot camera that is fairly small and very light, which I always carry with me when I'm out.. That way, when I see something interests me, I just take advantage of it, and use them later to practice the program..

The photos above are all created that way! The first one is the gorgeous pink tree I ran into on my way to the studio. The watermelon girl is a shot I was lucky to catch in my trip to Seattle, and the last one is from Gypsy Den Cafe where I always go to get coffee while working in my studio at artist village. I'm just loving the results so far, and I ordered some prints of them from an online company, I can't wait them to arrive!!

I will update you on those later! ;)

love,
Derya

Jewelera is OPEN now!!

2009-10-22T00:01:00.001-07:00

Yep, I'm listing my newest creations one by one, so keep checking out my store to see many many gorgeous designs! :)

By the way, did I tell you I have a Facebookpage for my jewelry biz? YEP! Go ahead and join, so you can watch closely what I'm up to, the news with my business and all!

It is at; Derya Aksoy Jewelry

P.S. That's my new banner with my photography!

Love,
Derya

Man, life is good!

2009-10-20T04:57:00.000-07:00

From the Naturelle Collection

First of all; do I need to say it again? Yep, you got it! I'm the the worst blogger, I don't update my blog enough, blah blah blah.. This is done, let's talk about something else..

MAN! Am I happy? Oh YES! I don't know what happened, how my mood changed, what switch turned on (or off), but I became a fully motivated, excited, joyful, smiling (a lot) and looking better than ever person -again-. You know how you feel when you meet an oooold good friend you haven't seen for a long time, and when you run into her unexpectedly; you say 'wow, I've missed you!' realizing it just that exact moment? I feel like that for myself nowadays.. I had no idea real me was missing in my life for so long, and I'm so bubbly happy to meet myself again! As I said, I even look better from outside; because my positive energy is coming out with a big smile on my face, a spark in my eyes, I walk more straight, even my fashion sense got better, and my hair is nicer , and the list goes on.. To put the cherry on the top; since I've started feeling that way, I started making more friends, and really good ones too.

I don't wanna sound like I'm bragging about myself here, but I'm just trying to be open with how I feel, so somebody out there who is reading this can find a tiny little light or hope maybe, which can change their outlook in life into a more positive way. See, I was depressed for a while (a combination of reasons).. I think I've mentioned that before here in my blog. Anyway, I'll do it again, because I know there are so many people out there suffering. I had those days I didn't have the tiniest motivation or desire to leave home, or returning calls from my friends.. All I wanted to do was; just to go somewhere really far away that nobody knows me (even the existing family and friends), so I wouldn't have any responsibilities etc. Little things seemed so big, and I had a constant fight between how my soul feels and my logic.. One said 'hey you are better than this, get your butt up!', the other one said nothing but feeling sad for itself.. Sounds familiar? I hope not, because it really sucks big time. But even if it does, please know that it doesn't have to last forever.

Therapists, medications, talking with close friends or family members, etc. may help but none of them is the solution. It is you my friend. You need to make the decision to not to be 'not you' anymore, and get that oldy but goody yourself have the grand opening to the life again! Once you start implementing that into your life, I promise, everything will get better and the positive things will start happening right after another.

Everything is like a chain in this life, every move or step effects the next one. Once you feel better, you smile more, when you smile more people react to you the same, then you start communicating better, make more friends, be more outgoing, feel energetic, you wanna dress better too because you are out more now, so you get compliments, you feel better, you have more contacts now, so you may even find a better job, you feel better, you realize that life is actually worth living, you feel better...

I believe us humans are like mirrors, we do mirror each other in life really. Whatever the way you approach others is a similar one you will get in return. Also the way you see others is actually the way you see yourself. You know those people, who is cocky and sees everyone below than themselves, and belittle people around them? That actually means that person is seeing himself that way, he has confidence issues. Or, if someone is mad all the time and mean towards others, that means they are angry with themselves. I always try to keep this in mind, because I believe it gives me a good direction in life to be more understanding towards myself and others, as well as to have a more positive attitude. (The palm of my right hand is itching right now, and it is believed -in my culture- that I will earn money, yayy! lol)

Ahh I hope this post doesn't sound like a lecture, because I didn't mean it to be. One last thing I wanna say is about 'being a good friend' before I move on to some latest highlights about my little business. Trust is one of the most important things in a good relationship (I know you already know this!). If you realized we are becoming more and more reserved about our feelings by the time goes. This causes less sharing between people, while we are needing more of that actually nowadays, because the life is getting harder and more complicated with the 'modernizm' and its down sides it brings to our lives. As much as you need a person closer to you that you can fully trust, so do others. So please learn and practice, actually decide right now, to be good listener to others, and the best secret keeper on this earth! Nope, it is not OK to share even with your other best friend, or your mom or your husband/wife etc. This is done too, let's move on to the next section now;

What's up with my jewelry biz?

Well well.. Now you all know I'm back on track with my life, and that includes my jewelry business. I've been on a creative roll, making stuff day and night, sleeping very little (which is OK for me, but yeah unhealthy I know mom!). I've already done a few shows, one of them was very successful for me. I will have at least 2 -maybe 3- shows coming up for holiday season. One of them is Patchwork/ Santa Ana, which I've done once before and LOVED it! The other ones is Unique Los Angeles in the beginning of December (heard good things about it), I'm hoping to book more shows, I'll let you know. There is also the art walk nights in Artist Village/ Santa Ana first Saturday of every the month. As some of you know I have a studio in Santora Building there (2nd floor, suite B).. So please stop by if you happen to be there! Oh, I will post later about the dates and all the info about the shows by the way!

I have a lot of plans to improve my little business, a photo shoot is one of them.. I wanna do something very artistic, it'll be my first experience, fingers crossed! I'm flirting with the ideas these days..

OK, I can write more, because there is more to share, but it is already a long post so here I will end it and attach some photos of my new pieces.. If you made it this far, good for me! ;)

Love,
Derya

Frida Necklace is a part of a new upcoming collection..

Bracelets from my new Turkish Tiles Collection

Sometimes you do something without realizing...

2009-09-22T00:38:00.000-07:00

The ring

...that you are taking the first step of creating a memory for yourself, something you will always remember...

That Sunday morning of the street fair (which I was a vendor of), I did that by deciding to wear my ring I got from my recent Istanbul trip. That ring wasn't something expensive, but had an unusual design which grabbed my attention when I first saw it. Of course I didn't know then, the ring was going to be a conversation starter for me to find out; one of the people who stopped by at my booth was half Turkish. It is not very common to meet people from my country in the OC area, so I was pretty happy to meet that young lady which also happened to be an artist. Apparently her mom was from Istanbul, but the young lady herself did not know any Turkish. Though, her name was Yagmur (which is a Turkish name) meaning Rain in English. She told me that she was going to go to Istanbul in the near future for a few months, and she also had a lot of relatives there.. She was very nice and it was pretty cool to have such an unexpected connection with someone.. We exchanged our contact information to meet and talk more later as she was leaving my booth..

Later that evening, I found myself thinking; if she didn't see my ring and compliment on it, I would probably not tell her where I was from and we would not have that whole conversation. No wait (!) if I did not choose to wear that specific ring that day, the whole thing would not happen.. I can even forward time back more to the day I purchased the ring! It is like that movie 'The Butterfly Effect', whatever route you take in life will take you somewhere different that it would be if you've taken another route, no?

I'm not a strictly believer of destiny, as no matter what you do in life, something is written for you and that's what you will get at the end. I don't agree with that. I think we each have different destinies in our lives, and what we will get as a result of our actions depends on our decisions we take at the time. Like those questionnaires you see on the paper; every question has two options 'yes' and 'no' and your route will change depends on your answer, so you keep following the little arrows that will take you to the results.. Does it make sense?

Anyhow, the street fair was fun, I can't say it was a big success business-wise but hey I got to meet many cool people, actually became friends with them afterward, and had a great time with my booth buddies! And ohh, I and my buddies also managed to do some awesome trades, so I have 2 new amazingly beautiful necklaces that I adore!

By the way, I'm aware my Etsy shop looks pretty sad right now with only one item, but I have been on 'oh boy!' creative roller coaster ride, preparing some very intersting pieces with my new unique tecnique which I believe you will love too! I'll be photographing them these days, and list them in my shop, so get ready to be amazed and not being able to stop yourself but shop shop shop! OK, enough of the bragging.. Bye now! ;)

Hugs,
Derya

Sweet Melissa, I'm looking forward to do many more shows with her! Check out her unique jewelry designs click here !

My other gorgeous booth buddy Elsie is wearing my design that I traded for.. Check out her etsy shop click here !

pssst! Coming soon at Jewelera!!

2009-09-08T20:34:00.000-07:00

An amazing one of a kind piece, newly created, fresh out of the oven!! mmmmm delish!! I will list it in my online shop very soon.. :)

Name: Time Flies By..

Materials: Wallpaper, fake leather, hand sketching and embossed painting, vintage watch face finding, vintage button, and copper chain.

love,
Derya

I'll be at the Orange Street Fair this weekend!

2009-09-03T10:35:00.000-07:00

So I've been getting ready for the show, creating new babies.. I just wanted to do a quick post with a little sneak peek to my newly pretties! These will be in my online shop very soon!

If you are close by, and can't wait for me to list those to my shop; please come and visit me this weekend in Downtown Orange at the Street Fair!

I will be there from 5pm to 10pm on Friday, 10am to 10pm on Saturday, and same on Sunday!
I don't know where my booth is gonna be, but look for 3 fabulous jewelry designers under 1 tent, OK? ;) I guarantee you it'll be worth it!

Muah,
Derya

My friend's puppetry!

2009-09-02T18:04:00.001-07:00

The street Fair in Orange is getting closer (this weekend!) and as always I'm not feeling ready at all.. My creative spark has been with me a lot lately and there are a lot of things in my mind but I'm having labor pains to push them out! I delivered some pretty cool things but I feel like I still have many babies inside of me struggling to come out to life! (OK, why am I comparing having babies with my creating process? am I evaluating or something?)

Anyhow.. Today I want to tell you about a very dear friend of mine, from my college in back home Turkey. Her name is Asuman Subay, and she is one of the most successful people graduated from our department of Set and costume Designs (also with the best hair). She opened a studio in one of the coolest places in Istanbul (Beyoglu/Taksim) where she creates her fab puppets of different kinds, and give drawing courses to the students who wants to pursue fine arts. She also excepts custom orders to make a very own puppet version of yourself! Isn't that cool?

In my recent trip to Istanbul, I stopped by her studio, intrupting her working for an upcoming exhibition (how rude ehh?). She was so happy to see me (duh!) , and even made me my latest favorite thing in the world: Mastic flavered Turkish coffee (yumm).

We talked about the economical and pilitical issues going on in the world, and what can we do about it. *snort* Not really.. We mostly had fun doing a photo shoot with her puppets and gossiping about out past classmates and what everyone is up to. It was one of those days that I know I will remember when I go back to U.S. and have a broken smile on my face, saying;
'I wish America was as close as Europe to Turkey, so I'd go to Istanbul at least once in a couple months!' for the 1000th time in my life.

Following week I was at her exhibition!

Here is her website; click here

She also has a facebook group 'Su Sanat Kukla Atolyesi' with more than 400 members, join in if you like to see more of her work and hear about the updates!

Love,
Derya

HELLOOOo..oooo.. ooo..oo.o............

2009-08-27T23:16:00.000-07:00

I can almost hear my voice echoing in my poor little corner of abandoned cyberspace! Can't believe how long I've been absent, but hey I'm human and believe me "not a perfect one" for sure! Long story short, I traveled and traveled (has been in Istanbul/ Turkey-my country- for 2 months!), needed some time off from everything (including my Etsy shop), had some up and down times, did a lot of thinking and a lot of more thinking, a little couch time with a sleepy face, some arguing with myself and then kissing-making up with myself again etc. Yep! Alll regular human stuff.. lol

Meanwhile I've been visiting my blog, thinking about what I should post about, realizing there are TONS so get overwhelmed and click back to another webpage. Well, now it is not one of those days so I clicked to the 'new post', yayy! I already feel like accomplish something.. ;)

OK enough of explaining myself I think.. :P I had a fabulous time in Turkey! My brother got married, so there was his wonderful lovely wedding. Although my hair looked pretty bad (whatever the hell they sprayed on it, it looked so unnatural rock like thing that I couldn't resist keep touching to surprise myself with the weird foreign feeling everytime!) my dress was pretty and I had a lot of fun. Annnnnd after the wedding, I and my mom with a group of lady friends of her, we went to Cyprus for a week long vacation, wohooo! That was relaxing, fun and the sea was beautiful.. Overall a very therapatic time we had there. When I got back to Istanbul, I was out everyday EVERYDAY either with my friends, family or relatives, I don't remember being that social for years! I even met with a group of my elemantary school friends which I haven't seen for almost 20 years! Also highschool friends as well.. I was so social I even lost weight! (that was one of the best parts)

There are ton of photographs from my travelings, I don't even know which ones to put here *sigh* it'll be hard! Ohhh before I forget, when I got back to U.S. I and my husband also had a trip to Seattle for 5 days. That was also sooooooo awesome, I always knew I'd love it there and I was right! I have tons of cool photos from there also!

Hmmmmm... Am I missing anything else?? YEP! I'll have a show next week, yupppiiii! It'll be in downtown Orange, International Festival one! There is gonna be food, artists, music too (I think) etc. Friday- Saturday- Sunday event! (kinda scary yes!) I found some really cool display items from my last salvation army trip, I have to take photos soon to show you.

What else, what else?... Well.. My etsy shop is looking pretty empty now, I haven't updated it for a while as you can imagine. :/ The floors need a good sweep, and I need to get rid of the spider webs too.. Once this show is over, I'll do a nice come-back I promise! I'm already making so many new and exciting pieces, so I'm planing to put them in my shop right after the show!

If you are close by, pleasestop by to see me there! I'll be sharing a booth with other 2 jewelry designers from Etsy! Elsiee and melissaloschy

Muah muah for now lovelies.. :) I'll be back soon..

Derya

1. P.S. The photos are from my Istanbul trip.

2. P.S. I decided to eat healthier, and especially after reading that book called 'Skinny Bitch'
I decided to challenge myself to be vegetarian for 30 days as trial period.. It's been going very well, and I'm not having a hard time so far.. I'll update you about that also in my upcoming posts.

My latest shopping spree & what's up with me lately!

2009-04-28T22:13:00.000-07:00

Bloom in Black Headband is from ChristineCecelia
(sorry for the bad photo, it was taken by a phone!)

Time is passing by so fast, it is crazy! I've been preparing mentally and shoppingly (I just created a new word as I often do!) for the last few weeks for my trip to Turkey! As some of you know I'm originally from the beautiful city of Istanbul in Turkey, and my whole family lives there, so I go and visit them about once a year. Now, that 'once a year' time has come again, but with a little extra reason for me as a 'have to go' this time, which I don't complain of course.. My brother is getting married, yayy! So, most of my shopping was about the very important part about his wedding; 'what am I going to wear??'..

Thankfully with the help of my friend/fellow jewelry designer/stand by mama (a hot one)/personal therapist/shopping buddy/personal stylist Elsie, it was a fun and a little exhausting but with a happy ending experience! The exhausting part was because -from my understanding-; most of the designers of evening dresses have the mentality/assumption of a woman who is going to wear those dresses would want to reveal their boobies! So most of the dresses I tried and actually really liked was too low cut, after tens of trying, I found myself thinking about getting one of those and add a lace or something to cover the 'decolletage' area, out of desperation! Finally and thankfully I found a very nice and sophisticated dress that fit me well and didn't need curtains for the window! *wink wink*

Along the way, since I was already in the shopping mood and my antennas were working perfectly for spotting potential items to purchase, I got a few extra pretties not related to the wedding at all! ;) It wasn't limited just with the local stores, Etsy had it's role too of course in this spree!

I'm leaving this Sunday by the way, and I'll be in Turkey for 7 weeks!! The idea of leaving my honey behind all that time hurts, I already miss him, so this week is going very emotional for me, spiced up with tears and all, mostly sudden or when watching a love scene on the T.V. or even simple commercials.. :/ Then I comfort myself by reminding all the bead shopping I will do at my favorite places in Istanbul, all the partying with friends I'll have, and the wedding of course! So, I wipe my tears off with the back of my hand and get calm.. I know I'm mean like that sometimes! :P

Back to the FUN subject; shopping.. Besides my new favorite headband that you see at the top of this post, I have some other goodies to share with you;

This is my latest #1 skincare product; Rose water cleanser by UnicosCauldron . I have been looking for a all natural cleanser for my face with rose water for a while, and I came accross her shop on Etsy. I ordered and tried the sample size first, and loved it! Especially the fact that it is not only a cleanser but it is a moistruzer as well. The humactant ingredient in it pulls the moistrure from the air and locks it on your skin. I reccomend it if you have dry skin, or combination skin like me!

And these are my favorite new sandals I fell in love at first site at Nordstrom while shopping for my dress! I got the black one!

Aaaand these are my HIGHs from Forever 21, YES I can walk in them but not too long! :P

Much love!!

Derya

Don't miss this sale!

2009-04-09T15:02:00.001-07:00

Did you know there has been a great sale going on in my shop? Yep, some of my really cool customers have been taking advantage of it too! Don't worry, there are still many unique and fabulous designs are left waiting for you to take a look!

Buy one get the second for half off! The details are at my shop announcement, go and check it out!

Below are some of the sold items during my sale! (if you see anything you love and want me to re-create for you, please don't hesitate to contact me!)

How could you NOT tell me about Ron Mueck??

2009-04-04T17:47:00.000-07:00

Clearly I just found out about him, and I don't know what to say or what to write here, sometimes words don't do the justice.. I'm mad because nobody told me about him! (can you tell I'm just trying to blame it on somebody?) Ron Mueck , I think I love you! ;) (I can't even think about my cute new gladiator shoes and fabulous dress I bought today! *wink wink*)

My studio!

2009-03-30T16:55:00.000-07:00

Life is a funny thang.. ;)

One day a couple of months ago, we were sitting at one of the window tables of Gypsy Den Cafe in downtown Santa Ana with my husband, drinking coffee.. As I look out the window towards one of the Santora Building's windows with the most beautiful architectural details, I told him; 'I wish I had a studio space there.'... He offered me to check the building for available spaces and I told him that even if there was any, rent would be too much for me to afford..

Anyway, we still went there after finishing our coffees, to look around a little bit, and saw an empty space available. He was calling the number on the window to ask about the rent etc., I looked around and saw an artist working on a reproduction of a Rembrandt painting at the back part of a store, behind some vintage clothing and accessory displays..

My husband couldn't reach the person on the phone, so I decided to talk to that artist to see if I could get any info about the space. Long story short, the artist guy (named Moises) tells me that it'd be great if I would be interested in moving in with them to share their space! I go yayy, and now I'm there! ;)

This is my studio on the left corner, on the right side where Moises paints,
and the front on the store has really cool vintage clothing and accessories
handpicked by Gretel..

Inside of the Santora Building, I'm on the second floor! The building
was built in 1929 in Spanish Colonial Revival Style..

The painting on the left is by Moises Camacho, and on the right is
a work of Joseph Hawa (another artist I share the building with)

There are many many other artist's studios and galleries in the Santora Building/ Artist Village. Every first Saturday of the month those studios and galleries open to the public, so you can come in and get inspired maybe purchase something you fall in love it by also supporting the local artists.

I'd also love it if you can stop by to meet me in person there, anytime! Just let me know beforehand so I make sure that I'm there when you come in! :)

Santora Arts Building

207 North Broadway
Santa Ana, CA 92701

Meeting at the 'eggz neighbourhood' with Faulty Carpenter

2009-03-28T02:08:00.000-07:00

The weird thing is, in my previous post my goal was to introduce you a new Etsy artist I've recently discovered "faultycarpenter"..

I started talking about people are like gift boxes and you never know what you will find in the box blah blah blah, and right after that intro, I was meaning to tell you that I met this new cool artist on Etsy.. And somehow I found myself writing more and more, even about cabbages!! haha. It was way too much of an intro, it became a post itself and I just decided to leave it that way.. *sighs*

I had a pleasure learning more about Adam Grath of "faultycarpenter" after I added his very personable 'eggz neighbourhood' to my favorites. Chatting him a little bit, I immediately decided to feature him here in my blog, because I'm sure you will like to hear his story as well..

Adam is a 48 years old artist who grew up in Kalamazoo Michigan, currently lives and works in Bloomington Minnesota with his wife Anne and their two dogs Moby and Mabel. He says; 'I found etsy via a co-workers girlfriend. Her shop has had some success, so I thought it would be fun to start my own store.' And adds: 'I'm digging the etsy community and find it has been very helpful and encouraging to see the wonderful array of objet that comes from the minds and hands of others.'

Although Adam opened his shop in Feb, 2009 , he has always been in art & crafts world. He says 'My dad David Grath is a fine artist (painter) and my mom Donna Grath is a spectacular quilter so I've been around art/crafts since I was a wee tot.' He has also studied ceramics at the Kalamazoo Institute of Art.. 'under a super cool artist named Tom Lollar' he adds.. One of his other passions is music; ' I sell guitars for a living and have played for (gulp) 43 years. another story'..

Adam's Etsy shop name is coming from his illustrated short story book "The Faulty Carpenter". He actually has a video of the story on youtube which you can watch by clicking here. Although I love that story (and the music, which is also his own), my favorite one is 'Emmet The Flying Chair' which is another illustrated story by him! (click here to watch)

Going back to our conversation starter, the 'eggz neighbourhood' , he says: ' I started making "neighbourhoods" of smashed heads in 1971 and selling them in the divided coke crates that hold 24. It's getting almost impossible to find the old crates anymore and when you do some antique shop wants 20$ for one, so I started making my "eggz neighbourhoods" using recycled egg cartons instead.' and adds 'I love to look at objects and consider what other uses and personalities they might have. '

Adam says he also paints with acrylics mostly on large canvas, and planing to list them in his Etsy shop very soon! He also has a blog 'click here' which he tries to post a chapter and a drawing everyday..

I hope you enjoyed getting to know Adam as much as me.. Add him to your faves , and keep an eye on his shop for soon to be filled with many other cool artwork! His book 'The Faulty Carpenter' is currently available for purchase in his shop for only $7.. *wink wink*

Much love,

Derya

We are gift boxes and cabbages..

2009-03-22T21:14:00.000-07:00

.. Every person is like a gift box waiting to be given to you, not just in special days, but mostly totally random, when the most unexpected. And you never know what's been hiding in that box unless you open it. Those boxes also contain other boxes inside (in different sizes), like those 'joke' ones people give to each other. The smallest is the hardest to open, because it is the most sacred and secret one. That's the one most of us prefer to keep to ourselves, the one that is a mystery to most , and complicated, and honest, and pure.. The ones who opens most of our boxes and get closest to the smallest ones, are our true friends. They are called 'gift' boxes, because we are all gifts to each other..

I also consider humans like cabbages, we have our layers. Many many layers! To truly get to know someone, we need to carefully peel and eat (also enjoy while eating) and digest the layers starting from outside, and slowly reach to the root (or core?). And you know what? you get the most nutrition from the root of the cabbage, that's where all the good stuff is! Personally I find that part the most delicious, mmm crispy and filling..

Don't be afraid of opening boxes, you never know what you will find in it, or what you will be surprised with! They are not presented to you already open, you need to take the packaging wrap off first, and untie the ribbon!

And eat your cabbages! It is good for you, it even makes you lose weight! ;)

Much love,
Derya

P.S. Cabbage chair (the photos above) are by nendo , click here to read more.. Isn't it the perfect design to pair with my post??

Looking for pen pals..

2009-03-18T22:43:00.000-07:00

Facebook is such a blessing.. Especially if you are living in another country than your own, like me! I've found many many of my friends from past otherwise I'd have no idea how to reach them. I recently chatted with my high school English teacher through facebook, after 10 years! She mentioned me that it is a great way for her students to improve their English by being pen pals with other kids of their age, from other countries. So she asked me to let her know if I can find anybody around me who is willing to do that with her current students. I'm originally from Turkey by the way, so the students are Turkish!

Do you know any high school student who might be interested in doing something like that? I think it'd also be a great chance for them to experience such a thing, learn about Turkish culture, appreciate another culture, have a new friend, enjoy helping someone, and last but not least to HAVE FUN! So please let me know if you or someone you know would be interested in it by leaving a comment to this post, then I can contact you in private to exchange address details etc. If you are from Etsy, send me a convo!

much love,

Derya

My Mini Treasury

2009-03-15T22:29:00.000-07:00

While drinking my warm mint tea, I'm going through my latest pretty and cool finds in Etsy, so I decided to make a little treasury for you, yes only for my blog here at this very moment.. Enjoy!

Here it goes;

The first time I took a look into TreeandKimball shop, the overall ambiance reminded me one of my favorite shops Anthropologie. And reading their profile confirmed that they were actually designing for Anthropologie! I especially love their collection of hair bands with lovely vintage embellishments in pastel tones, and couldn't pass the gorgeous vintage shoes for $26. (Any way to grow my feet about 2 size larger?)

These cool little inspirational vintage bottles are from AlphabetCocktail , which I discovered through 'pounce undiscovered'. Each one is priced around $18.

Breagha is a 'fairly new to Etsy' shop from Scotland. First the 'Pink Heart' clutch caught my eyes, then I had to take a look at the whole shop. I love their feminine details with a definite flirty flair and warm & cozy feel that comes across the screen!

I love it when I see jewelry designs with a new technique or materials, and that's how I felt when I find these 'ear pillows' from waywardradish . They are tiny puffy pillows, intricately hand embroidered onto silk , and turned into earrings. How cool!

Hope you enjoyed taking a little peek at my new favorites on Etsy!

See you soon,

Derya

New discoveries around the town.. Toolgrrl

2009-03-09T19:51:00.000-07:00

Well, Etsy town I mean! More and more great artists are moving into the town and making me drool! Actually the ones I came across lately are not very new, but I thought I'd share them with you , because they are a 'must know', and all have very unique items!!

Today I wanna share Rachel Wright from Toolgrrl with you! Her clothing line is truly unique and one (or two) of the same kind. I particularly loved her 'dream anatomy series'. You can either wear her dresses or hang them on your wall as an art piece.. Her designs reminded me of a character in the book 'The Memory Keeper's Daughter', the doctor who takes photographs of human internal organs mirroring real life images, like how veins in our heart look like trees..

In her shop profile she says; "I love to transform garments that I find in the thrift stores or surplus outlets. I never buy retail! Repurpose/Recycle/Renew is my mantra. I choose high quality garments and then add my own layer of embellishment onto them, either through applique or screenprinting. Most of the sewing I do is by hand, so it is time-intensive."

She also have a website (click here) , which you can read more about her and see more of her extraordinary work! (below the photos, I'm adding more quotes from her artist statement)

"Everybody’s got a body, but few of us take the time to contemplate what is beneath the surface of our skin. For centuries, physicians and artists have attempted to make sense of the complexities hidden inside. Early anatomical illustrations are often a mixture of correct and incorrect assumptions. Some artists rely on metaphor rather than verisimilitude. "

"The Dream Anatomy series explore these imagined realms inside the body. Because these garments are meant to be worn, the boundary between the internal and the external is blurred. The invisible is made visible: wear your inside on the outside. By using women’s slips and nighties, articles that were not originally intended for public life, I am playiing with the line between the public and the private arenas."

Love,

Derya

Breath in and out..

2009-03-05T17:36:00.000-08:00

Having a balcony is very important for me when I'm living in an apartment.. I want to be able to step outside and get the fresh air into my lungs, feeling refreshed! We live on the 3rd floor and have a nice size of balcony (not too big, not tiny either) looking to a beautiful big tall tree which is covered with gorgeous red flowers blooming in the late summer! I didn't know what kind of tree it was when we first moved in here, then I looked it up on the net and found out it is 'gum tree'..

Last few days, whenever I step out to the balcony, there is this divine flowery smell in the air, I can't figure the source.. Isn't it amazing when you think about all the things nature gives you emotionally and physically? It feeds our body, our soul, our spirit, our eyes... Fascinating really..

I was having my Turkish coffee on the balcony today while waiting for my old laptop to get itself together.. I used to love that thing until it started having problems due to being worn out (hmmm I wonder why? :P)! Then I got my new laptop and because I was lazy, I didn't transfer all my photos to the new one.. Recently I got an order for my mini art vintage frames with my naughty prints in them (yayy), and needed to get the images from the old computer and it just got stuck giving me headache! Finally I got it to work again and were able to get the images *relief*..

Have you seen my mini art frames before? They are so cute and original too I think! But somehow they weren't sold as I expected. I honestly thought they'd sell like hot cakes, I was so confident too! =D It is weird, you never know these things.. And sometimes you create something and think 'it is OK' and even doubt about listing it or not, then it becomes one of the most popular things in your shop! ;)

Anyway.. This person wants to buy a lot of 7 of these frames and hang them all together to the wall, as just one art piece! I love it, because that was what I initially pictured in my had!

I also got a request through my Etsy shop, for my 'bonjour necklace', the wallpaper one! Although I didn't have the exact pieces/shapes to make another one, I'll create a similar but still unique one for my client! Gotta go and finish it, then take the photos now!

I'll be back,

Derya

I'm back...

2009-03-04T20:57:00.000-08:00

Hello HELLO to everyone who has been waiting for me to post for about 2 months (hi Elsie), and thanks to the ones who's been constantly-shamelessly kicking me to do it (hi again Elsie!)..

Sorry I've been neglecting my little sweet corner here for no good reason, but just being me on the "downy :s-worn out-not wanting to do anything for a while except hiding under the blanket" mood a little ( tiny bit really!).. Let's get real here, don't you ever have a time frame in your life like that?? And it doesn't have to have a big particular reason you know, it just happens! I hope you don't, but if you ever do; remember that you are not alone and it won't last forever, and loving honest friends come very handy too !! (Feel free to contact me if you feel like chatting with someone about it, only 3 bucks a minute! (*just being silly about the last part*) =D

Anyway.. Although I've been trying my best to stay under the blanket all that time, somehow I still managed to get some stuff done on the rocky road; like finding an awesome little studio space (yayy) , moving my artsy mess there, and shopping for new metalsmithing tools (yayy, more toys!). Also, I managed to go to Hawaii for week of vacation , AND having a trip to Appleton/WI for 4-5 days to see my oldy but goody friends there! That last trip was actually the one which pumped my motivation and brought my 'happy happy joy joy' side back to me, because of the precious therapeutic times I got to spend with my friends! Let's see... Am I forgeting anything between? Umm.. If I remember more, I'll add later! ;)

Sooooo....... That's the story.. Hopefully from now on, I'll get back on track and try to post more.. I will update you with the photos of my studio soon!

Love,
Derya

P.S. The photo was taken by me in Kohler/WI, the city I've visited the very first time during my last Wisconsin trip. My friend Amber took me there and she is the one in the photo looking up to the beautiful umbreallas! I'll post about Amber and our friendship in the near future..

Lately...

2008-12-09T13:59:00.001-08:00

I've been sick.. First I thought it was allergies, then it turned out to be the cold with a terrible cough :/ . I didn't even have the energy to add my new pretties to my shop, I feel bad.. The good thing is that I get to try the kleenex with lotion in it, hopefully at the end of this situation of being a sickie, I won't have deep peeled like red scars around my nose and I'll look hot again sooner than it used to be! :P

Last week passed mostly with creating because I was home alone most of the nights due to my husbands different than usual work schedule.. During the days I've photographed the pieces I made, then edited them on Photoshop.. It is actually Photoshop Elements that I just got and have been trying to learn for the last few weeks. It is not easy to achieve certain things I must say, needs step by step instructions first, and then a lot of practicing. If you like to try your hands on Photoshop but shy about spending that much money on something you are not sure if you are going to love (that's how my initial feelings were), you might want to go with elements. Photoshop Elements is a LOT more affordable, and unless you wanna go super pro on these things, it'll give you more than you need.. If you feel like you need more and want to learn more, then you may upgrade to Photoshop , nothing to loose really..

Then there was thanksgiving, oh it was a FUN day.. You know I'm not an American and neither my husband, so we don't celebrate thanksgiving in our country. BUT, we've been lucky to be invited to our friends' gatherings for the last few years, and I must admit; I love it! Haha.. Who doesn't like the idea of 'whatever you eat at thanksgiving day, it doesn't have calories!' Yayy, dream come true! Anyway, we were invited to my friends' house this year, aaaaaandd she is an Etsian too Elsie (click to see her shop), yes I met her through Etsy! That's why I love Etsy, and I will never stop loving it even though if I happen to close my shop one day! Etsy gave me a friend, I believe a life long friend, do you think I'd exchange that to -let's say- a million bucks I make out of Etsy?? OK, maybe I exaggerated here a little bit, but do you think I'd exchange my friend to -let's say- thousands of dollars I'd make out of Etsy? NO, of course not!.. Isn't great? (OK I'm being serious now) :P

Enough silliness for a night, I think my NyQuil is kicking in, gotta lay down a little..

P.S. Don't forget to comment here (click) to have a chance to win my poppy earrings! Good luck! :)

Derya

You are Invited!

2008-11-24T19:58:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited and happy to announce this event! We (as super talented artists of different mediums) are having a steamy hot holiday craft show this Saturday! Most of the info is on the invitation. If you are close by, just come in and see all the great lovingly handmade unique items from fellow Etsy sellers, and shop till you drop for the loved ones and most importantly for yourself!

There will be all kind of fun things happening there, hourly gift drawings, food, music etc.!

Here are the artists who will be there for you, if you like to peak at some of the items there will be at the show;

Poppy Raye Studio

Designs by Steppie

Namaste Designs

Melissa Loschy Designs

Blessed! I'm featured by Smashgirl!

2008-11-20T14:03:00.000-08:00

I feel so honored to be featured at one of the fellow etsy artists' blog http://www.smashgirl.blogspot.com/ . She wrote about my blog and my jewelry designs under her "cool blogs from cool people' series, she had many wonderful things to say which made me very emotional to be recognized like that!

Also, she is from Orange County, CA too! Check out her etsy shop to see her beautiful mosaic decorative items! I'm especially loving this 'Welcome With a Cherry on Top Sign' she made, it looks very yummy!

Much love,
Derya

My lovely customer from Australia..

2008-11-16T22:42:00.000-08:00

She is one gorgeous young lady who knows how to work her style and write about it in her blog http://frocksandfroufrou.blogspot.com/ . I was so happy and honored when I found out she had a review in her blog about my poppy earrings she has purchased from my Etsy shop short while ago! She is wearing them in the photo above, and looking all cute and sexy! ;)

I feel lucky to find out about her blog this way, because I always go back and enjoy reading about her shopping experiences and always wonder what kind of a new look she will create next!

You can read the whole post here in her blog!

Love,
Derya

Class Time!

2008-11-15T23:49:00.000-08:00

For the last project (after the brooch project I posted about earlier), we need to make a necklace with repetitive images. These are the pieces I'm working on..

This is my sanctuary ! My metalsmithing classroom, it is where I forget about everything and just focus on my metal. I'm so sad the class is ending soon, but no way I'm leaving my metals.. Do you see the roller on right bottom corner? I'm having an affair with that thing! ;)

My sweet friend Kathrine loves robots, so she made a cute little robot brooch in the class! (The lockers' color was matching perfectly with her work apron, that's why I wanted to put two photo together!)

This is a brooch made by one of my classmates a lovely lady, I had to take a photo of it, because I think she did an amazing job with the texture on the fishes and the colors with the heat treatment!

And the fires today.. I'm in Orange and that's how the sky looked when I came back from the class today. My heart goes to all those people who lost their homes to the crazy fires. Sad sad..

Love,
Derya

Work in progress..

2008-11-14T00:51:00.000-08:00

The last show I did was pretty great! I had so many great responses from people about my jewelry. Especially my wallpaper necklaces got the most attention, everyone wanted to touch them to see what they were made of, then when I popped the news 'I made them with wallpaper!', they seemed pretty amazed! :)

One of the ladies who purchased one those necklaces didn't let me package it because she wanted to wear it right away. She came back 20 minutes later and told me that she already got so many compliments and wanted to share that with me! I was proud of course!

So having said that, I was inspired to make another piece, so I'm working on it right now. You can see the pieces together above in the photos, I'm liking the combo very much! I'll post the finished photos here soon..

love,
Derya

I'm in Storque Article at Etsy.com!

2008-11-13T18:35:00.000-08:00

I came across to it completely out of luck, and I got so excited! The article is about creative packaging 'how to's for holidays! You can read the article here. All my items are shipped in these cute boxes that I created!

love,
Derya

My brooch!

2008-11-13T14:24:00.000-08:00

As promised; my firs finished piece at the metalsmithing class! This is a brooch I made from copper. It is pretty detailed, which is not surprising coming from me if you are familiar with my designs! :) The image was inspired from a painting, I played with the lady figure a little bit and change it as I wanted, I LOVE it, I hope you do too! It is kinda naughty.. :P

Now, I'm working on my next project, which is gonna be a necklace with repetitive images. I'll post it too, when it is done!

love,
Derya

Two new gorgeousness !

2008-11-05T15:40:00.000-08:00

My bubble tree necklaces were off to shelves from my shop, so I decided to make 2 new versions of them. They are both amazingly beautiful, with their organic yet delicate appearances. One is in kelly green, with smooth bubble glass pendant, the other one is named 'ice tree' in light rose pink with faceted chandelier like glass pendant.. They are both one of a kind and freshly listed in my shop!

The best thing about these necklaces is that you can wear the pendants separately by simply sliding off the glass pendant from the chain. It is like buy one get one free, ;).. Click on the photos above to see more pictures and read about the details..

Love,
Derya

Sea leaves

2008-11-03T13:39:00.000-08:00

This is the one I was telling you about in my previous post. I'm very happy and excited about it, so natural and organic look, kyanite stones with blackened sterling silver.. My inspiration was the photo I took in Monterey, with the seaweeds floating on the surface of the water..

I just listed the necklace in my shop, so you can read more about the details here!

I hope you like it as much as I do!

much love,
Derya

Sunday

2008-11-03T00:06:00.000-08:00

I always have a hard time finding a good opening sentence when I'm writing a new post, struggling between if I should directly get into the subject or say hello first? Anyway, I think I just wrote that opening sentence, so I can get to the subject now.. Wheew!.. ;)

I had a fun and relaxing Sunday. I wasn't feeling like going out due to my aching back and upper arms because of the long metalsmithing class the day before, but I literally forced myself to have a shower and dress up, then let my honey take me out somewhere.. We didn't have much of a plan, but decided to just go to Newport Beach first and drive from there by the ocean towards south, and stop and walk if we see somewhere grabs our interest. Our first stop was a neighborhood by the water in Newport Beach . We sneaked into a gated community to be amazed by the beauty of the houses with fronts literally on the water, some had private beaches. It was so quite and there wasn't even one person on the street. We both felt like we were in a movie set. I wanted to take a few photos but then I imagined some rich person's bodyguard with black suit and sunglasses attacking me and breaking my camera like they do to some paparazzi, so I decided not to.. ;)

Then we headed towards Laguna Beach, but on our way we've seen an open house sign in another nice neighborhood so we headed there, we couldn't resist the opportunity.. ;) It was a huge house built in 50's, beautiful backyard, big windows allowing the light to fill the rooms, 4 bedroom and 4 bathroom, ah we loved it! The price was almost 3 million bucks, I still got the agent's card when we were leaving just in case I win the lottery soon. Wait, I don't play lottery! :P (This last part fit perfectly to the 'daily dream' part of my blog name)

We passed through Laguna Beach, one of my favorite places in the world, and decided to go to Dana Point which we've never been before. We ended up at the Dana Wharf , which was quite nice, did a little walking around (worked those legs up), checked a few menus from different restaurants, and my husband craved for Turkish food (of course!). So we decided to go back to Laguna Beach to eat at GG's! (great Turkish/Mediterranean food, highly recommended!).

The weather was beautiful the whole day, not too hot to walk, a little cooling wind, nice.. Although it got a little chilly when the sun was going down, we still sit outside to eat!

Here comes the new week.. I don't know how time flies so quickly! I have a big list of things to do in my head but sometimes it feels like there is not enough time to do them. Organizing my studio area and the rest of the apartment (to tell you the truth) is my priority this week! Everything is out of control again, and I started not finding things easily which drives me crazy..

Oki doki , I'm off now, leaving you with some photos from Dana Point. After I came home, I made a gorgeous necklace which I had the design in my head for a while, I'll post about it very soon!

Take care,
Derya

Wanna join to win my unique earrings?

2008-10-22T22:35:00.000-07:00

All you need to do is; go to this page on neatostuff.com, and comment about which piece you like from my shop! That way you will have a chance to win the contest to receive my unique earrings! It is that easy, good luck! :)

Love,

Derya

I feel very blessed! :)

2008-10-22T12:29:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been very blessed to be featured in several wonderful blogs, a contest on neatostuff.com, and many treasuries by lovely people of Etsy!

I'm not a kind of seller who knows all the tricks in and out about the advertising an online business, which I'm not very proud to say! So, while I'm being like that, I feel like all other people that likes my designs are giving me a hand to show my creations to the world which I'm soooo grateful! I will mention those people, blogs, websites and treasuries in a more detailed future post I promise! :)

OK, lately my creative urge came back (yayy), so I've been up to making some new exciting pieces! I've already listed them in my shop (I couldn't wait, I was inpatient!) , so I thought I'd post them here also to show my followers! I'm attaching the photos above, if you click on them, they'll take you to the listings in my shop. So you can read more about the details, materials etc.

I hope you are all having a wonderful week! :)

Derya

Hair pins are new in the shop!

2008-10-20T17:07:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited about these! They are adorable, and unique, all with vintage metarials except the freshwater pearls at the middle! I just listed them in my shop for $12 a pair. There are more colors to come soon!

They'll make great little gift items for the upcoming holidays, and affordable too!

Now go and shop! :P

Love,
Derya

Hello?

2008-10-17T00:08:00.000-07:00

I feel like my 'hello' is echoing because I've been away from my little corner here for -let's see- about 3 weeks? Oh my this sounds worse than it feels like.. ;)

There is no particular reason for my absence , maybe a little mix of many things..Lately because of all the economic issues, politics, people wondering/worrying , and all the negativity might have led me to feel less inspired..?

I've still been working on many new exciting designs to list in my shop and I actually will have a show this weekend at Villa Park High School Craft Fair & Boutique. I'll attach the detailed info below at the end of this post. It'll be my first show that I actually set up a table. I had one before, but the host was a gallery and they did all the catering, advertising, set up etc. and it was really awesome! I felt like a very special artist! :)

Since then I never contributed to local shows, but finally I felt like I should be more out there and show what I do to more people! I honestly don't enjoy the whole preparing, getting every tiny little things you don't usually use for anything else etc, also the fact that you may end up selling nothing (I hope it won't happen) ..BUT, I enjoy very much of the opportunity to be face to face with people, and present my designs in person. It is the most fun pat of this whole thing for me! I really think it makes a big difference for people to get to know the artist in person and the fact they can touch and try my creations in non-cyber atmosphere! Anyway, I think it'll be refreshing for me to do that after a looong time of selling from behind the computer screen.. ;)

Meanwhile, I've also been going to my metalsmithing class on Saturdays from 9am to 3pm, 6 hours of hard work, a lot of learning and nice calming 'only me in therapy' time..Believe me, I'm not a morning person at all, so if something is making me wake up that early on a Saturday, it means I love it! I'm so happy with the class so far, and Jennifer our instructor is fabulous and funny -in a good way, making us giggle and laugh by her special way of teaching and demonstrating- especially her horror stories to warn us about safety stuff in the studio is cracking me up! ;)

Ahh, this must me one of my most lengthy posts in the text wise, but I think it is normal after a long absence. So bear with me! ;) I'm attaching some of my design photos that are new in the shop, if you click on them they'll take you to my shop, so you can read the details and see more photos and other new items.

If you happen to be in CA and want to come and see me and other artists/crafters at the show, please do so! If you mention my blog, I will be happy to give you a special discount. ;)

Villa Park High School Vocal Music

Craft Fair & Boutique

Saturday, October 18, 9 AM – 2 PM

18042 Taft Ave., Villa Park 92861

Proceeds of the boutique will benefit the Villa Park High School and Cerro Villa Middle School Vocal Music Programs. VPHS/ CVMS Vocal Music is an award-winning program that teaches lifelong skills in music and the pursuit of excellence.

ONLY TODAY SALE! Don't miss it!..

2008-09-26T14:12:00.000-07:00

I'm having a sale today in my shop, which'll end at the end of the day! You can find the items that are available for the 20% discount here.

Go and shop! :)

P.S. Just a few of the items for sale above..

Love,
Derya

I have to share this!

2008-09-16T14:46:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy, I wanted to share.. Remember my bonjour necklace above? Well, somebody bought it from my shop short while ago. And she left me a feedback;

'AMAZING! wearing this for my wedding.. as if it were made for my dress! so excited and the entire transaction was wonderful.. communication was solid and seller was personally excited for me. yay! haha... thanks so much! this piece was so unique and well thought out. i would definitely return to check out other products!! will try to post pictures later if i can.'

She is wearing it for her wedding!!! I'm sooo flattered, and never imagined my creation from a wallpaper catalog would be worn as a bridal piece! Once again, this proves me 'it is all about the look' not the materials, even if you use trash bags or whatever, but the look & creativity! =)

(Pssst.. There is one more available now in my shop)

Much love,
Derya

Help to this beautiful family! Please read...

2008-09-12T19:06:00.000-07:00

I just heard about this horrible news from Etsy's Storque article. I'm so said but glad I did, so I can do my best to help on my side.

"On Saturday, August 16, 2008, Stephanie Nielson was in a plane crash with her husband, Christian Nielson, and his flight instructor, Doug Kinneard, near St. Johns, Arizona. Doug Kinneard passed away soon after arriving at the Maricopa County Hospital. Christian and Stephanie remain in critical condition at the Maricopa Burn Center. Christian has sustained burns on over 30% of his body. His wife Stephanie’s body was burned over 80%. ..."

You can read more from the article here.

Here is how you can help;

-If you like to donate through your paypal account, please send your money to NieNieFund@gmail.com

-You can see the other help options on this page.

-Even if you can't help financially, send your prayers and positive thoughts to their way. You know how powerful is that!

-Last but not least, feel free to copy and paste this entire post to your blog if you like to join the 'spreading the word'.

You can also read more about Nie family and their recovery updates from Nie's sister's blog at http://blog.cjanerun.com/

Please don't forget, even a little from just one person counts tremendously, and it may/would have been you and your family too.

Nie family will be in my prayers, I wish Ms and Mr Nielson a fast recovery to get back to their beautiful 4 little children and whole family as soon as possible. I know they can do it, I know they will!

Much love,
Derya

Rested, Refreshed, Inspired, Peaceful...

2008-09-08T16:01:00.000-07:00

Those are the feelings I have after my wonderful vacation/traveling.

I and my husband drove to Monterey first, stay there for 2 nights. Oh my! I heard that it was beautiful there, but I couldn't imagine how BEAUTIFUL it'd be! We have a friend there, who took us around and we did the 17 miles drive. It was amazing, was the best part of my vacation actually! I was so inspired and amazed by the nature, it brought tears to my eyes. If you ever happen to have a chance to go there, just GO! I highly deeply recommend it..

Then, we left Monterey and drove to San Francisco. I always thought NY city would be my most fave city after Istanbul of course (which is my original city), but now San Fran is sitting at the top! We did many touristic stuff and more, I don't think they'd fit here if I tell you about everything! :) -Or it'd be too long- But I'll try to post as many photos as possible from my trip, so you can get hints from all the beauties I've seen. Oh, I shouldn't forget the Napa Valley also! Beautiful endless vineyards, wine tasting, amazing nature.. I'll post the photos from there as well!

Today I'm only posting some photos from the 17 miles drive!

Other news;

I started taking metalsmithing classes!!! I'm a absolutely psyched! It is every Saturday for 6 hours, until December. I must admit, after taking the first class, I admired even more to the metalsmith jewelry designers. It is a lot of work, and require physical strength too . I'm still kinda sour to tell you the truth! :)

I'll be posting everything I make in the classes, so stay tuned!

I'm leaving you now, with amazing nature of Monterey!..

Love,
Derya

Inspiration- Orange County -Citrus Tree Necklace

2008-08-25T14:22:00.000-07:00

One of my newest necklaces named 'Citrus Tree', inspired by my new location for the last 5 months, Orange County/CA. The funny thing is; I realized that I was inspired by that after I actually made the necklace! I surprised myself, I hope my creations surprises you too, in a good way of course! :)

You can check out the details about this beautiful piece at my shop here!

Derya

News and news...

2008-08-24T15:54:00.000-07:00

Me keeps creating, and making absurd stuff with some absurd materials! :P

First of all I like to give you some good news (for me), I'm starting to metal smithing jewelry classes! Yayyy, I'm psyched! After 4 years of designing beaded jewelry, it is finally my time to take it to the next level! You know how much I love experimenting with different materials with my endless search and curiosity, so I think this will open a whole new window to fun& new adventures.. I will be updating the things I made at the class every week here in my blog!

OK, I've been working on some necklaces with a new material for the last week; wallpaper! I had some really cool catalogs of wallpaper samples from my interior design school period, and have been thinking about what to do with them! Finally it came to me, and I decided to incorporate them into my jewelry.

First one I did was with cream color vinyl embossed wallpaper. Everyone seemed to love it on Etsy, and it was finally sold on last Thursday to a very nice lady who is thinking about wearing it on her wedding! :)

The other ones are with different illustrations like a bird, goat, and a laundry washing mom with her 2 kids in a boat, all cut out from wallpaper pages in the catalog, backed with felt for stability, and coated for protection. I loved them all, I think they are very different from what you see around in the market everyday, unique and all one of a kind!

If you click on the photos above, they'll take you to their listings in my shop, so you can read the descriptions and see more detailed photos..

Experience with your art Part-4 FIELD TRIP

2008-08-15T18:17:00.000-07:00

My previous posts on 'experience with your art' part-1, part-2 and part-3 were about my tips and opinions. On part-4 , I decided to take you to a field trip to Etsy , so we can also review what other designers say about their art and to the other artists to expand on their creativity.

I chose 9 Etsy jewelry designers who I think creates beautiful pieces with unusual materials, and asked them to answer 2 questions;

-What was your inspiration source when you were creating this item(s)?
-Do you have any tips to the other artists about how to be more creative with their art?

Although, the quotes are from jewelry designers, I think you'll find inspirational tips whatever the medium you work on. Here we go!..

Shana's rings make me feel sexy and girly, yet sophisticated and cozy all at the same time! She makes her rings with felted mohair and silk ball, and silver bits sprinkled throughout the surface. Her Pink scoop ring is set on sterling silver setting.

Here is what Shana from ShanaAstrachan says about her rings; "I am inspired by new materials and the challenge to use them in unconventional ways. Though I have been making metal pieces for years I started working on these rings after learning to knit. I loved the process of figuring out how to make these pieces."

Here is her tips to the other artists about how to be more creative with their art;" I encourage you to experiment; learn a new technique or pick up a new material. You may be very surprised how this may present itself in your work."

I always adored FrucciDesign's creations, I think she is genius when it comes to turn a material like paper to fabulous wearable pieces!

Fru says; "When I was designing MURA rings I challenge myself: I wanted to create rings that were only paper, durable, and most important that look as sophisticated as if they were made of precious material."

And her tip is; 'The same I use all the time: don't be afraid to combine media or techniques, or colors...mix mix mix!

I'm a huge fan of Clevergirl ! I admired her SWAK necklace, which is made with 'vintage lenticulars' (images that "move" or change depending on angle) , even more after hearing her inspiration source;

" I try to only buy materials that trigger an intense emotion or desire in me, and that is my jumping off point for making anything...The image that popped into my head for this was of a Marilyn Monroe sort of a character blowing kisses while a swarm of photographers and fans moved in...These were the kisses she blew in all directions, not wanting to leave anyone out- still a little bit of sweetness with the sexiness.

As far as tips:
When creativity is most elusive, I find that avoiding frustration and potential burnout by calling a time out from making new work to be the best remedy.

When in doubt, put the work away and go for a walk. "

Jeff and Jann from 2ReVert is a husband and wife team, husband creates one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces from 100% post-consumer recycled skateboards in spare time from his day job .

"Part of the enjoyment in creating 2ReVert's pieces is that I have no idea what I'm looking for or what I'm going to find until it's the finished product. So my inspiration, I guess you could say, is the search."

And tips to the other artists; "You learn ten times as much making mistakes as you do hitting home runs."

Jimena's pillow earrings are so sweet and cozy!

Designer says; "My inspiration come form everywhere, I’m always looking for beautiful things, objects, landscapes, pictures, my two boys…I try to be surrounded from nice things. I have the idea that if all the things around me are nice some nice ideas will come to my mind."

And here her tip to the other artists; "Isolate things, all the ideas you have are good, just put them apart on with paper and wait until the show you how to go on."

Lauren's earrings speak for themselves, I think they are truly inspirational!

Here is what Lauren from laurenelgee says about her designs; "I was inspired by a German book I found at a charity shop. I loved the images of the girls doing exercises together and wanted to capture them in my Vintage Illustration earrings. "

She adds; "Experiment with new ideas and make what you love to make. Take a trip to the library and look at art and design magazines and books."

Isn't EcoLoops fun? It is very happy and summery looking, and I love the fact that they are different colors!

Sarah from loopsdesign says; "I was inspired to use recycled items and upcycle them to make them more beautiful and valuable than their original form. I used magazine photos to create these earring rounds."

Here is her tip; "Take something random and use it for a new purpose and see what comes of it. Even if it turns out poorly it will still spawn new creative ideas for other things."

This amazing ring is constructed with powerful magnets, meaning that you can store it on your refrigerator! Designer of this highly innovative ring from lann.Etsy.com says; "It was our first ring assignment and once I heard "Box Ring" it kind of popped. It is always good to know as much as possible about other artists. Their work can inspire you and knowing what is out there can prevent accidentally copying someone else's work."

I love how these earrings are made with fabric covered and embellished beads, they look very sophisticated!

Christine from Kangas says; "Fabric is often the inspiration-I love the warmth that fabric gives to a piece of jewelry-something familiar but unexpected."

She adds "To be more creative, find the one thing that really gets you going and collect everything you have around you-all other materials or mediums that you love to go with it.
My mind really gets going that way..."

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I really appreciate all the designers for contributing, and sharing their input with me. Please feel free to comment, I'd like to hear the readers opinions as well. :)

Love,

Derya

New pretties and an upcoming post!

2008-08-14T23:39:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been kind of busy with the orders and new designs lately, so I've been away from my blog for a while, sorry about this! I wonder if there is anyone out there who comes and check if I have a new post? Do you??? If so, drop a 'me' in the comments, so I'll know! I'll know and I'll be a better poster then! ;)

So... I've listed new and fresh and exciting designs in my shop this week! I hope you like them. I'm especially in love with the wallpaper necklace, and very excited about the copper earrings. Oh, those colors on the copper pieces amazes me so much!

Oooo, I also got a treasury last night, which has became kinda hard lately, but yayyy anyway! It took me about an hour to make it, many of them are from my favorite sellers or items, but still there were so many good stuff, it was hard to decide! Check it out here!

love,
Derya

Pssst... I'll post 'experience with your art part-4' tomorrow with an Etsy field trip format. I'll have some creative guests here, so come back to check!