New Year. New Lovely Ladies.

With Handmade Dayton Etsy Team's monthly meeting scheduled for tomorrow, I wanted to bring some "freebies" to share.  We like to send our customers little samples as a way to promote each other's Etsy shops.

I had so much fun last year incorporating beautiful images of Vintage Lovely Ladies into my jewelry, that I thought it might be nice to try them in a "freebie" promo item.  Little images found their way onto mini oval glass tiles mounted on pretty little filigrees.  They turned out so cool that I'm going to do something special with them... not sure what yet.... but they will definitely become the focal point of a new Steph's Jewels series.  Here's a sneak peek...

Now... I have two dilemmas.  1.) Just what exactly to design using them.  and 2.) A new idea for "freebies".  :)

While searching a flea market in Corbin, Kentucky, I found this lovely vintage rhinestone necklace with several links - what a find!  Each of these pretty little links may be just the perfect marriage my new Lovely Ladies desire!

I snapped a photo of this beautiful painting in the bathroom at a favorite coffee shop recently.  She will be a new project soon as well... stay tuned...

Any ideas on a perfect name for her?

Ella 2012

May I please brag about my beautiful grand-daughter, Ella?

She is just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside! :)

This photo of L just makes me happy :)



She's painting my Christmas gift - a Nutcracker ornament :)  Crafting is serious business to Ella :)



Natalie is Ella's best friend.  She moved away recently. My wish for them is to always cherish this photo.

Handmade Gifts on My List!

Hoping your Holiday planning is off to a great start! I was thinking about all my friends planning gifts for everyone on your list and decided I would help by sharing some of my favorite handmade items from the Handmade Dayton Etsy Team. All are available right now on-line at Etsy.com.

Please visit these shops to browse and buy handmade gifts for yourself or for others - you'll be glad you did! You may even get addicted to these fabulous items like I am!

For a fashion-forward lady in your life, you can't go wrong with a Handbag made of repurposed men's neckties, or Earrings made of guitar-picks named after famous Vintage Rock and Pop Songs. If you haven’t tried Hand-knit Fingerless Gloves, you really must!

My friend, Tracy, does custom-made dresses inspired by decades gone-by. Very classic and special. Check out this beauty. What fashion-forward lady wouldn’t just LOVE to have the promise of a custom-made dress under the tree this Holiday season?

http://www.etsy.com/listing/82508544/messenger-bag-repurposed-neckties

http://www.etsy.com/listing/69096396/guitar-pick-earrings-hey-jude

http://www.etsy.com/listing/82521147/hand-knit-fingerless-gloves-wristwarmers

http://www.etsy.com/listing/87005667/haute-couture-custom-made-dress-french

For the art-lover, please browse these works of art! Perfect for a kitchen, this oil painting of a pear is one of my favorites. And the photograph of A Foggy Drive represents the calm and peace of a first fallen snow. Have you ever heard of sand-painting? I never had until I met the artist of this beautiful nativity scene. It’s such a beautiful technique!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/75635952/the-pear

http://www.etsy.com/listing/20699344/foggy-drive-8x10-print

http://www.etsy.com/listing/60769998/o-little-town-of-bethlehem-sand-painting


Need a Hostess Gift? Try one of these… Handy Jan’s Tea Towels are a blast! I love this one of a retro cocktail party. Also, check out the beautiful handmade cards at Cathartic Slant’s shop. And the handmade paper roses pictured below are absolutely gorgeous for many uses and would make any hostess happy!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/70873102/cocktail-party-tea-towel

http://www.etsy.com/listing/38478159/seasons-card-set

http://www.etsy.com/listing/68772308/u-pick-bulk-order-20-assorted-large


For the kid in your life, please allow me to suggest some one-of-a-kind handmade critters that also make pretty comfy pillows!  Ella’s favorite is one of SnowMachine’s robots. And this adorable owl is made of recycled materials!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/68842419/robot-plushie-medium

http://www.etsy.com/listing/79568112/handmade-owl-pillow-in-pink-and-yellow

Happy Handmade Holiday!

4 Starters Coffee Cafe Grand Opening Celebration

Congratulations to 4 Starters Coffee Café -- your Saturday celebration of first anniversary and Grand Opening. I had a great time being part of all the fun! Just had to share some photos!!

The folks who own this warm and cozy neighborhood coffee shop adjacent to the Fairfield Commons Mall in Beavercreek, Ohio are so nice and friendly.

You just have to stop by there for their delicious food and beverages. Ask to see the large mugs for lots and lots of yummy coffee! And the breakfast Panini is my favorite from the kitchen – delicious!

The only bad thing about spending the day with them last Saturday was trying to stay away from the chocolate covered Oreo's :)

It was fun spending the day with my Handmade Dayton buddies!
This is my favorite sand painting... so cool!



Mada's Place, home of the famously cozy receiving blankets!


Steph's Jewels for Ella -- love the guitar pick earrings named after famous rock and pop songs!


Some of my new jewelry designs! The bracelet on the left sold on Etsy today!


The cutest little boy I made friends with! He loved the face painting :)

Shoot! Live Model Photos!

While I know Etsy has recommended the use of live models for wearable art photos, I've never done it.... til now. And I'm excited to show you the results!

Our dear friends, Trix and Brian, have two beautiful high school age daughters and they happily agreed to try it. We had so much fun!



We met at 7:30am on a very hot July Saturday morning and chose 15 necklaces for each girl to model. How we chose the necklaces became a very fun rotation.

1.) They each chose one for themselves.
2.) I chose one for each of them.
3.) They each chose one for each other.

So we had a wonderful mix and they did such a great job. I thought they may be a bit self-consious and embarrassed to pose, but they are both natural models! Another thing that's so great about these sisters is that they are 15 months apart and are each others' best friend, too.

These photos are my favorites and it may be because they are wearing the special necklace they chose as payment for being my models!

And here's my favorite one of the sisters together :)

Thank you, Girls, for being supermodels for Steph's Jewels!

Summer Festivals

Last weekend, at the Waynesville Second Saturday Street Faire and Car Show, I had the pleasure of displaying artwork with two lovely ladies - Gina and Smash.

Though sales were not the best, it's always a good day when you can meet and greet other Dayton area artists and enjoy fellowship!

I will be posting on Facebook at Julie Jamison Crusenberry when other festivals come up this summer and fall. Please come join us... you'll be glad you did!

My cousin, Mary Ellen, holds a Holiday Open House and Sale at her house every year right before Thanksgiving. It's become a tradition over the past 10 years and her friends and associates visit to get a head-start on their holiday shopping!

I've been lucky enough to be part of this fun event for the past three years and her guests have grown to love my jewels. Man, I just love it when people love and appreciate my jewels!

This year was extra special because the day after our big event, Mary Ellen got out her stash of family jewelry. Her parents, my uncle and aunt, have recently passed away and to her delight, they kept many momentos that Mary Ellen didn't expect to find!

We played around with the items, thinking about all the ways we could incorporate these treasured items into new jewelry for Mary Ellen.

With my beloved Uncle Tom's Navy dog-tag and peacoat button and other special things, we made what Mary Ellen now calls her "Daddy Necklace".

Wow.