FRIDAY FEATURE - Jennifer Squires Productions

Give us a summary of your shop, and how you got started?
I've been photographing professionally since 1996 and I opened my Etsy shop in February 2008. My work covers a broad range of categories, from shopping carts to gerbera daisies, but I always find that I focus on the details of life.

How did you select your name?
I use my name for my shop name and business name, so I guess it comes from good ole Mom and Dad.

What makes your shop unique?
My photographs are fresh, contemporary, and very professional, complimenting a wide range of decor styles.

Do you sell anywhere outside of etsy? If so, where?
The prints exhibited on Etsy are only available through my Etsy shop, however I can be commissioned for private pieces through my website: www.jennifersquires.ca

How long have you been making your craft?
I've been taking pictures my whole life, but I began to study photography in high school and continued through college.

Is it your full-time job?
I am very happy to say that photography is my full-time job, and has been since 2001.



How do you balance work, and/or your shop, and home?
I restrict blocks of time throughout my days and weeks that are specifically for work and specifically for play.

What is your favorite material?
My favourite materials are found objects and paper.

What inspires you?
I am constantly inspired by the world around me and I use photography to search for simplicity and meaning in the beauty of the everyday.

Click HERE to visit Jennifer Squires Shop.

On vacation......

All last week I took a little vacation, while we had a friend in town visiting from Rome, Italy so that I could take her around Washington D.C and Northern VA. She left yesterday morning for Chicago, and will be traveling across the US for the rest of the month, so it's back to normal around here and I thought I would share some of our adventures

The National Monument, view from the the Lincoln Memorial.

The Luray Singing Tower contains a carillon of 47 bells, and was erected in 1937.

The Luray Carverns.

The Caverns were first discovered in 1878.

Skin Care A-Z Continued

Here are tips p & q from "Your Everything Guide to Skin. All you need to know from A-Z." These tips come to you from an article in Elle Magazine. I have company in town this week from Italy so this is just a quick post, but make sure you check back for more tips soon!!

p. - PH BALANCE: Harsh cleansers and sugary snacks are just a few of the factors that can upset the skin's normal ph (4.0-5.5), causing flaking. To hit the reset button, forgo intense acid peels chomp green veggies, and rehydrate with lotion.

q. - QUICK FIX: Make up artists know how to wake up lackluster skin in minutes without a drop of foundation. Apply a moisturizing mask (or just a rich cream) with a gentle, three minute facial massage. The process relaxes the muscles, accelerates microcirculation, and plumps lines to create smoother surface and a temporary - but convincing - glow.

There are only a few more tips left in the series and you don't want to miss them, so make sure you check back for the rest of Elle's Skin Care Guide.

Friday Feature - V Silcox Designs

Give us a summary of your shop, and how you got started?
answer: Back in 2001, and right after September 11th, I made a life changing decision. On that day, I was sitting in a high rise building in downtown Los Angeles when the news came. Of course we evacuated, and on the long drive home I had pleanty of time to think, specifically about how valuable my family was to me, how sad I was for those who were lost, and what choices I had made for my life.

I gave up my 20 plus year career in construction, to persue my passion for art. All my life I had toyed with pen and ink...and I suppose charcoal as well, but I had always envisioned painting glass, wine glasses specifically, so I figured....why not go with the fantasy. And here I am.


How did you select your name?
Answer: I wanted my pieces identified with a person, not a company name. Hence, V Silcox Designs.

What makes your shop unique?
I'm not sure that I'm all that unique, although I have found my own style of painting, which so far seems to be mine alone.

Do you sell anywhere outside of etsy? If so, where?
I usually average about 35 to 40 art and high craft shows per year, so I'm on the road constantly...from here in Southern California...to the San Francisco Bay Area...to Arizona.

How long have you been making your craft?
Answer: I started toying with glass painting in 2001 and practiced for well over a year, trying to perfect a clear transparent painting method, which would resemble stained glass. I didn't show until 2003, and it's been non stop ever since.

Is it your full-time job?
Answer: Absolutely! I average no less than 9 hours per day painting.

How do you balance work, and/or your shop, and home?
Answer: Well, the studio is in my home, so it's convenient. I have a fabulous husband, who handles a lot of the running around. The hardest thing for me is to stay off the Etsy site, in order to get things accomplished!

What is your favorite material?
Answer: Well, of course glass and enamels. But after that, I love fabric painting, charcoal, pen and ink, and over the past year, have started to dabble in graphic design.

What inspires you?
Answer: Light refraction....sounds weird...but it's the absolute truth.

Click HERE to visit V Silcox Designs

SKIN CARE A-Z CONTINUED

Here's is " Your Everything Guide To Skin. All you need to know from A-Z." Continued. This is a series of post I started last week from article I read in Elle Magazine, so if you miss tips A-L make sure you go back and check them out! Here are tips M-O, enjoy!

m. - MINERAL: Big news in makeup, mineral formulas consist of natural substances like zinc oxide, ultamarine, and titanium dioxide. Sine the particles don't penetrate skin they offer cover with low risk of irritation.

n. - NIACIN: A derivative of vitamin B3, niacin helps the digestive system convert food to energy and assists nerve function. But skin care gurus love it because niacin breaks down into nicotinic acid, which stimulates the release of leptin, a hormone that's been shown to reduce hyperpigmentation. Applied twice a day, a niacin-enriched product could fade brown spots and other discoloration over time, and since it's gentle niacin is well suited for delicate faces.

o. - OIL: When it comes to creating the perfect skin cream, water and oil truly do mix. It's the ratio of these two ingredients that makes some textures feel thick and other slip on the light and airy. But not all oils are created equal. Occlusive versions such as mineral oil lay on the skin to create a protective barrier, while lighter formulas like jojoba seep into skin's cracks and crevices

Make sure you check back for more skin care tips, everything you need know from a-z coming soon!

FRIDAY FEATURE - Expressions By Devin

Give us a summary of your shop, and how you got started?
My shop is comprised mainly of hand made greeting cards and some other gifts that come to mind while working in my studio. It got started a couple of years ago when I began making cards for family and friends and then just expanded when someone asked me if they were for sale.


How did you select your name?
Expressions By Devin is the name of my business. It just started as something that sounded good and not too cheesy.

What makes your shop unique?
I like to think my shop is unique because I hand stamp, color, and design all of my cards. I refuse to use stickers. My cards you definitely can't find at the store.

Do you sell anywhere outside of etsy? If so, where?
I sell my cards in my aunt and uncle bakery ,plus i have a website www.expressionsbydevin.com. I also try to set up at any fall craft fairs I can find in my area.

How long have you been making your craft?
For 3 years

Is it your full-time job?
I certainly wish that it could be. I own my own cleaning business.

How do you balance work, and/or your shop, and home?
After work, I spend much of my time working on items for the shop. My husband is my business adviser and does a lot of work with me. My dog Lovie likes to hang out in the studio with me also.

What is your favorite material?
Do clear stamps count? I absolutely love using clear stamps. My current favorites are the vintage stamps I found on vacation.

What inspires you?
I find inspiration from lots of places. I love classic art. When I get stumped for new ideas I put on the radio and let the music give me direction.
Click HERE to Visit Expressions By Devin

Tuesday Tips - SKIN CARE

Here is a special addition of Tuesday Tips, this the 3rd post out of a series of post on skin care I started last Thursday from an article I read in ELLE Magazine "Your Everything Guide To Skin. All you need to know from A-Z." Tips J-L, Enjoy!

j. - JUICE: Greapefruit, oranges, lemons, and limes, make more than thirst-slacking vitamin packed beverages. Fruit acids, part of the alpha-hydroxy family have also been proven to be brilliant exfloiants (citric and malic acid are two popular varieties.) Unlike scrubs, which pyshically slough off the dead tissue, fruit acids break apart the bonds holding together old cells in surface-dulling clumps. This action also encourages the formation of new cells, which not only makes the complexion radiant and fresh but also evens tone and minimzes hyperpigmentation.

k. - vitamin K: Found in dark leafy greens such as spinach and kale, vitamin k helps build strong bones. Applied topically, it repairs broken blood vessels, zapping dark circles and accelerating bruise healing.

l. - LINE FILLERS: From Restylane to CosmoDerm to Zyderm, fillers (made respectively, of hyaluronic acid, lab produced human collagen and bovine collage) are injectedunder the skin to erase lines and restore fullness. Needle-phobes should opt for creams and cosmetic that mimic the look with optical light diffusers.

Make sure you check make for more skin care tips coming soon!