Just realized it's already may 2nd but I hadn't heard anything about a swap for us May babies! Anyone thinking about it, interested, wanting to organize, etc.?

Basically, is there any interest?

This was actually inspired by a custom request. I liked the color combination so much I made another.

Non-tarnish silver plated wire makes the outer circle and then non-tarnish copper wire is used as the roots, trunk and branches. An opalite moon (opalite is a manmade rainbow moonstone simulant) nestles in the bare branches while a scattering of garnet and pink tourmaline rondelles are found within the tree.



Approximately 1.5" in diameter or around 37mm or so.

As always, thoughts and feedback welcome!

I'm always trying to keep my pieces fresh and new. And so I made this one recently as an experiment to try out a little something different.

Set in gunmetal wire, I have a black lip shell crescent moon with a scattering of hematite stars against the bare branches of the tree.

Measures approximately 1.5" in diameter or about 36mm. As always, thoughts welcome!

Of course, I'm most known for my tree of life pendants and given that I make so many of them, it's not uncommon I get custom requests. Different wire color, different gemstones, different patterns, etc. It's always fun to see what people come up with and request and it's always enjoyable to make unique, one-of-a-kind pieces too. (Something different for me as well!)

Here's a few of my more recent custom works I made for people.

For this one, my customer requested the Opalite Moonstone Full Moon style to be in silver outer circle
with copper wire branch and also a small scattering of a mix of pink tourmaline and garnet rondelles within the branches.
I really love the color combo of the copper and the pinks and burgundy colors of the gems!



10mm Natural Rainbow Moonstone set in 14k gold fill wire.
I normally offer this in silver but the customer wanted gold.
She also requested I use a moonstone with more “green” flash to off set the gold wire so I hand selected just the right gem.



This request had many specific details with personal symbolism.
A mix of non-tarnish silver and copper wires blended together, with a natural 6mm moonstone “moon”,
plus a natural peridot rondelle on the left near the trunk and a single natural tanzinite on the right up in the branches.
I enjoyed the challenge of incorporating all the different elements together in the right order and positioning for this one!



This piece is a custom birthstone piece in 14k gold fill wire and featuring Chrome Diopside for May (Emerald),
Imperial Yellow Topaz for November and Freshwater Pearl for June. I love how rich and luxe this one looks! So rich and expensive in style.



On this one, the customer had specific request of colors to represent birthstones and family members.
Garnet for January; Dark Green Aventurine for May’s traditional Emerald; Peridot for August; Citrine for November and Amethyst for February.
I think these colors all look so lovely together too!

Larger pics (and more examples) on my blog here: http://www.treeoflifependants.com/custom-orders/

As always, thoughts welcome!

I'm trying to make a project and I need a photo. Something like the lady in this: http://img1.etsystatic.com/000/0/5500039/il_fullxfull.293913845.jpg would be perfect. I'm googling things like "vintage photos" and "old time photos" and "vintage photos girl" and all sorts of things but I can't find any images like this to print.

Doesn't have to be a huge file but I am making an altoid shrine and I need a base image of a lady like this. It's not my normal thing so I'm hoping someone will have some links and/or keywords to help.

Thanks in advance!

Ok, so here's the thing. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the scent of pineapple. But I equally LOATHE the scent of coconut. Finding something that smells ONLY like pineapple and isn't tainted with coconut is nearly impossible. I've been enjoying and loving the "Pineapple Slices" scent body mist that Coconut Hut sells.

Problem is, at $18/bottle now plus like $6 in shipping, paying $24 for one bottle of the stuff is getting to be outside my comfort zone of pricing. So I thought maybe it would be cheaper just to make some for myself. (And ONLY for myself. I'm not looking at selling it, just trying to get my "signature scent" a little cheaper.) Which is where you guys come in.

I googled "how to make body spray" and I'm seeing a wide variety of formulations. A lot of them include things like distilled water. But when I look at the ingredients of my bottle, it doesn't list water. Here's what it says:

SD40B Alcohol, Isopropyl Myristate, Isopropyl Alcohol and Fragrance/Essential Oil

And in the product description it says, "Made with over 55% pure fragrance oil and perfumer's alcohol..."

I really don't know what to make of all this and of course, I'd like to replicate it as closely as possible but googling these ingredients is not clear-cut. For example, I can't seem to find "SD40B Alcohol" except for a few spam sites and a few OLD message board topics of people asking about where to buy it and defunct links. Hrm. So this isn't starting off so well.

I found this pineapple scent which is what got me started thinking maybe I could make some but now...ugh, I feel like I'm entering Wonderland or something. I have no idea what to think about it and I just want a high-quality, super pineapple scented body spray. Is that so much to ask??

Any help, advice, direction, etc. is greatly appreciated!

Of course I'm known for my tree of life pendants, so that's nothing new. But this one is soooo pretty because it's extra luxe.

I used 14kgf wire and precious sapphire rondelles in a mix of colors. Most people think of "blue" when they think sapphire, but it really comes in every color under the rainbow. So this one has dark blue, cornflower blue, pink, red (technically "red sapphire" is known as "ruby!"), yellow and even a near-colorless white.







Sapphires are one of only four precious gemstones in the world (along with ruby, emerald and diamond) making them rare, expensive and cherished. The sapphire was called the "Stone of Destiny". Sapphires are said to contribute to mental clarity and perception and can promote financial rewards. It is the birthstone of September.

I love when I get to work with such high-quality materials! As always, thoughts welcome!

The Handmade Craft Holiday Market is THIS Friday and Saturday at Tampa Upcycle in Ybor!!



PhoenixFire Designs will be there as a vendor along with a bunch of other awesome handmade crafters and artists! Please share and tell your friends!! Hope to see you there!

Friday, December 7th 7pm-10pm
Saturday, December 8th 11am-3pm

Tampa Upcycle
@ The Roosevelt 2.0
1812 N. 15th St.
Tampa, FL 33605

http://www.tampaupcycle.com/events/
https://www.facebook.com/events/540428599317532/

The Handmade Craft Holiday Market is THIS Friday and Saturday at Tampa Upcycle in Ybor!!



PhoenixFire Designs will be there as a vendor along with a bunch of other awesome handmade crafters and artists! Please share and tell your friends!! Hope to see you there!

Friday, December 7th 7pm-10pm
Saturday, December 8th 11am-3pm

Tampa Upcycle
@ The Roosevelt 2.0
1812 N. 15th St.
Tampa, FL 33605

http://www.tampaupcycle.com/events/
https://www.facebook.com/events/540428599317532/

I made this for the Mini 13 Days of Halloween swap. I loved how it came out and I've been anxiously waiting for my partner to open it so I could show it off. She has, so I am!

First off, for those who don't know, this is from the movie, Beetlejuice. Here's a screenshot of what the one in the film looks like:


I made it by using one of those ready-to-finish cardboard book forms you can get at any craft store:


I painted it inside and out in a mix of dark red, purple and two shades of brown:


And I did a faux page texture on the edges:


The image itself I found through a Google search and printed it on my color laser printer and Mod Podged it on:


And Voila!



There are more step-by-step directions on my blog as well as larger photos: http://www.phoenixfiredesigns.com/blog/2012/10/handbook-for-the-recently-deceased/

I LOVE LOVE LOVE how it came out. It was my absolute favorite thing to make for this swap. My partner loves it which is awesome too.