Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Treasury Tuesday: 2014 is the Year of the Horse

Year of the Horse featuring ArtNMetal

Curated by RNEST members:
Black White Pink! curated by MyBabyParty
Shining Silver curated by JustEggsquisite

Featuring RNEST members:
Where We Love is Home featuring BrittanyLeighJewelry
Kaleidoscope of Colors featuring MFcrafts
Trinkets featuring VeryMuchAliveShop
Notebook Paper Novelties featuring ChristineAndCoDesign
Lineup featuring CopperIronAndCarbon
Here Kitty Kitty featuring GoldhawkPotterEtc
Eat Good & Be Well featuring HappyEarthTea
Warm Orange Gifts for Her featuring HeatherBehrendtGlass
Red for Mom featuring JustEggsquisite
Remembering Momma featuring JWPhoto
Romantic Spring featuring Kurpisz
Sunshine and Rainbows featuring MakingTheNestOfIt
Blue Dreams featuring LynnSchaferDesigns

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Treasury Tuesday: Words of the Week = Boston Strong

Delightful Boston featuring NightOfJoyVintage

Treasury curated by RNEST member:
Pretty in Pink curated by JustEggsquisite

Treasuries featuring RNEST members:
Spring Brides featuring JustEggsquisite
Into the Woods featuring MyBonnyMonAbri
Rainbow Spring featuring PapersaurusCreative
Electroshock Therapy featuring PoetCharms
Beer Steins featuring SchumArt
Spring Swing featuring SugarAndType
Time has a Way featuring SunshineOnWater
October Birthday Xanadu featuring SunshineOnSilver
Pay it Forward: Fierce Addition featuring SunshyneSilverwear
Monster Dolls! RAWR! featuring TheCraftyWolf
Mint, Coral, Yellow featuring TheKnottyOwlShop
What a Doll featuring TheWhimsicalSweet
Springtime featuring ArtNMetal and JasonTennant

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Treasury Tuesday: Anticipating the Lilac Festival with a little "Purple Passion"

Purple Passion curated by JustEggsquisite

Treasuries featuring RNEST team members:
Snips and Snails featuring MyBabyParty
My Son is 20 Today featuring MyBabyParty
All Things Red featuring CircuitBreakerLabs
Yoga Time featuring Dance2create
Bell in a Shell featuring GoldhawkPotteryEtc
So Yellow featuring HeatherBehrendtGlass
Spring Fling featuring JasonTennant
Play with Colors featuring JonelleMaira
Wisdom featuring JusticeJewelry
Spring Clean! featuring MakingTheNestOfIt
Toy Story featuring MFcrafts
Sunday Finds featuring LynnSchaferDesigns
Easter Baskets featuring PeachesProducts
The Eclectic Abecedarium featuring SchumArt
Traveling in the Dream featuring SugarAndType

Curated by RNEST members:
Easter is Coming curated by MFcrafts, featuring PeachesProducts and TatteredPearls

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Treasury Wednesday: Spring + Easter = Bunnies!

Bunnies featuring JWPhoto

Treasuries featuring RNEST team members:
Photosynthesis featuring LynnSchaferDesigns
Just for the Fun of It featuring TheWhimsicalSweet
Green Triangle featuring TheKnottyOwlShop
Autism featuring SunshyneSilverwear
Vegan Love featuring SewIndieShop
Aqua and Orange featuring PoetCharms
Curves featuring PapersaurusCreative
Why “Wood” you Shop Anywhere Else? featuring NightOfJoyVintage
Copper is Beautiful featuring MyBonnyMonAbri
Spring Pastels featuring LoveLivePray
Easter Basket Ideas featuring MFcrafts
Stuff featuring LisaJaneSmith
Achievement featuring KarenSwimmer

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

April Team Challenge: "Radiant Orchid"

Welcome to RNEST's April Team Challenge! The theme for this month was
"Pantone Color of the Year: Radiant Orchid"



Let's take a look at the contestants...


Orchid Art Charm Bead by FrancescaDeCaire





Astronaut & Alien Trio Peg Dolls by thewhimsicalsweet


Cast your vote for your favorite item on the poll in the upper, right corner of the blog! 
Deadline to vote is by 11:59pm on Monday, April 14th! 

The artist whose item receives the most votes gets their Etsy Mini on the top spot on the blog!

Thursday, April 3, 2014

First Friday Giveaway featuring Michele Kurpisz Designs

*** THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!  WINNER ANNOUNCED IN THE COMMENTS SECTION.  THANKS EVERYONE WHO ENTERED.  ***

Welcome to the April  First Friday Giveaway featuring Michele from Michele Kurpisz Designs.  During the monthly giveaway you'll get a personal view of the shop, get to know the artist, and get a chance to win something awesome!

Meet the Artist:
RNEST: Tell us a little about yourself.  
Michele: My business is called Michele Kurpisz Designs, and I make silver and copper jewelry using traditional metalsmithing fabrication techniques as well as beadwoven jewelry using glass see beads. I live in Gates with my husband and we have dog, Freya. I've been selling my metal jewelry since 2012. To support my artistic pursuits and pay the bills, I work for Genesee Valley BOCES as a Teacher Certification Specialist.

RNEST: What's your favorite part of being an artist?  
Michele: Getting lost in the creative process. Losing track of time when I get really involved with something I'm making.  Seeing people wearing jewelry that I've made, and knowing that I have connected with them through it. And of course, buying supplies!

RNEST:  Tell us about your creations or techniques. 
Michele: Right now I am focusing on making silver and copper jewelry with semi-precious stones and cabochons. Since I was a weaver and handspinner for over a decade prior to working in metal, I am drawn to using textile techniques in my jewelry. It's a direction I definitely want to pursue more in depth. Arlene Fisch, Mary Lee Hu, and Kent Raible are artists whose craftsmanship and artistry are an inspiration to me. I am also a beadweaver. I'll never stop making beadwoven jewelry until I can't see the beads, and then I will get some mega-magnification and bead some more! It's my first love as far as making jewelry. Beadwork doesn't sell very well, unfortunately, but I still get excited about beads  every time I select a color palette for a project and see the piece finished. And, in my spare time I make adorable bottle cap magnets, pins, and more which I also sell at select shows and stores.

RNEST: You've been at this for a while.  Any advice for someone just starting out?  
Michele: Make as much as you can, don't worry if it's good. Read books about creativity. Practice your drawing skills. Be prepared to work you ass off. Charge more than you think you should. Keep good financial records from the start.Use a calendar to schedule all the creative things you want to get done.

RNEST: Any coupons or promotions at your Etsy shop? 
Michele: Not at this time, but check my Facebook page and shop announcements for information on future promotions.

RNEST: How about shows coming up? Where can we find you locally?  
Michele: I sell some of my jewelry and bottle cap magnets at the Fairport Pharmacy and also at With My Two Hands in Rochester. I will be at the Brainery Bazaar on May 10. I was accepted to Corn Hill but I haven't decided if I will do that show. I expect to be at the Clothesline Festival in September.

RNEST: So, tell us about your giveaway item.  
Michele: My giveaway item is a $25 gift certificate towards a purchase on anything in my Etsy shop.This can be used towards shipping costs as well. It will be valid until the end of 2014.


To enter (Open Worldwide!):
MANDATORY ENTRIES:
1. Follow this blog.

2. Stop by Michele Kurpisz Designs and give it a heart.
If you are already hearted Michele, just say so in the comments.

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES:

2. Pick a favorite piece on Michele Kurpisz Designs and:
Like it using the Facebook button on the listing (one entry)
Tweet it using the Twitter button on the listing. (another entry)
Pin it using the Pinterest button on the listing. (yet another entry)
[List each one in the comments below separately for more chances to win]

3. Share or tweet this contest on Facebook or Twitter (do both for two entries!).

4. Like the RNEST Facebook Page.

Please post each of your entries separately in the comments below stating what you did.  The winner will be selected using a random number generator so anyone can win!  Good Luck!

Contest will run until April 9, 2014


Winner will be announced in the blog comments and on the RNEST Facebook page, so stay tuned!

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Treasury Tuesday: No fools here, but we're glad it is April.

County Fair curated by Dogdohr

Created by RNEST members:
Spring in Bloom curated by BetsyOnClover
Fabulous Flowers curated by MFcrafts

Treasuries featuring RNEST members:
Amazing featuring MyBabyParty
WOW, Wood Candle Holder featuring bMegDesigns
Beauty With Language featuring BrittanyLeighJewelry
Green featuring CircuitBreakerLabs
Goofy Geekery featuring CopperIronAndCarbon
A Trip to the Moon featuring FlyRabbitPress
I Like Big Books and I Cannot Lie featuring FoldingTheLibrary
Penguin featuring FrancescaDeCaire
Imagine There Was No---John Lennon featuring GoldhawkPotteryEtc
Favorable Tea Bag Compendium featuring HappyEarthTea
That Pretty Color featuring JackBear
TGIS! Thank God It’s Spring! featuring JonelleMaira
Karate featuring KiraArts
Baby Love featuring LilyStitches
A Lovely, Lovely, Handmade Spring featuring MakingTheNestOfIt
Table Games featuring MamaYalasShop
Red and Black featuring LoveLivePray
Today’s Pick Me Up featuring LynnSchaferDesigns