Etsy Shop Feature: Crafting Call - Bookish accessories and more! (Review & Giveaway)

Hi guys! Today I have the utmost pleasure of introducing you to one fabulously crafty family that makes beautiful bookish crafts! Please welcome CRAFTING CALL and say hello to Ainee and Migs! This family-run Etsy store makes the world a prettier place one gorgeous bookish craft at a time. They make book necklaces, bag charms, bracelets, bookmarks and more! Check out my review and make sure to enter A FANTASTIC giveaway Crafting Call has prepared exclusively for readers of Bookish Lifestyle!

All The Bright Places Book Necklace ($20)

Product detail:

* Handmade item
* Materials: Chain, Book Locket
* Made to order
* Ships worldwide from Philippines

* Can be made into a necklace, bracelet, keychain and bookmark!

* Necklace chain length can be customized, standard is 21 inch

When I first came across CRAFTING CALL, I felt like a kid in a candy store. No joke. I was browsing through my Instagram feed and someone posted a picture of a book necklace (or was it a bookmark? I don't recall anymore!). I immediately clicked over to their Instagram account, from where I went straight to their Etsy store and some serious money spending happened. OK, I am being a bit dramatic, I only had enough money to buy one thing, but when I saw this (gorgeous! beautiful! magical!) ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES necklace, I could not stop myself. And thank God, because it is FAB-U-LOUS!

This is a necklace with a picture locket that looks just like a mini cute version of the book itself. It's tiny and so purrrrty! I just love it! Lots of care went into making it, the details are incredible and the overall look is really quite impressive. I love that I can put two tiny photos inside and I am planning to put my hubby and my daughter's pictures in there as soon as I can have them printed in tiny versions that will fit the tiny locket.

This necklace is gorgeous and the great news is, Crafting Call can make the same book locket design to be a keychain, a bracelet and a bookmark, too! Heck, if you want a different book, they have many others in their store! And if you can't find the one you really want? They'll custom make it just for you! How amazing is that?! I'm thrilled to have discovered this store and I know I will be buying more from them in the future - and the fact that this is a family run business only makes me love them more! :) (They are seriously sweet people, so don't hesitate to hit them up on Instagram or Twitter and send some love their way!). 

About Crafting Call

The Adventures of a Crafty Mother (and Son)

I have always been, no pun intended, a crafty person, but then life happened. Got married, had a job, had kids, quit the job, started a business, decided to fold up the original business, started another one, and then another, youngest kid now in college, virtually empty nester-- not necessarily in that order. Okay, except for the last part. Anyway, what started as a hobby, or more accurately a de-stresser, became a full blown, wait for it, (surprise! surprise!) business. I had to recruit the second of my three sons, (yes, the middle child, I know right?), who has his own business, to take over production while I was in charge of conceptualizing, marketing, bookkeeping, the nitty gritty stuff okay? We experimented with different materials and processes until (Eureka!) we found what suited our requirements best, durability and overall product aesthetic. Before we knew it, we were setting up shop on Etsy. And setting up another shop and maybe another. We'll see. By this time, guess you know what happens next.

    

More from Crafting Call:

Giveaway:

Thanks to the wonderful folks at Crafting Call, I get to share with you this fabulous giveaway today! 

One winner (Internationals are welcome) will win:

- custom made book bracelet

- custom made book bag charm

- custom made book necklace 

The winner can either pick from the existing ones, or decide to pick their own favorite books to be made into gorgeous custom made accessories! YAY! 

Enter via Rafflecoter below:

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Jewelry/Fashion Review: oBo Creations (Etsy Store, Enamel Jewelry)

Hi guys! Today I have the utmost pleasure of sharing with you my review of OBO Creations enamel necklace. OBO Creations is an Etsy store located in Geneva, Switzerland and their jewelry pieces are not only breathtakingly gorgeous and colorful, but most importantly hand-made and created with incredible attention to detail! I was beyond blown away by the necklace I received for this review and couldn't wait to post about it!

Royal Blue Orchid Enamel Necklace ($72.25)

Product detail:
- material: matte gold metal with 16k high quality gold plating.
- hand-painted with unique patterns
- tarnish resistant
- chain length: 42 cm (16.2 inch)
- flower size: less than 1 cm
- matching bracelet and/or earrings available per request
- comes with beautiful gift wrapo

This hand-painted gold plated necklace is truly a piece of art. Olga, the founder and owner of oBo Creations, is definitely incredibly talented and her attention to detail is mind-blowing. The necklace is very unique, one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry that will make you stand out everywhere you go. The flowers are gorgeous! With light green and royal blue petals that are sculptured to catch and reflect the light creating a gradient of color, they are beyond beautiful and mesmerizing. The texture of each petal is unique, no two petals are the same.

The chain has a deep gold color that works really nice with the flowers. The length is adjustable and it comes with a lobster clasp that seems pretty sturdy. I like the texture of the chain - it's not completely smooth, there are small ridges throughout that match the overall design really well.

This necklace is part of Olga's nature inspired collection - in her Etsy store you will be able to find many more stunning and eye-popping pieces in a variety of shapes and colors. They're all eye-candies, incredibly colorful, vivid and fashionable. I highly recommend checking out her creations - you won't be able to resist them!

About oBo Creations

oBo Creations is a small creative enterprise run by Olya B. - a self-taught designer making vibrant art jewelry. oBo's signature style is bright colors, delicate designs and things that are unique and not mass market. oBo creates for those who look for being special, like to discover and be different.

Every piece of jewelry is handpainted in oBo's workshop in Geneva, Switzerland. Olya uses special technique that looks somewhat similar to glass or enamel yet in fact is quite differrent. It is based on using particular paint that creates deep color and and effect of volume in each piece of jewelry. This 3-dimensional depth is further increased by a thick doming layer of glaze applied on top ot the paint.

All jewelry is gold or silver plated, earrings use hypoallergenic posts or hooks.

They ship worldwide and welcome wholesale.

    

More from oBo Creations:

Etsy Review + Promotion: Sweet Signs of Life - Hand painted wood signs for gifts and home decor

In my feverish search for fun wedding items, I came across the saying "He stole her heart, so she stole his last name" saying. Some people may find it annoying and a bit trite, but I find is cheesy and love it. So to Etsy I went. There are many many variations of this sign and in many forms, but it was Leah's shop Sweet Signs of Life that I gravitated to.

Leah's signs are hand painted, solid wood, and completely customizable. Each wood plank is hand-selected which allow for “natural imperfections.” To add even more character to these signs, they are also distressed by hand, giving it a more aged apperance.

When ordering from Leah she had two versions of this sign and I liked aspects from both. I asked her if we were able to take some aspects from sign one and other aspects from sign two to create, essentially, a brand new design. She was more than willing to make the sign I wanted and worked with me to ensure we were both satisfied with the final product.

And we were! I absolutely love this sign and placed it on our gift / guestbook table at our wedding. I love the distressed look of the sign and the fact that because Leah was able to work me and fully customize it made it all the more special.

Left: On the gift table at our wedding // Right: Hung on our wall at home

Leah includes a saw-tooth hook on the back that allows you to hang it on a wall rather than having it propped up. The sign is coated with wax finish that "is applied to pull out the rich vintage coloring, achieve a subtle velvety luster, and provide protection and durability." The wax that Leah uses really makes this sign pop, hold a shine, and have a finished high-end quality. Overall, this sign is absolutely beautiful and pictures do not do it justice.

Now for the bad news. Unfortunately Leah doesn't make this sign anymore but she does have two other wedding signs that are just as lovely. Her biggest sellers are her baby birth announcement sign and the "you are my sunshine" sign. (I LOVE the baby birth announcement signs and while there are no immediate plans to have children I have every intention of buying one of these signs when the time comes.) And last November, Leah was lucky enough to have one of her signs featured in Taste of Home magazine.

Promotion

Leah informed me that she has "really enjoyed having this business, interacting with customers, having a creative outlet as well as working from home (a blessing as a mom!)" and that her dream job has finally become a reality. As a special promotion for Bookish Lifestyle readers, Leah is offering a 10% discount good until August 15. To receive your 10% off you will need to enter the coupon code SUMMER10 upon checkout.

Whether a gift for yourself, a friend or family member, Leah's signs will add the perfect decoration to any room. If you do get a sign, send us here at Bookish Lifestyle a picture - we'd love to see what Leah has created for you!

Etsy Review + Giveaway: Nair & Bjorn - Helping rescue animals one accessory at a time

Hi, my name is Andrea and I'm obsessed with my dog. How could I not be - look at this face!

I could be having the worst day ever, but when I come in the door and this smiling face is the first thing I see, all those problems just melt away. Joe made one of the best decisions he has ever made when he brought this "little" guy as my Christmas present three years ago.

As anyone with a furbaby can attest, I shout my love for this guy from the rooftops. There's a picture on my desk, pictures all over our house, he's my cellphone lock screen, and when we left him at Joe's parents while we were on our honeymoon and they sent us a video of him, I cried.

When Kimberly from Nair & Bjorn approached us about featuring her shop on Bookish Lifestyle I jumped at the chance. Aside from featuring handmade jewelry, some of which has been worn by celebrities and seen on television shows (most recently The Vampire Diaries, Bones, and Veep), Kimberly donates 10% of her proceeds to no-kill shelters. Even Cesar Millan, dog trainer and host of Cesar 911 on the Nat Geo WILD, has worn one of Kimberly's designs!

Kimberly started her business a few years ago, has always loved animals, and is committed in giving back to them through her shop and donations. Her inspiration for her business first came about when she and her husband first met Mowgli and her desire to help was furthered when Nick entered their lives:

Our rescue Mowgli, was a stray we found while walking our dog, Nemo on Valentine's Day 5 years ago. He had no tag on him so we put in ad in the local paper and flyers around our neighborhood. Nobody claimed him, so we kept him. He became the inspiration for my business and is a cancer survivor. He has been in remission for a little over 2 years now.

Our other dog is a rescue named Nick we adopted from one of the rescues I work with named Barks of Love. A few months after our dog Nemo passed away, we offered to foster Nick so he could be pulled from a kill shelter one day before he was scheduled to be euthanized. Barks of Love named him Nick since he was saved in the "nick" of time. We adopted him a few months after fostering him. We have had him almost 3 years now.

As somebody who has to quickly change the channel when those Sara McLachlan commercials come on, I can attest to the need shelters have for funds and love the Kimberly is doing what she can to help, both in donating a portion of her proceeds and adopting rescues.

I myself have received one of Kimberly's own design. She has an wonderful array of what she refers to as "rescuewear," pieces of jewelry stating your love for the four legged loves of your life, among a variety of necklaces and earrings. Eventually I decided on the Custom ID Pet Name Bracelet.

I knew I wanted something to represent the two best dogs in my life: Raphael and Bentley. Bentley you know about as he's my current dog, but Raphael is the first dog I ever had. We got him when I was about two years old and while I have an had many dogs in my life, Raphael was my dog from the start. He cuddled with me in bed, played with me in the backyard, and was the best dog. I was devastated when we had to put him down and vividly remember my father asking me if I wanted to go and I turned him down thinking "Why in the world would I want to go?" To this day, that is one of my biggest regrets in life. Being older I realize I should have been there for him and it breaks my heart that I wasn't when he needed me most. Okay, I'm going to stop now because I'm working on this during my lunch break and I'm already tearing up and about to break down. *deep breath*

I just could not decide whether to have my ID bracelet say Raphael or Bentley (Joe said Bentley, but he's rather partial). I asked Kimberly if she'd be able to do both names with the paw print and she said it'd be no problem. I was thrilled when the bracelet came in the mail and I absolutely love it.

All of Nair & Bjorn's items come in their signature packaging, so if you planned on giving it as a gift, you're all set! The aluminum tag itself is polished and is approximately 3/8" x 2" with the names hand-stamped. I can imagine some people may get eye-twitchy because the letters don't line up, but I love that the placement of the letter give this item the definite feel of homemade / made for you rather than a mass produced one. In my mind, when ordering from small businesses it's the little things that make it unique and special.

The adjustable faux suede cord includes a small buckle in the back that allows you to easily adjust the size. Once tightened the straps are a bit on the long side (though they have to be in order to get the bracelet on and off), but I just wrap it around the cord a few times and it's no big deal. The cord comes in six colors, allowing for even more customization. And if you're a fan of sparkle, you can replace an "O" with a matching Swarovski crystal.

I love that with this one bracelet I am able to keep both my special boys close to me. I had a rough day at work the other day and at one point glanced at my bracelet and couldn't help but smile. Just looking at these two names made the craziness a bit easier to deal with. This bracelet, along with Nair & Bjorn's other products - are perfect gifts for any animal lover in your life or for yourself!

       

Giveaway

Kimberly has very generously decided to give one Bookish Lifestyle reader $100 to her shop on Etsy. This is a giveaway you don't want to pass up. Stock up on gifts for the animal lovers in your life (it's never too early to shop for the holidays!) and get yourself a little something as well. Trust me, if you don't get something for yourself, you're going to be so jealous! Besides, you know you have your eye on something from Nair & Bjorn - don't lie.

Ends July 24, 2015

Cheaters Never Prosper

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Trina's Clay Creations (Review + Special Promotion)

Many of you know that back in November I married the love of my life. During the planning process Etsy became both a huge help and the bane of my existence, or my bank account's existence anyway. One of the many things on Etsy I researched during my planning process was cake toppers. Do you guys have any idea how many cake toppers there are out in the world? So, so many.

My other issue was Joe and I wanted to somehow incorporate our German Shepherd in the wedding. We had pictures with / of him in our guestbook, but we wanted something a bit more. Something that would stand out.

Enter Trina's Clay Creations. Hand crafted cake toppers for all occasions, with a specialization in wedding cake toppers. The minute I clicked on Trina's shopped and scrolled through her many pages of images (all of which are examples of her previous work) I knew I had to buy one for our wedding.

I'll admit I hesitated at the price and thought about it for a few days, but in the end I knew I would be disappointed if I didn't order this. Plus, I justified the purchase has crossing off many "must haves:" a cake topper, our inclusion of Bentley, and a wedding keepsake. Not to mention the added bonus of giving my money to a small business instead of a corporation.

I emailed Trina that January (we were engaged in December and I wasted no time planning!) with a few questions regarding purchase, sending pictures, and her current schedule. (Her Etsy page states that she does book up fast and is currently scheduling order for October shipping.) At the time she was scheduled until May, asked about my deadline - she was thrilled beyond belief that my wedding was in November - and answered all my questions and then some.

Once purchased I sent her pictures of us and Bentley, pictures of my dress (I told you I waited no time planning!), and told her once I had the tux information I would send it to her. She was even accommodating when a week or two later I changed my mind about the base and flower colors.

In the middle of May I received another message from Trina informing me that she was still on track to begin working on my cake topper within the next two weeks and just before she started she emailed me to confirm a few details to ensure the product was exactly what I wanted. I loved that she checked with me instead of just assuming! The next day she sent me a picture of the bride (me!) and I was blown away. Yes, I know I saw her examples but this one was mine! Later that day, she is exceptionally fast and efficient, she sent me a picture of the bride, groom, and dog. Four days later, she sends me this:

I mean, come on. How could I ask for a better cake topper? Simple answer: I couldn't. Not including the time period between me buying this and her starting it, it took only seven days for Trina to make my topper and for it to arrive on my door step.

I was - well, still am - so protective of this topper. I didn't even want to give it to the woman baking our cake so she make sure the top tier was the right size and then put it on the cake. It is above and beyond the best cake topper and we had so many compliments.

One of the things I loved about Trina is she truly customizes your topper. Your flowers, your colors, your dress, your tux. It's actually like mini you and / or your pets on the cake. You want to be represented by animals, you got it. Both of you are big sports fans and want to have jerseys on over your wedding clothes, done. You have three dogs and two cats, no problem. Kids from a previous marriage, throw them on there. Is your wedding on the beach in Hawaii and you want leis around your necks, sure thing. I could go on, but I think you get the point. Trina's addition of those personal touches (bridal bouquets, pets, props, etc) is what makes these toppers so wonderful and uniquely yours.

While her specialty is wedding cake toppers, Trina also has a variety of other polymer clay options: animals, trinket boxes, ornaments, and cake toppers for a variety of options. If don't see exactly what you want, Trina wants you to email her and discuss it with you!

A custom order highlighted on Trina's Etsy page

 

Special Promotion

Please read the following carefully and completely

Trina is nice enough to offer a special treat for all Bookish Lifestyle readers! Whether you are planning a wedding, looking for that perfect gift for a newlywed couple or an anniversary gift for your significant other, you can get 10% off your wedding cake topper from now until July 29! (Please note this offer is only for wedding cake toppers)

However, prior to ordering you MUST contact Trina to ensure she can accommodate your time-frame, since her schedule fills up quickly, and to receive the coupon code to get your 10% off! When you contact Trina, inform her you are a reader of Bookish Lifestyle, the date of your wedding, the state or country it'll be shipped to, and any other questions you may have.

Be sure to let us know if you do choose to get a wedding cake topper, or any topper, from Trina and send us a picture once you have it!

CMYKlays - Polymer Clay Miniature Jewelry (Review + Giveaway)

I have known Jacqui, owner of CMYKlay on Etsy, for years. Ever since I've known her, and long before then, Jacqui has been a lover of art and all things mini. Back in July 2014 Jacqui decided that now that her daughter was a bit older she wanted to begin working again and thus CMYKlay was born! Home to 379 (and counting) polymer clay miniature jewelry - charms, necklaces, bracelets, and more - CMYKlay is the perfect shop to pick up a small trinket for any food lover!

Seriously, how real do these look?! If I didn't know better, I would say that I did in fact take a bite out of that Thin Mint. She has such an incredible variety you are bound to find a favorite amongst her miniatures for yourself or for a friend. And if you don't she does take custom orders.

This crafty and exceptionally talented woman used to run CMYKakes - if you scroll through the photos on the Facebook page you can see the talent shining through (I take partial credit for the monkey rice krispie cake as that was requested by me lol) and though she doesn't make cakes anymore she refused to let her talent go to waste (my words, not hers). Enter her Wedding Cake Replicas. Absolutely stunning! It's one thing to make an ice cream cone or cookie replica, but a wedding cake? Honestly, Jacqui has truly outdone herself with these.

The wedding cakes do take a huge amount of effort on Jacqui's part, not that she doesn't love it, so each cake is a personal order and upon receiving a picture she will quote you a price. As she states her "background in cakes has made [her] a perfectionist and [she pays] very close attention to detail to get your cake as close to the original," which totally shows through in these replicas.

Jacqui was kind enough to send me my own sushi key chain to experience the wonder that is polymer clay miniature jewelry. I loved Jacqui's shipping packaging: a bright teal envelope with hot pink tissue paper and a super cute box!

The sushi key chain itself is perfect. I attached it to my keys immediately and even a week later, there isn't any wear and tear. I've gotten compliments on it as well - my keys just sit on my desk at work so when somebody stops by and sees it they say something. It's small, no bigger than my thumb, but durable and strong. The detail is amazing and there are even bits of rice on the side and bottom that add to the realism.

My only issue with this is that every time I see it I instantly crave sushi!

    

Giveaway

For one lucky winner, Jacqui is offering a Chocolate Drizzle Starbucks Frappe necklace (click here for more information)!

Cheaters Never Prosper
Ends Sunday, July 5, 2015

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