All better now!

I have recently become aware of a teeny tiny glitch on my website that was preventing anyone from outside of Illinois to purchase from The Little Brown Bird. I'm very sorry for the inconvenience! Be assured, the problem has now been fixed and once again, all items from The Little Brown Bird can be purchased by anyone on the planet!

I hope you will stop back soon and take a browse through all the new items that I will be posting from my upcoming Spring 2011 collection.

As always, thank you all for supporting me and my hopeless addiction to all things shiny. I'd love to know what items strike your fancy the most, please comment. And I hope you take the time to share links to your favorite items from the site with your friends, or build your own wish list. Spread the love!

Love to all!

XOXO

Mary

Things I Love: Gold Jewelry

We are nearing spring time and, for the new season, I have been adding something very different to my jewelry collection. Gold.


Now, I'm typically one of those people that swear they like nothing but silver jewelry. I can't explain my addiction to gold jewelry lately, except maybe that the winter has been long and I'm yearning for warmth and sunshine.

Gold Paisley Pendant Necklace with Pearl Accent

Many of my new pieces are done with gold filled and gold plated elements, mixed with pearls, glass, or other metals.

Gold Leaf Earrings

A common accent color among these pieces is a soft spa blue. I love the look and adding a bit of something blue gives it a fresh, light aspect. I think many of these pieces would look great on a bride or her bridesmaids for an elegant contemporary wedding.

Gold Leaf Pendant Necklace




Butterfly Verde Filigree and Gold Double Necklace layered with

Vintage Inspired Gold Filigree Bluebird Necklace

Filigree is also another latest obsession of mine. In some pieces, I've combined gold filigree and antique brass to which I've given a verdigris patina.

Gold and Verde Filigree Necklace with Crystal Tear Drop

The color combination is to-die-for! Look how the verdigris patina jumps off the gold chain. Am I the only one drooling right now?

Butterfly Verde Filigree and Gold Double Necklace

Matte Gold Leaf and Green Quartz Nugget Necklace

I've also combined gold with some semiprecious stones. I love the juxtaposition of gold, with it's elegant allure, against the natural semiprecious stone.

Amazonite and Gold Bauble Necklace

All of the gold jewelry you see here is presently available in my shop, LittleBrownBird on Etsy.

Handcrafted Jewelry Show!

It's that time of year, when craft shows are in full force and people start gearing up for the holidays. The latest addition to my show schedule is the Handcrafted Jewelry Show.

This show should be a great one for jewelry addicts in the Chicago area. Twenty five jewelry artisans, including yours truly, will be displaying their finest for the holiday season. It is ALL handmade jewelry, so unfortunately I won't be able to display my other accessories such as scarves and handbags. But if you see anything in my shop, Little Brown Bird, please contact me at my shop on Etsy and I will bring it along to the show just for you! Or shop on line if you can't make it to the show. Delivery is free on most items and I do ship internationally!

Fall Finds From Little Brown Bird

WTF happened to summer??!!! It's already officially fall and the leaves all over my yard are proof of that. I really don't mind the fall, it's one of the most beautiful seasons of the year. I just don't really care for the cold that starts to come with it.

To make myself feel better about the changing weather, I began to knit and crochet.

I made some scarves, perfect to fend off those cold mornings. A short, mini-scarf, tied at the neck and finished off with two large pom poms is my favorite.

And why should cold weather mean dull and drab? I made these scarves using bright colors that look great with a fall or winter coat. They are long and luscious, and fun with varied sizes of pom poms at the ends.

I will be adding more of these scarves and other knitted items into my shop as the season goes on. I will take special orders until November 1st, just contact me at my shop on Etsy.

New "Vintage" from Little Brown Bird on Etsy

Some of my favorite new pieces are vintage inspired. I made these recently, using brass filigree incorporated with images set in resin.









I love how these turned out! Either on a standard 18" chain, or extra long to dangle freely, these are frilly and feminine.

You can find these pieces soon in my shop on Etsy. Come visit Little Brown Bird.

Fresh Designs from Little Brown Bird by Mary Ryan

Can you believe that summer is half over already? It goes way too fast. So much fun to be had outdoors, and I have been squeezing in a little creative time as well. I have been working hard this summer on lots of new designs that will soon be popping up in my shop.

If you haven't been by recently, you've already missed a few new things that have found new homes. Here's a taste of the most recent goodies.

Sage vintage inspired glass and gold earrings

Sage vintage inspired glass and gold necklace

Coffee and cream polka dot floral headband



Pink and coral brocade floral brooch/hair clip
with hand embroidered and beaded floral center





Vintage inspired one of a kind chenille zippered clutch

Rich plum sheer scarf with singed edging, includes two matching

frayed edge clips (one plum, one fawn)

to be worn however you choose

Fawn sheer scarf with singed edging, includes two matching

frayed edge clips (one plum, one fawn)

to be worn however you choose

Please stop by soon and see what else is new! Little Brown Bird on Etsy, still offering free shipping worldwide on most items. See individual listings for details.

A New Clutch Handbag! by Little Brown Bird

Black and Gold Striped Clutch Handbag
Originally uploaded by littlebrownbird

The newest addition to my handmade handbag collection is this black and gold striped clutch. It has a classic, yet contemporary look and a yummy soft top cuff with a convenient wrist loop. Inside is a large inner pocket sewn into the beautiful black satin jacquard lining. Snap closure. 15"w x 7"h (38.1cm x 17.78cm)

This bag will be listed soon on Etsy in my shop, http://littlebrownbird.etsy.com/

I'm Blushing

Yay! Another satisfied customer! I have to say, when I create something that I think is pretty darn good (ahem...) I love to show it off to my friends, family, coworkers. I think they have all seen everything from my Etsy shop before it went on line. And I get feed back from them, if changes should be made, or if they like it the way it is, whatever. I can usually tell by the tone of voice if they really think it's great or if they are just "being nice". But still, what do I expect my mother or coworkers to say. (I can usually count on my sister to be brutally honest!) But I have to say, it is freakin' awesome when I hear great feedback from someone outside the circle of friends.

I just received this picture from wonderful buyer on Etsy who purchased my Twilight Headband. It looks so awesome on her that I asked if I could use her picture. I'm so happy she likes it! YAY!!!

Vote for me!!!

My Blue Silk Flower Hair Pins have been included in the voting section of the Etsy blog! Top sellers are awarded a spot in the Etsy gift guides.

If you have the time, and it only takes a second, won't you please click here to vote for me?

Thanks!!!!

Fair Diddley- part 4

More scenes from Fair Diddley.



The Woodstock Opera House was a perfect backdrop for the fair, and would you look at that sky!!!

There was a really nice sized crowd from the time we set up and they even shopped as we tore down our booths for the day. I would have stayed until sundown if they let us. It was a long busy day, but I was having too much fun.

Every type of fine art and craft was represented. That's what I have always loved about this fair. The selection is so diverse. It was well juried and organized. After 41 years, I guess they have it down to a science. And with all this, they still manage to keep it free to attend.

If I were to be guaranteed weather and a crowd like this, I would do an art fair every week!

Fair Diddley 2009- part 3

Scenes from Fair Diddley 2009





A perfect day! Mid 60's in the morning with no breeze, not a cloud in the sky!

Lucy, an English Mastiff enjoyed a rest while her mommy shopped in our booth. What a whole lot of really awesome dog! There were soooo many dogs at the fair, and everyone of them well behaved and welcome in my booth. The kisses I got from a little cocoa brown nosed terrier were priceless!

The fair encompassed the whole Square, the park, and the side streets. These pictures were taken later in the day and the place was still packed. Around noon, the side streets were shoulder to shoulder. Oh, and did I mention the BLUE SKY?!

The park in the square was just gorgeous with all the trees and lush green grass thanks to all the rain recently.

Fair Diddley 2009- part 2

Well, all the prep work was well worth the effort.
This is the first time I feel like I was totally organized for a show.
I had everything priced and set up ahead of time in my living room, all ready for an impromptu home show before the fair.




The night before the show, everything was carefully packed into the car, pieced together like an intricate puzzle.
I can't believe what fit into my little Eclipse! Neither could the policeman at the fair when I packed it all back into my car at the end of the day! Hey buddy, I ain't no amature. You should see what I can fit into a suitcase!

Our fair space was so jammed between two others. The green picket fence is part of the display for the booth next to ours. But the fence provided an interesting back drop and the color matched our table runners so we left our tent sidewalls off. And thanks to Larry and Marianne who owned that booth and helped us get our tent up that morning. They no doubt saved Marcella and I from a long drawn out Lucy and Ethel moment!

These were the table set-ups in the early morning. We rearranged a few things after the pictures were taken. We moved "Headless Jane", the mannequin, to the outer edge of the front table and switched the flower hair combs to the back table. It evened out the tables and gave each a little more interesting first impression. I would have liked to have a "Little Brown Bird" sign hanging in the tent, but I didn't have enough time with what I had to deal with last week.

The fair went as well as could be expected with this crappy economy. I am glad, though, that I was able to accept credit cards at this show. It helped tremendously with sales. Thanks to all my Jewelry on Etsy Teammates for their help and suggestions! I did my best in my little part of the world and pimped Etsy and the JET team! Hope it leads to some more traffic.

As I thanked them for their purchases, I reminded people that their support of independent artists means they are directly helping the small businesses that are so greatly effected by this economy. So many commented back that they hadn't thought of it that way and instead of heading out of the fair, they actually turned back to go purchase some things they had seen earlier at other booths! It felt really good to know that some of the other artists were able to benefit from a simple, humble statement.

Fair Diddley 2009

Hi! It's me again. I am really excited to announce that I will have a booth at this year's Fair Diddley in Woodstock, Illinois on May 17. Fair Diddley is the largest arts and crafts fair in the area and has been the highlight of the spring fair season for over 30 years.

Attendance grows every year, this year's expected attendance is over 20,000 people! I have been going to Fair Diddley as a shopper since I was a kid, so this is extra special for me this year. I will finally see the fair from the artist's side of the table.

For a preview of many of the items that will be shown at the fair, please visit my original shop on Etsy at Little Brown Bird, or visit my new web site at The Little Brown Bird.

I've been so busy, working hard on making new items especially for the fair...


I have begun making a few handbags. They will make their debut at the fair. This one, above, is a gorgeous pink and gold brocade fabric.

My fun glass pendants, like this one, will also make an appearance.

I have a few new rings to share as well! This one is Cherry Fire Quartz and Sterling Silver.

I have lots of hair pins and combs featuring my beautiful fabric flowers.

My exclusive line of original fine silver offerings will hopefully wow the crowd! This one, above, is called Tropic Wonder, and has the most beautiful colors in the patina. This is a definite must-see! You can get a preview of more fine silver items at my new shop on Etsy, Urban Metal.

I have lots of fun contemporary pieces that are perfect for every day...

...as well as a few with a decided vintage flair.

And I will have some new, funky and fun headbands that I've prepared after receiving some special requests featuring my fabric flowers.

I hope you will be able to join me on May 17th at Fair Diddley. The fair is located on Woodstock's famous square, where the movie Ground Hog's Day with Bill Murray was filmed. My booth is to be located near the corner of Cass Street and Main Street. Can't wait to see you there!!!