Summer crafts turned into a jewelry making obsession!

Arizona summers are HOT.  Being from the Pacific Northwest, we are used to milking every bit of a sunny day, from sun up to sun down.  But here in the desert, every day is sunny and when the temperatures reach the triple digits, we avoid the hot sun at all costs.  That means lots of time indoors.

We were looking for a fun craft to keep busy on hot summer days during summer vacation.  I have two girls who absolutely love dress up and go all out with makeup, costumes and accessories (I go a little bonkers with the costumery as well).  

My eldest daughter, now 11, is into anything steampunk (especially dress up), so she decided to try her hand at making steampunk-inspired charm necklaces after a visit to the craft store.  I put the word out on Facebook and her first seven pieces were sold within a few hours.  She was very excited and proud of herself and couldn't wait to make and sell some more.

In the past I'd made a few jewelry pieces for Deeds & Petunia, but never delved that deeply into jewelry making.  But in watching her work and helping her along, I discovered I too LOVED the creative process of jewelry designing.  Pretty soon my 9 year old was hooked as well, and before we knew it we had amassed a collection of jewelry that's designed around our love for imaginative play and favorite dress up - woodland/faerie, steampunk, or fable worthy.

We decided to try starting an Etsy shop called Odd Hazel.  The girls would keep making designs as it suited them and I would design alongside, run the shop and sell whatever we dreamed up.

I get to create alongside my daughters which never feels like work.  :)  Looking forward to see how Odd Hazel grows.

Jess & Brandon's Wedding

I got the chance to work with a wonderful bride named Jess who found me through Etsy.  She was on the hunt for custom pieces to outfit the entire wedding party.  She brought me a beautiful palette along with some very creative and challenging ideas that were so much fun to work with.  Jess was working with a nature theme that had a "steampunk-lite" element.  I used vintage cogs and watch parts, copper wire elements, feathers and twigs.

The wedding looks GORGEOUS!  The bride looks so glamorous.  I love the pomander bouquets, the birds nest cake and those centerpieces!!!  This wedding is one that needs to be in every wedding blog for inspiration!  Definitely should be an Etsy featured wedding!  ;)  I'm so thrilled that I got to play a small part in helping it come together so beautifully.

Here are some photos from the wedding.  Thanks Jess for sharing - you were a joy to work with and look so beautiful in the veil!  Also a big thank you to Herman Au Photography for graciously allowing me to share your beautiful work!

I love my job!  It's so exciting to see these brides looking so amazing and I feel all warm and fuzzy inside knowing I get to help just a little in making them feel happy on their special day.