Friday Finds: Labradorite & Sterling Statement Ring by LeChienNoirJewelry

This ring is a beautiful homage to Canada, made by Carla of LeChienNoirJewelry. Labradorite (named after Labrador, Canada where it is mined) has a gorgeous iridescence. Depending on how the light hits it, you will see a shimmer of grey, blue, black, silver and sometimes even orange. This cabochon's beauty is highlighted by the handmade oxidized sterling silver bezel. For more statement pieces please visit her Etsy store LeChienNoirJewelry.

Copyright 2011 Oh Canada Team and LeChienNoirJewelry

Friday Finds: Rustic Wheat Sheaf Necklace

I'm partial to sterling silver jewelry, so when I saw this gorgeous silver necklace I did a double take!  Add to it the imprint of a sheaf of wheat - it got this prairie girl's attention!   This necklace is simply a beautiful piece to add to anyone's collection of fine silver jewelry.  It is part of a collection of silver pieces found at jakecleo.

In their shop you will find sterling silver jewelry with botanical and geometric themes.  Their jewelry is modern, eco-friendly and made with care.

Copyright 2011 Oh Canada Team and jakecleo

Celebrating Canada - A Fashionable Place

Canada isn't always a place that people think of when they hear the word "fashion", but perhaps it should be. From couture to the everyday, to indie and artisanal creations, Canada has gorgeous, unique, classic and groundbreaking fashion all sewn up. Here are a few treasuries curated by OhCanadaTeam members that celebrate that fact.




"Cottage Country, Canadian Style" and "Oh Canada, City Style" by DarkRide, "Canadian Fashion. Yep, We're Cool Like That" and "Canadian Geekery. Yep, We've Got it Too" by Splurge, "We Are C.A.N.A.D.I.A.N." by RecycledandResewn, and "Canada Rocks" by TheSilverBobbin.

Copyright 2011 Oh Canada Team

Friday Finds: Beach Stone Ring

This unusal and unique ring is from LittleBearsMom.  The stone is one of many that Molly has collected during her walks along beaches - this particular one comes from Lake Michigan, and is sandstone.  In her shop you will find a large selection of rings, from her collection of beach stones, to gorgeous dyed paua shell, genuine stone cabochons and glass crystals. Her rings have been sold to customers throughout the world.  As well as rings, there is an offering of beautiful earrings, bracelets and necklaces, made with gem stones,  glass and shells.   

Copyright 2011 Oh Canada Team and LittleBearsMom.

Friday Finds: Ecco Friendly Shawl

This ecco friendly unisex shawl is named Breezy Pomegranate.  The creator is annymay.  In her shop you will find fashion clothing and accessories made from ecco friendly fibers and materials.  She designs and makes all her items, creating clothing that is comfortable and respectful to the body and the environment.  Some of the ecco friendly materials she uses is bamboo and tencel, which is woodpulp made from ecalyptus.  In her shop you can purchase such things as scarves, hats, dresses and jewelry.  

Copyright 2011 Oh Canada Team and annymay.
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Friday Finds: Stardust Hoop Earrings

According to Coco Chanel, the most important rule for perfect accessorizing is to remove one piece of jewelry before you leave the house. In other words, if you’ve finished your outfit with a necklace, bracelet and earrings, you’ve probably overdone it.

Of course, if you’ve only got a small collection of classic, high quality jewelry, you might be able to get away with wearing all of your favorite pieces at once. These stunning hoop earrings by Joanniel are the type of accessory that can add elegance to any outfit - day or night.

To see more gorgeous handmade jewelry from Canada, visit Joanniel Creations, or add the tag OhCanadaTeam to your searches on Etsy.com.

Copyright 2010 Oh Canada and Joanniel Creations

Treasury Challenge: Cupcake Pajamas

It was a tough choice, but our fantastic readers have cast their votes and chosen a winner in the Blue Tile Magnets treasury challenge! Congratulations to Tarapparel and her collection Out of the Blue, and many thanks to our participants and voters!

Our next challenge begins today! The contest is open to anyone, and we invite all Etsy members to participate, even if you’re not an Oh Canada Team member or a shop owner!

The winner will receive the opportunity to select the theme for our next challenge. It could be an idea, a color, or even an item from an Etsy shop, to be featured in our next Treasury Challenge. All you have to do is make a treasury using the current theme.

The Rules

1. Your treasury must incorporate the challenge’s theme, and include at least 8 Oh Canada Team members. Check out our team roster for members, or search for the tag OhCanadaTeam when choosing your featured listings.

2. You must include the words “OCT Challenge” somewhere in your treasury’s title.

3. You must tag your treasury with “ohcanadateam” and “OCT challenge”

4. In your treasury’s description, let viewers know that it is an entry in an Oh Canada Team challenge, invite them to join, and provide a link to our main blog, or this post.

5. Please do not use your own shop(s) in your entry, including alternate shops.

How to Enter

To enter your treasury, add a link to it in the comments section of this post.

Only treasuries that are submitted on the blog before the deadline will be included in the judging round.

The deadline for entering the “Pink Pajamas” challenge is Tuesday, October 19th. Our judges will select 6 finalists, and voting will begin on Thursday, October 21st. Screenshots of all the entries will be uploaded to our Flickr challenge album before the judging round.

Voting for this challenge will close the following Tuesday, and the winner will be announced along with our new challenge theme on Thursday, October 28th.

Everyone is welcome to play - including Etsy shoppers and non-team members. If you’ve never made a treasury on Etsy before, you can get some handy tips in this tutorial: How to Make Etsy Treasuries.

The Theme

Our previous challenge winner, Tarapparel, has chosen a cute pair of cupcake print PJ pants to be the focus of this challenge round. You can create a treasury using any theme that you desire, but you must include this listing in your selections: Cupcake PJ Pants.

Challenge Judges

Not ready to make a treasury yet? We will also be looking for guest judges to help narrow down the finalists. If you would like to participate, let us know in the comments section of this post, along with a link to your shop. The first three volunteers will be contacted by our Treasury Challenge admins with more details about the judging process.

Please feel free to contact our team admins if you have any questions.

Good luck!

Copyright 2010 Oh Canada and Tarapparel

Friday Finds: Emerald Paua Shell Ring

Sometimes all a classy fall ensemble needs is a bold piece of jewelry. Cameo brooches and pendants are always a hit. Peacock eye earrings and opera length necklaces are also great as stand alone accessories.

This deep green ring by Little Bear's Mom is the kind of statement piece that can push any outfit into the "Wow!" category. And the great thing about rings is that you can wear them anywhere, with anything, no matter what your age or style.

This ring features an oval paua shell cabochon, dyed a vibrant emerald green, set into a silver plated adjustable ring. The shell is highly shimmery and reflective with a variety of shades of green.

To see more gorgeous handmade jewelry designs, visit Little Bear's Mom on Etsy. You can also add the tag OhCanadaTeam to your Etsy searches to see what our members are designing for fall!

Copyright 2010 Oh Canada and Little Bear's Mom

Friday Finds: Fall Fiesta

Welcome, October! We’ve been waiting a long time for you to arrive - about 11 months or so. Now that you’re here, we’re going to celebrate with tasty treats and colorful decorations. In fact, we’re so happy to see you, October, that we’re going to decorate ourselves, too!

Head and Shoulders

Bamboo Shawl in Brown Shades
by Anny May

Lil Punkin Hat
by buttonboxdesigns

Gnome Knit Hats
by FlowerPot Designs

Mustard Ruffles Scarf
by Simply Naif

Knees and Toes

Monsters in a Tube Push Up Soap
by Bubble Tub

Thriftypumpkin Limited Edition Natural Soap
by soapstar

Tangerine Orange Mineral Eye Shadow
by Maple Creek Soapworks

Vanilla Apple Pear Jelly
by Bovine Bubbles

Hands and Heart

Halloween Witch Handmade Card
by Annabelle’s Art

Quilled Halloween Mini Card Set
by The Crafty Bug

Boo and Spider Pumpkin Cushions
by Dans ma maison, il y a

Fall Leaves Pencil Case
by MiniMade

Fingers, Wrists and Ears

Chrysanthemum Ring in Pumpkin Spice Orange
by Little Bear’s Mom

Halloween Crystal Bracelet
by boomerville

Copper Modern Leaf Earrings
by Splurge

Acorn and Squirrel Earrings
by Ishy Jewellery

Want to see more October treats from the Oh Canada Team? You can add the tag ohcanadateam to your searches on Etsy.com to see what we have for you! Our team members are hard at work creating and polishing up plenty of Halloween and fall goodies for every taste.

Copyright 2010 Oh Canada Team

Friday Finds: Back to School

When it comes to fashion and accessories, the first day of school is one of the most important days of the year. Whether we want to admit it or not, this is one of the days where trends are tested, created and judged the most.

Luckily, handmade and vintage is always in style, and the Oh Canada team can provide plenty of fresh back to school ideas for everyone!

Senior Girl Threads

Handmade Bamboo Poncho
by Anny May

Sleeping Late Upcycled Top
by pondhopper

Eco Canyon Bamboo Top
by Heidi the Artist

Mini Houndstooth Skirt
from The House of Hearts


First Day of Kindergarten

Rock Girl Cloche Hat
by Tres Belle Knits

Recycled Jeans Coloring Bag
by La Chiffonniere

Hand Painted Owl T-Shirt
by Leah Jane Designs

Monkey Bow Hair Clips
by Footprint Designs


Bookworms

Silver Moth Blank Notebook
by Farren Square

Unakite Beaded Bookmark
by Ocean Pearl Jewellery

Howling Wolf Gift Card Holder
by The Backyard Bear

Bees Photo Bookmarks
by ennadoolf


Around the Dorm

Coneflower Lavender Sachet by bstudio

Batik Blues Photo Memory Board
by Jen's Dream Decor

Delish Red Apple Lip Balm
by Bubble Tub

Rhodonite Heart Pendant
by Magnetic Creations

To find more back to school essentials by Canadian artists, add the tag OhCanadaTeam to your searches on Etsy.com!

Copyright 2010 Oh Canada Team

Shop Spotlight: pondhopper

At some point in her life, almost every woman dreams of owning a garment by a famous designer. While wearing couture fashions may be luxurious, it will never beat the charm, and the thrill of wearing something that is one hundred percent one of a kind and unique. When we buy upcycled clothing, there is very little chance that any other person in the universe will have the same pieces. There is nothing more personal or stylish than a handmade wardrobe.

At pondhopper, artist and designer Lorraine turns forgotten fabrics and clothing into remarkable new fashions. She also creates a wonderful selection of jewelry, accessories and home décor items from reclaimed and sustainable materials. Oh Canada has put the spotlight on pondhopper.

Oh Canada: Of all the things that you create, which item or style is your favorite?

Lorraine: I love variety, so it changes depending on the day you ask me! I like working on concepts that are not fully dictated in the beginning and the final outcome is a bit of a surprise because it has evolved throughout the creation process.

Oh Canada: Where did you learn your skills?

Lorraine: Formally, I pursued drawing, painting, papercrafts and sculpting throughout my school and college years, studied sewing and textiles in England and learned about jewelry in Montreal. Informally, I grew up helping my Mum sew my dance costumes and learning photography from my Dad – I can still remember going into the attic where the darkroom was and watching the magical process of pictures appearing on a blank sheet of paper (pre-digital of course!). I continue to devour new knowledge through many avenues – there is so much to learn!

Oh Canada: Everyone has different motivations for making their unique wares. What drives you to create?

Lorraine: I’d love to give you some noble or profound reason, but the truth is I am just addicted to everything about the process of creation - from the initial inspiration to the end result, I love it all! I really enjoy taking something that has a previous life and may otherwise be discarded and turning it into a unique new piece to be loved.

Oh Canada: If you could learn to use any new technique or material, what would it be?

Lorraine: Well of course I have a list! But the top five would be: lost-wax casting, book sculpting, glass blowing, metalsmithing, carpentry, watercolour painting, and calligraphy. O.k. that’s seven!

Oh Canada: Any plans to incorporate a new product into your shop this year?

Lorraine: No plans, but I’m sure there will be something new!

Oh Canada: What is your favorite thing about selling on Etsy?

Lorraine: Meeting wonderful people from across the globe. I also love hearing the stories and comments about how my items are used by their new owners.

Oh Canada: Do you have a number one tip for new sellers?

Lorraine: Don’t open up as a seller right off the bat - become a buyer first then take some time to thoroughly understand Etsy; hang out in the forums where there is a wealth of information to help you establish a successful shop (but avoid the negative and/or discouraging threads); purchase some items to experience the transaction process from a buyers viewpoint. This is valuable learning time that will help you decide how you want to present your brand - from the look of you shop, through policies, pricing and customer experience.

Oh Canada: What is your favorite thing to buy on Etsy?

Lorraine: It would be easier to list what I don’t like buying! Prior to “pondhopper”, my shop was called “House of Mouse” (had to set up a new shop as Disney has that name trademarked!). I made hundreds of purchases (all in the name of research you understand!), but if I had to nail it down to one favourite I would have to say merino wool roving – gorgeous, beautiful, oh so soft roving in such delicious colours that came from sheep with names that I got to know – completely irresistible!

Oh Canada: What is the number one best item (listing) in your shop right now?

Lorraine: MADELINE. I love the contrast between the masculine wool tweed and the lacy, vintage cotton doilies. I also enjoyed the opportunity to create something for a little girl - I have two sons, grew up with two brothers and their friends, my husband has two brothers…not a girl in sight in my family!

Copyright 2010 Oh Canada Team and pondhopper