ESST Team Member - leslietsy

The next stop on our Etsy Supply Street Team tour is http://www.leslietsy.etsy.com where you can find a very wide assortment of items for your beading & mixed media projects. I know that this is a busy weekend for many of you - especially those of you in the US were it is Mother's Day weekend, but try to find the time to check out lesliesty.

ESST Team Member - Beadbrats

The next stop on our Etsy Supply Street Team tour is http://www.beadbrats.etsy.com where Marie has a great selection of vintage beads. Of course, I would prefer you buy from me, but let's be honest here - I have what I have (well and tons more beads that I need to do something with). I would rather see you buy a bead that you love from someone like Marie, who loves vintage beads than someone that doesn't really 'get' vintage beads.

'Get vintage beads?' you ask. OK, brace yourself here comes one of my vents. Vintage means old, generally 50-100 years old. I go crazy when I see vendors selling vintage beads and vintage style beads. Vintage style beads are new beads that are made to look old - which is fine if that is what you are looking for. But generally you should not be paying vintage prices for vintage style.

In my mind, vintage beads are little treasures. Mine come from long ago & far away. They have spent decades in warehouses, factories &/or shops just waiting for me to find them. Sometimes I will find a bunch of a particular bead several places. Other times I will find a hand full & never see that type again. My rule for vintage beads is if you love it because you may never see another again. Have I bought beads & found them somewhere else sure, sometimes even for much cheaper than I paid. But the beads that haunt me are the ones that I either didn't buy or didn't buy more of.

Go check out Marie's great vintage beads & add her as a favorite - I did long ago.

ESST Team Member - LAJewelryDesigns

The next stop on our Etsy Supply Street Team tour is http://www.LAJewelryDesigns.etsy.com - this could be a dangerous stop for me - I love lampwork & Lea makes some really nice lampwork. I especially love her boro bead that she made directly on an old skeleton key. Also, she has some vinyl tubing that you can put inside a wobbling bead - definitely sounds like something worth trying.

Lea is a Self Representing Artist (SRA) & a member of the ISGB (International Society of Glass Beadmakers), the Fire Divas, LEST (Lampwork Ect Street Team) & ESST. All of her beads are made by her in her studio in New York.

ESST Team Member - doodlesmosaictiles

The next stop on my Etsy Supply Street Team tour is doodlesmosaictiles - Carolyn Norris shares her passion for bold, bright colors via her hand painted tiles & creative mosaics. I have visited Doodlemosaictiles before & every time I find myself smiling. Don't think that mosaics are the only use for these tiles - you know we can do better than that. Heck, I'm thinking it would be great to simply put a magnet on the back of some of them. Let me know if you come up with a great use for these tiles or any of the great supplies from our tour.