Today we are starting a new monthly Top 5 list completely curated by Sam herself. Sam has becomed quite adept at surfing the net and follows are her favs for October.

5. Curster - Well, they are monsters...or something. They are soft, cuddly and perfect for toddlers everywhere. Get your monster one today http://www.etsy.com/view_item.php?listing_id=388916





4. Rocko the Cat - Just a teensy, tiny bit evil. We all need a set of cards with evil cats on them for those occassions when nothing else will do. http://www.etsy.com/view_item.php?listing_id=486389







3. Fuzzy Mc'Owl-Face, felt money plushie - Toddler clothes are not the best for carrying around cash so Sam has found this to be the perfect solution. Her very own Mc'Owl money plushie. http://www.etsy.com/view_item.php?listing_id=502207







2. - Hand Dyed & Block Printed Toddler t-shirt - Owls are big in our house right now and Sam is in love with this cute little tee from 1 Girl 1 Boy. See more great stuff 1girl1boy.etsy.com









1. Sven the Snail - A cute little stuffie to give your favorite pals for the holidays. Check out www.littleredpear.com to see more creatures.





Well, that's the best of the best from Sam for the month of October. All the kids should be happy and you too since everyone of these are from indie designers around the world!

Yesterday was Charming Sam's first Feria Urbania in San Francisco (http://www.feriaurbanasf.com/). A hip little trunk show with about 20 different types of designers at Canvas Gallery (http://www.thecanvasgallery.com/) selling their wares to a sometimes unsuspecting public. Canvas Gallery is this great space right off Golden Gate Park and 9th Avenue with a coffee bar, sweets and what looks like some killer salads. All very San Francisco and I had tons of fun selling to everyone that came in. It was also great to meet Danielle, the artist extrodinaire behind Girly Whirly (www.girlywhirly.com) . She does these great cards for EVERY occassion and she is very nice too. Looking for holiday cards then you definitely need to check her stuff out. Remember...buy INDIE!

Danielle was also nice enough to turn me on too another show in San Fran that I applied to last night called Appel & Frank (www.appelandfrank.com) I'll let you know when I'm going to show there but it looks very fun!

I have a few more events coming up in the next two months. As soon as everything is confirmed I'll post info here.

Thanks again for everyone who came by yesterday, enjoy your jewels and look forward to seeing you at future shows!

Cheers!
Amy

Here I am a post "Trading Spaces" addict who can't get enough of "Project Runway" and on the DIY bandwagon with the rest of Amercia. I blame Trading Spaces for the current DIY everyone is on these days in the fashion and design world.

Five years ago Trading Spaces was a new concept, we all watched it and we all re-covered at least one chaise or repainted a room. Now we are all bitching and stitching, glue gunning our way to dried flower bliss and in my case....covering canvases in anything I can get my hands on and wiring tiny stones around each other to make an earring.

Where am I going with all this? There are a million beaders and jewelry designers in the world these days and cutting through the noise is becoming tougher and tougher. I've been spending a lot of time lately thinking about how to make Charming Sam exceptional and somehow cut through the noise. What I've come up with is that in the world of design and art it is a combination of craftsmanship, luck and uniqueness. Unfortunately too no idea is a new idea, its about packaging it differently, making just the slightest change to make it new and fresh. Look at the runway shows...in some ways many of what we see each season on the runway is the same thing we saw 10 years ago. But if you pay attention to the fine nuances of the DESIGN then you will see how its been updated, made new...fresh.

So that is what has been happening with Charming Sam over the last three months. I made a decision that everything I make has to meet a few specific criteria;
1) I have to be willing to wear it every day (not just with a specific dress or outfit or for a special occasion)
2) I would have to be willing to buy each piece for myself or someone else. If I saw the same piece at Nordstroms could I walk out of the store without it? If the answer is yes then the piece never makes it into the line.
3) Impeccable craftsmanship - no crap.
4) I have to L-O-V-E it. C-O-V-E-T it.
5) It has to be fresh

With the butterfly collection that is partially now available at www.charmingsam.com all of these criteria have been met. (Look for the rest of the Butterfly Collection to be released mid-November 2006).

I love every piece, I wear every piece, each piece is made with impeccable craftsmanship and I'd buy every piece.

I of course have a few of my favorite, favorite pieces. I've shown a pair of earrings here before and today I thought I'd show you this beautiful Peruvian Blue Opal necklace. Each of the gold bars have been hammered, sawed, punched and then carefully mixed between each opal. The opals are a beautiful luminescent color and have been wired together with gold wire.

That is my schtick today...thanks for stopping bye! Don't forget the holidays are coming and there are many beautiful pieces for all the women in your life at Charming Sam.

I think I am becoming obessesed with the concept of design. I do the same thing when it comes to my art work so it should really be no surprise to me that now I've become obsessive about jewelry design.

First lets just say I am completely self taught when it comes to art and jewelry. That may not surprise some of you and may surprise others of you. Either way I can't seem to take a breath anymore without thinking about the shape of an earring, how to change that one little thing on a necklace so maybe it hangs better. Or what is a new interesting and unique shape that can be incorporated in to my designs.

I look at a lot of other designers work. If you are a designer and you say you don't study others work or if you are an artist and say you don't look at others work then well...I just don't believe it. We all do, we all try to learn from those around us and hopefully share our knowledge with each other. I'm always disappointed when other artists are unwilling to share simple techniques or sources for things. I'm always happy to share because I believe that even if they rip my design off...well, there karma will get them. And quite frankly (maybe I am just naive) I don't think very many indie designers would rip something off link for link, clasp, idea, everything.

There are some jewelry designers out there that I've come across whom I really admire. Not just because of their craftsmanship but also because they do really interesting work. I'd love to have a pair of Beth Lauren's earrings! (see left photo) They are fabulous! Unfortunately my husband would strangle me but I'd never rip off her designs. Come on - we all know when you see that design you know it is a "Beth Lauren". Just like when you see an Armani suit you know it is an Armani! Or a Balenciaga bag. I suppose people rip those designers off all the time. I guess I am just naive, I really wish designers would share amongst each other and support each other.

What brought this rant on? I found a really interesting jewelry designer in LA (not Beth Lauren) and sent her an email telling her how much I admired her work. I also asked her a question about a type of adhesive she used on a specific piece. We are talking about GLUE. Guess what? Nothing from her. Not even a thanks for appreciating my work.

Another time I was admiring the work of a designer at a tradeshow and the manufacturers rep kicked me out of the booth...and she wasn't nice at ALL.

So, today I wanted to share designer Beth Lauren's work. It is beautiful, intricate and very interesting. If you ever get a chance to see it in person you really should because it is a work of art.

http://bethlauren.com/mm5/merchant.mvc

Both photos in this entry are from Beth Laurens site. Please visit her site for details and pricing.

This is one of the most AMAZING necklaces I've ever seen. I'd wear it EVERYDAY.

I would never have believed how much my wardrobe would change unless I'd had my own child. That doesn't mean that I still don't own those fancy suits, dresses, blouses and things. However, I now wear t-shirts even more then ever and I have to be willing to get them covered in glitter glue, paint, clay, food, milk..cheetos. Honestly, anything is fair game when it comes to my daughters continued exploration in this world and 1/2 of all explorations somehow end up on my husband or I.

So that brings me to my newest article of clothing that is a must have but I'm not willing to settle for the freebies I use to get when I was in the software industry. Yes, I've become a t-shirt (tee) addict and for those of you not paying attention there are A LOT of t-shirt designers out there. T-shirts can also be very pricey but in some cases well worth the dollars. In other cases I think some indie designers under value their work and thus...inexpensive but very fashionable!

Here are some of my favorite lines of tees. I own something from each of these designers and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE all of them. Well worth checking them out and in all cases I still wear funky earrings at the very least. Matter of fact my favorite earrings from my new collection are what I wear most with my tees. Does my daughter grab my earrings? Yes, but oh so worth it when wanting to add some sparkle to your day (and I don't mean glitter glue sparkle).

Fav new earrings -

www.charmingsam.com/es07203.html

muttsywonder.etsy.com

I own this tee in chocolate brown with a blue "chick". Be sure to check out Megan's site she has great stuff including stuff for the little ones.

Yes, I own a skull t-shirt. Not exactly like this one since mine is from "last season" but the tees are super soft and very comfortable. The company is called Nick & Mo www.nickandmo.com

Ha! This is my "Angry Kitty" tee from an indie label in NYC called Saltlick.

Gotta check them out!

http://www.saltlicknyc.com/home.asp

Guess what? They are back together! Yes, after almost 16 years they have decided to record a new album and are on the road as we speak and I saw them last night in concert. They are FABULOUS!

They are now with a small label in LA and are really working to get things going again. I don't think they are leading the glamorous life one would expect thus why I'm talking about them here. A group of guys and gal doing what they love regardless of the sacrifices to family, lifestyle, etc.

Check out the new album, give it a listen and buy it!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FO0AO2/sr=8-2/qid=1150907426/ref=pd_bbs_2/103-9931909-6243010?%5Fencoding=UTF8

For those of you not familiar with the Anthropologie brand then you should probably take a tour of their site. www.anthropologie.com I've saved EVERY catalog they have ever printed and have stacks of them in my studio. They serve as inspiration, not only because of the merchandise they sell but the catalog styling is fantastic. The styling has gone through a bit of a change the last few years but they are still staying true to their core demographic and to those of us who LOVE every single catalog. Some of you may remember Banana Republic catalogs from the 80's...while these two catalogs aren't similar in layout or styling there is a cult following to both. I can only hope Anthropologie doesn't do what Banana Republic did...

So, today I'm on the Anthropologie site...I usually hit the site at least a couple of times a week just to see what is new. The company is part of Urban Outfitters whom also own Free People clothing. Of which I've been a fan of Free People for years and years. Love the aesthetic and still have some sweaters from the mid-90's that I'll wear until they fall apart.

Anyway, so I'm on the Anthropologie site today (they buy lots of stuff from indie designers) and came across this dress. I think it is very cute and during the winter you could wear a simple long sleeve tee under it and it would be pretty.

But what jewelry? I'd love to see this necklace with the dress, it would just be so pretty! Something about the contrasting fabric with the beauty of the crystals...just seems a bit kitsch.


http://www.charmingsam.com/ns06107.html

About a year and a half ago I experimented with wrapping glass pearls in tulle. Actually, experimented is not the right word since I ended up including several designs in my 2005 holiday collection that were reminescent of the hot Lanvin necklaces that were so popular at the time. The funny thing was that while everyone in the fashion industry loved the tulle necklaces from Lanvin (sporting a retail price tag of about $750) they never really took off outside of the most fashionable circles. The Lanvin necklaces were meant to be tied to the side or in back with a pretty bow and then the pearls were all beautifully encased in silk tulle. Like a lot of other designers I tried out this style on my customer base and found that people did NOT want to tie a necklace around their neck. Go figure! If you want to see some of the beautiful Lanvin necklaces in this same vein though I'd encourage you to visit the Lanvin homepage.. www.lanvin.com and explore some of Alber Elbaz amazing work. And for those of you even more inclined, the Spring '07 ready to wear show is worth a peak too... http://www.style.com/fashionshows/collections/S2007RTW/review/LANVIN

So, transport yourself to the present day and here I am this morning fiddling around with the tulle. Isn't there something interesting I could do with it. First, no tying...and second the price point has to be really good. I've got these fun ceramic Chinese hearts I've been wanting to use...

Ta-dah! I think I came up with something really cool. I love it anyway and we'll see what everyone else thinks. Not only would I totally wear this....but I think it could be really fun as a gift to fashionista minded girls everywhere. And for those of you mums who like it but wouldn't wear it...don't you have a daughter who would?

See details and purchase info on this necklace at http://www.etsy.com/view_item.php?listing_id=549421

Cheers!

I LOVE long earrings right now. They are a nice change from chandelier style earrings and are a little less dressy. These are made from wheel shaped garnets of the darkest blood red and are really quite pretty. I've been known to wear these with jeans and a cute little t-shirt and even with shorts on a hot summer day to run errands.

So here is a gorgeous sweater I found at Anthropologie (they buy from lots of indie designers)...and I would wear this sweater with jeans and these great earrings. Perfect for a nice autumn day! (Oh, and don't forget your ballet flats!)

Each day brings me to find new and great things that indie designers are up too. Today has been tough though and I'm not really sure why. I bought a pair of shoes from a company out of LA named BC Footwear (see my StyleHive) but I couldn't find anything on the net about how big the company was or anything...I'm guessing they are small but who knows these days. I loved Origins for years until I found out they were founded and owned by Estee Lauder. Not that there is anything wrong with Estee Lauder but it took some of the shiny "organic" feel away from my perception.

Anyway, so I did find a indie clothing designer that I think does really beautiful clothing. It is called "aelisheva". http://www.aelisheva.com/

Every day I find something on the Internet that I just LOVE! Some days I find even more then one thing and thank god my husband reminds me that shopping is not "my" job. Instead I wander through the net looking for ways to promote my business, see what other artists are doing and am continually amazed by the creativity people have. I mean how do they think up some of the things they do?

Which leads me to the say..."Do what you love, love what you do." All the indie designers, craftspeople and artisans out there are really doing this out of love. Its a lot of hard work, perserverance and really hard. With all that said there is this little Etsy shop that I just can't get out of my head. It is called Monkey Shines and they sell buttons. The kind of buttons you pin on your back pack, purse or where ever. They do the cutest stuff! Like who would have thought of such a thing and then put it out on the net and sell them? So cool! Visit them...

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=38443

Also, you gotta see the great pocket mirrors they have!

http://www.etsy.com/view_item.php?listing_id=477397

(I mean really...how cute is that???!)

Use code FRIENDS during checkout at www.charmingsam.com and get 30% off everything. Tell your friends!

I have to tell people about Etsy. If you haven't heard about it well...now you will. It is THE coolest site on the web for crafters, artists, designers, etc. Etsy people sell all kinds of wonderful things. First you should visit etsy... www.etsy.com

Now you should visit Charming Sam at Etsy...www.amysteinberg.etsy.com

Here are two of my favorite shops on Etsy

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=991

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=38443

Welcome to the Charming Sam official blog site. If you don't know who Charming Sam is then let me introduce us. I the writer of this blog am also the "mommy"(designer) and artist (see my paintings at www.amysteinberg.com ) of one 2 1/2 year old Sam. She is technically the Charming Sam in this deal. However when she was born I had a little craziness take over me and decided I should start a jewelry company in addition to my art business...so I named it Charming Sam.

www.charmingsam.com

This site will continue to evolve ... but conceptually I want to use this as a forum to talk about jewelry design, art, fashion and support indie designers everywhere. What I've found over the last 5 years is that indie designers and artists work really hard and are so passionate about what they do. There is a reason why some artisans and crafts people choose this path and it is because they are really doing something they love. Whatever it is that you love, translate that in too buying from indie designers and artists.

O.k., so Sam and I are going to show all kinds of stuff here in the coming weeks and months. Stay tuned for indie artists, designers and the road traveled in search of a profitable business out of my art!