{worthy wednesday} giveaway!

in this etsy community of known screen names and unknown faces, it's extra special for me to feature my "real life" dear friend, Rebecca. rebecca and i went to graduate school together to study the fine inklings and skills of art therapy. she was always one of those super friendly easy to talk to gals and we hit it off rather quickly. it wasn't until Christmas break of our final year though did we make an even deeper connection. whilst sitting in the barnes and nobles by NYU, she shared with me that she had chosen to re-dedicate her life to Christ. to this day, i still remember bursting with joy from within.

not only is rebecca awesomely sweet, kind and energetic - but she is truly an artist. in every sense of the word. she exudes 'art'. if you knew her, you'd know what i mean!

after opening up my etsy shop in jan '09 and loving & sharing "all things etsy", i'm so happy that my talented friend has opened up her etsy shop, rebeccabeersmiller, as well. she is very new to Etsy, so please show her some wonderful love and take a look around. if you love what you see, spread the word. or better yet, buy something! :D

a little bit about...
"I am a 32 year old artist, art therapist, art educator and clinician, as well as wife to a wonderful man and poet, David and cat mom to Nala. I have many, many interests and passions in life. High up there is my love for art, which has always been a defining part of my life and which I truly believe is a gift from God not to be underestimated. And because I believe that God is just, I believe strongly in working for justice, and that art, with its incredible power to move, inspire and heal, can be a great part of that."

"Currently, I work as an art therapist with teens with emotional and psychiatric disturbances, but really that's just a label. These are kids who have had bad- even horrific- things happen to them and now, rightly so, they're extremely angry and are acting out against the system and worldly authorities that failed to protect them. Jesus spoke passionately about the importance of society caring for and protecting its most vulnerable members, and so, in this way, I like to think about what I do as radical Kingdom work. As an artist and therapist, I hope that my passion and companioning will translate to them and help provide an outlet for self-expression and healing."

"I have to credit New York City, a place I love dearly and have called home for the last 10 years, for my latest venture into jewelry design. If it were not for my long commutes in this vast metropolis, I probably would not have the time to dream up and create my jewelry pieces!"

"My current jewelry work is rooted in my experiences as a knitter. Over time, I have challenged myself with different materials, which led to my current obsession with wire. The interesting thing about wire as media is that, though it can be bent, it essentially maintains a fixed tubular shape. However, in conjunction with more of itself it becomes a pliable form. It also has properties that make it hard to control and, in this way, working with this media is like an exercise in learning to let go."

"I started my Etsy site just a few months ago after friends and strangers on the train began commenting on my pieces and requesting to see more. I consider each of my jewelry creations as mini art pieces."

"Because another one of my passions is working towards justice and freedom for victims of sex abuse and trafficking, I donate a portion of my proceeds to Restore, a New York City non-profit that helps women escape enslavement from the sex trade. You can learn more about Restore's crucial work at Restore NYC.

{giveaway} Lady Chloe Bracelet

this beautiful bracelet is made with a thick gauge of brass, making it very sturdy, and tiny tortoise shell glass beads with celadon/black and itsy bitsy purple metallic seed beads. it attaches with a fancy gold plated triple barrel slide clasp. measures approximately 7" in circumference (which, how perfect!, is the average wrist size of a woman).

to enter:
for one entry, take a look in rebeccabeersmiller's shop and my shop. leave a comment telling us your favorite item from each shop. leave your contact info as you'll definitely want to be contacted if you're the winner!

for additional entries, follow my blog, become a fan of my FaceBook page (where you will be the first to learn of special discounts and updates), post about this giveaway on your blog, twitter about this giveaway or buy something from either of our shops. :) the last gains you 5 extra entries! make sure to leave a separate comment for each. there is no limit so enter as often as you wish!

since i will be away from 7/24-7/31 {in los cabos!!!!}, this giveaway will run til friday july 31st at 11.59pm (EST). that means more time for all of you! :) wonderful news, indeed.

{the winner} of the amazing Paco+Lupe bag chosen at random by random.org is k.ro! :) congrat's! i've informed the featured artist and she should be contacting you shortly. you are one lucky gal!