Welcome to the weekly Feature and Giveaway! Every Monday, we’ll be featuring a lovely craftsperson, artist, or  artisan – and every week you’ll have the chance to win something from their shop!

This week we welcome Michelle, from MaruMaru – all the way Honolulu!

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Where do you live?

Honolulu, Hawaii

Where do you do your work?

I make my charms right here at my desk

What’s your favourite place in the world, and why?

Although I haven’t been there yet, I would love to visit Paris, hopefully on my honeymoon if I ever get married.

Tell us a little bit more about yourself! Your ‘day job’ or business, family, hobbies…

I work only a few hours a week at a hotel in Waikiki, so I have a lot of free time to make jewelry as well as hang out with friends. When I’m not playing around in my jewelry supply box, I’m at the movies or drinking champagne!

What did you want to be ‘when you grew up’?

When I was 9, I told my mom I was going to go to Harvard and then become a journalist for the Wall Street Journal.  lol that never happened of course…

How did you first get into your craft/art?

I started two years ago and just had my 2nd Etsy anniversary last month. I started liking jewelry when I began working in the jewelry department at a well-known retail store. At first, I didn’t see what the big hype was over jewelry until I would stand for hours at a time and become anxious to try a few things on. When I wasn’t helping customers, I was trying on jewelry whenever I could and soon enough I put everything I liked on hold so nobody could buy them! I’m really picky about jewelry, so whenever I’d buy a necklace, I’d use my pliers to take off or add parts to it to make it just right.

What do you make?

I make vintage and retro style jewelry such as rings, lockets, flower cabochons and more.

What are you most proud of making?

I’m proud of all my pieces. I’m even proud of the first pair I sold on Etsy of these small button heart earrings for only $2.

I love…

my fat tuxedo cat, Neko.

What’s your favourite word?

Crispy lol The other day, my friend was pumping gas into her car, and this guy pulls up and gets out of the car and says to her, “Girl, you crispy!” haha

If you could sum yourself or your work up in one sentence, it would say…

Everything is clearer when you’re in love

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Visit Michelle Online!
Shop: MaruMaru
Website: http://MaruMaru.etsy.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/marumarudesigns
Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/MaruMaruetsycom/45920829452
Facebook: http://facebook.cm/marumaru
MySpace: http://myspace.com/marumarudesigns

This week, Michelle is giving away a pretty rose ring from her shop..

Melissa is happy to ship internationally – but there are a few exceptions. Please see her shop for details.

To Enter:

1. Visit MaruMaru, and come back here leaving a comment about your favourite piece from the store.

2. For additional entries, leave a comment saying that you: followed or subscribed to Epheriell Designs (or already do); have Twittered about the givewaway; have shared the giveaway with friends on Facebook, or; you have written a blog post about it.

3. Entries close next Sunday night, the 30th of August, at 12pm Australian EST. Winners are announced the next day as part of next week’s Feature and Giveaway post.

Remember to leave me a way of contacting you.. and Good Luck!

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The winner of last week’s giveaway – Wanda – congratulations!

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Frack.

This morning it hit me. In just under 10 week’s time, I’m going to be married.

I think it was the invitations that did it. Yesterday I sat down and finished off a few stray invitations. TechNick had done the majority of the work, addressing invitations and envelopes, stamping every invite with a pretty leafy stamp in silver ink, buying and affixing stamps to all the envelopes… Bless him!

So, now it’s becoming real. The invites are on their way, we’ve narrowed down our vow choices (really must finalise that), have venues and celebrant planned, I have a dress… in fact, there is now really not much to do until a few weeks before the day.

Except for one. You see, it’s winter, it’s cold, I’ve been busy, I’ve eaten perhaps a tad too much chocolate… that’s right, I am porky! Now, most people look at me and scoff at that statement- but we all know when we’re at that ‘comfortable weight’ for ourselves. Not to mention I have a rather sheer and unforgiving wedding dress to wear in the not-to-distant future!

So, dear readers, I am here to ask for your help. Tomorrow I will skulk down to the gym, and ask them to re-activate my membership – my whole ‘I’ll just go for walks and do some pilates at home’ thang isn’t really working for me. Alas, I think I’ve come to the realisation that I only really stick to exercise a) when I’m in an environment where that’s the only choice, and b) when I know I’m forking out my hard-earned cash for the privilege.

All I ask is that you help me stay honest. And stay on track. And for those lovely women out there who have gone before me – please share your advice! Not only on this minor topic, but on all things wedding and marriage.

Oh, before I go, something a bit more on-topic – here’s a peek at the handmade wedding rings TechNick and I are getting. They are being made by an old friend of his, who is now a professional gold/silversmith and jeweller back in the UK - Georgina Ettridge.

We chose these to match the style of my engagement ring..

I’ll have to wait until a few weeks before the wedding to see them – Nick’s parents are bringing them over from the UK. I think they are just beautiful – a little different, and symbolic, too. I like to think of my engagement ring as symbolising marriage – there is both the rose (the diamond, symbolising all that is strong and joyous) and the thorns (the swirly-spikes, symbolising all that will be trying and difficult).

So, the count-down has begun – wish us luck!

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