The Direct Line

I don't really have collections or lines for my jewelry, but I recently decided that I will have a line that is exclusively sold online, and not in stores. Right now, it's labeled as the Direct Line, and because these pieces are sold only in my Etsy shop, the price points are much lower.
Well, I've never been very good at coming up with good names for my pieces, so if you can help me come up with a better name for the collection, I would really appreciate it! In fact, I think I will have an impromptu giveaway. I will give an item from this new line to the person who comes up with a name that I use. Just leave a comment with the name and your contact info. I'll pick a name at the end of the month!

Kaz Style Giveaway Reminder

Just a quick reminder that the giveaway sponsored by Kaz from Kaz Style is still going on, and you have until 8pm Tuesday to enter. I'll be announcing the winner on Wednesday, so what are you waiting for?

Get to Know... Kaz Style

Lately, I've had Japan on my mind because very soon, I will be heading over there to see cherry blossoms, temples and bullet trains. So in honor of that, I want to introduce you to my friend Kaz who is the designer behind Kaz Style. She makes beautiful pouches and jewelry using Japanese fabric and vintage obis and kimonos. Here is a little bit about her, and she is also giving away a little something from her shop to one lucky winner. Read on to get the details.
I am... Japanese, a wife of Sake sommelier, a designer, and kimono stylist.

I was... a fashion designer for a while.

I will be... back to Japan someday in the future. I miss my family all the time...

My passion is... creating (producing?) something original, beautiful, and enjoyable.

Many people don't know that... I am a good swimmer. When I was 5th ~ 9th grade, I often participated swimming competitions and made records and got some trophies.

I'd like to learn... to speak English more fluently without my Japanese accent! LOL
I'd also like to learn about Japanese culture and arts, for example flower arrangement (ikebana), tea ceremony (sado), calligraphy (shodo), etc.

I can't believe I... have been living in the US for almost a half of my life. (but my English is soooo bad!!)
I
f I won the lottery... I would not tell anyone! lol... I would live like as usual...

I'd like to thank... my family for always encourage me and help me to become the person I am today.
Now for the Giveaway!
So here's how you can enter to win an item valued at $15 or less or a $15 gift certificate to Kaz's shop. Visit KazStyle and leave a comment on which item you would choose if you win. *You must leave both your name and e-mail in order to be entered.* I will be selecting a winner on March 30th at 8pm EST.

Here's how you can have additional entries:
1. Become a Fan of KazStyle on Facebook and write on her wall telling her I sent you.
2.Twitter about this giveaway. Please have @juneshindesigns in the tweet.
3. Follow @Kazstyle on Twitter and tell me that you did.
4. Follow my blog.

Get to Know... Oktak

Meet Aki, the woman who designs and makes handmade bags, frame pouches and baby goods at Oktak and Oktakmini. I absolutely love her framed pouches and bought myself a medium sized one. If you haven't been to her shops yet, I highly recommend checking them out. She has also graciously agreed to finish my sentences and giveaway an item from her shop! Read on to learn more about her and how to enter to win.
I am... a designer, crafter, businesswoman, wife & mom, displaced Tokyoite and an avid cat-lover.

I was... a typical "indoor" girl who loved all forms of art - painting, drawing, sewing, dancing, playing music. I remember being four years old and loving rainy days. I was mesmerized by the shapes of rain, and loved crafting as I listened to music.

I will be... focusing more and more on giving back as I grow older. What little I've achieved in life would amount to nothing if I did not give back to anyone.
One of my favorite quotes (this is from the film, "Monsieur Ibrahim"): "What you give is yours forever, what you keep is lost forever".

I am motivated by... beautiful colors and fun designs, and the happiness they bring!

Many people don't know that... I've played the piano since I was four and am pretty good at it!

Most days, you can find me... at home, working on a new project with a cup of tea.

I'd like to learn... Japanese calligraphy, to dress myself properly in a kimono, and take up French again.

I have never... traveled to South America or Australia - those are the only 2 continents I've never set foot on. I'd love to visit some day!

If I won the lottery, I would... buy an apartment here in New York! (We've been looking for several years!) It doesn't have to be lavish, and I'd give the rest away to my favorite charities.

I'd like to thank the Academy for... recognizing my work! It truly feels wonderful to know that other people enjoy what I make as much I enjoy making them. It makes everything worthwhile. Thank you June!!
Now for the giveaway!
So a lucky reader will win a choice of a free mini or zipper pouch priced at $22 or less. To enter, just leave a comment to let me know your favorite item from her shop. You have until Nov. 23rd to enter, and please make sure you leave your name and contact info. If I can't contact you, you can't win. I will randomly pick and announce the winner on the 24th. Good luck!

For additional entries:
1. Follow @oktak on twitter, and tell me that you did.
2. Twitter about this giveaway. Please have @juneshindesigns in the tweet so I can track it.
3. Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post.
4. Become a follower of my blog.

Lillyella Giveaway Winner!

Wow, there were a lot of entries for this giveaway! Thank you all for reading and entering, and thanks to Nicole for participating! There were almost 140 entries, so I used random.org instead of putting everyone's names in a bowl. That would've taken much to long. Anyway, congratulations to F.Sarah who said she would choose the Filigree Fleur Silver Ring!
Be sure to check back a little later to read about my next feature artist.

Lillyella Giveaway Reminder

Just a few days left to enter the Lillyella giveaway. You have until Monday night, and I'll announce the winner on Tuesday! Hope you all have a fun Halloween!

Another Giveaway!

Yes, you read that right, I'm giving away more jewelry! Hop on over to the Oh! How Lovely! {shops} blog to read a little more about me and enter to win your choice of any item from my shop valued at $25 or less!

Get To Know... Lillyella

Have you met Nicole, the lovely woman behind Lillyella? No? Well let me introduce you. She's sweet and friendly, and just recently got married! So read on to learn a bit about her past, present and future, and how you can enter to win a pair of earrings of your choice (except one of a kinds) or a $15 gift card from her shop!I am… a 31 year old newlywed, 'mom' of many animals, insanely lucky, slightly compulsive, madly motivated, overly organized self-employed jewelry designer who never sleeps, loves peanut butter, is obsessed with her cameras and teaches dance.

I was… a wild child, a rebel, a flutist, a pizza maker, a graphic designer for 10 years and a photographer for a magazine.

I will be… a faithful wife, a loving mother, a good daughter, a successful business owner and happy for the rest of my life.

My passion is…creating. and eating. but mostly creating. I can't function if more than a day goes by and I haven't created something. Doesn't matter much what it is these days, though I thrive best on variety and love finding new projects to get into and thing to try.

Many people don’t know that I… have five tattoos, love goats and can handle a shotgun like nobodys business. (don't worry, I only shoot paper and clay!)

Most days, you can find me… equally divided between my workbench, my computer, my refrigerator door and my bathroom.

I’d like to learn… blacksmithing and welding!

I can't believe that I... make jewelry for a living. seriously. I'm amazed and thankful every single day.

If I won the lottery, I would… buy a huge piece of land somewhere rural, get lots of goats, have an orchard, a huge garden, a turtle habitat, a gigantic workshop and I would make stuff all day long.

I’d like to thank the Academy for… my success, throughout my entire life. Maybe it was my dedication or maybe it was luck. There are times I can see how I got to where I am and there are times I can't believe I'm not dead.
Now for the Giveaway!
In order to enter, visit Nicole's shop and comment on which item you would select if you won a free pair of earrings or the $15 gift certificate. Please include your name and way for me to contact you or your entry will not be valid. You have until Nov. 2nd, and the winner will be announced on Nov. 3rd.
For Additional Entries, you can do the following:
1. Follow Nicole's blog and tell me that you do.
2. Join her mailing list, which you can do from her blog, and tell me that you do.
3. Twitter about this giveaway. Please have @juneshindesigns in the tweet.
4. Become a Lillyella fan of Facebook and tell her you say hi on her wall.
5. Become a Facebook Fan of June Shin, and post a comment on my wall.
6. Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post.

Phydeax Winner!

Many, many thanks to Brenda for allowing us to get to know you better and giving away a pair of mitts! And thanks to everyone who came by to read and enter. And now onto the winner. I've placed everyone's entries in a bowl and randomly picked Phetched, who's favorite Phydeaux item is the Spring Leaf Brooch and would love to see more oranges in the shop. Congratulations on winning a pair of mitts!
Please check back in a few hours to get to know my next artist and see what she's giving away!

Phydeaux Giveaway Reminder

The deadline for entering this giveaway is Monday night, so don't forget to enter for your chance to win a pair of mitts and learn a little more about Brenda! Also, she is offering 15% off your order and free first class shipping (not including gift certificates) as long as you mention my blog at checkout. Get thee to her shop!

Get To Know... Phydeaux

Well, I've been trying to come up with a great introduction for my next interviewee, but I think I just have to let her shops, blogs and finished sentences say it all. Meet Brenda, the woman who runs Phydeaux and Phydelle. She knits scarves and accessories for people and fashion dolls and lives to blog all about it. She's also excited to be adding mitts to her shop and is generous enough to give away a pair to a lucky winner!I am… a business manager, a writer, an artist, a knit wear designer, a daughter, a friend, a sister, a momma to two kitties, a lifelong student, a cook, a gardener, a dreamer, a realist, a small business owner, an entrepreneur, a lover of books, a dark chocolate addict :) and a watcher of too much TV.

I was… all of the above! As well as a student and healthcare worker. And once, I only dreamed about being able to sell my creations …
In my early 20’s, my life was going to be about art and writing. And medicine. What can I say, I’m right and left brained! I certainly didn’t foresee where I’d be more than 20 years later.

I will be… a success, wherever life continues to take me. I’m thinking positive! I’m at an interesting point in my life, with major decisions to be made, any of which will result in completely different futures. More short term, I am very excited about knitting designs being published in 2010. I’m excited about new possibilities with knitting (this holiday season and winter will have many new creations at Phydeaux Designs!).

I’m very excited about re-embracing painting and drawing and typography, creative processes that I couldn’t imagine my life without 20 and 30 years ago, and yet I put them away for nearly 20 years! I’m excited about my true love, writing, and the opportunities and directions that writing will take me in the next year. But most of all, I’m excited about exploring and reconciling the differences and the similarities and the surprises between my young 20 self and my current 40 something self.

I am motivated by… creativity, originality, learning new things, achieving potential. In business speak, I’m driven by intrinsic, rather than external, motivators. I motivate myself, which sometimes mean I need to kick myself in the pants to be motivated! I’m constantly trying to learn, grow, improve – all of which motivate me. When I’m stagnant and stuck mentally and emotionally, it shows in my work! When I get stuck creatively, I challenge myself to learn a new skill. I felt creatively stuck this Spring, after a super busy holiday season for Phydeaux, and a bit disheartened by a lack of originality I was seeing in other folks’ work. So, I chose to stop looking at others’ work – if I or other people are being copied, freaking out about it wasn’t doing me any good – and also decided to finally learn how to knit lace. And did!

My passion is… continual learning and growing. I can’t imagine a life without both! I’m never “done.” I’m always challenging myself to learn a new skill, whether a knitting technique or HTML coding for my blog or a new way to roast a chicken. I can always do and be better!

Many people don’t know that I… competed in the 1984 Olympics. I’m kidding! I’ve done nothing quite that exciting! Well, let’s see … I believe that Big Foot exists. I am seriously freaked out about clowns. I’ve never travelled outside of the US. I used to make all my own clothes. I’ve never smoked. I am a videogame junky – haven’t played any of my games for so long – I miss it! I hate iced tea. Now you all know a bunch of things about me!

I’d like to learn to… make stained glass windows! Dye and spin my own yarn (I’m working on the latter)! Program videogames – wouldn’t that be fun? Animate – the good old fashioned way, not computerized. The list of things I’d like to learn is endless!

I wish I had known… that Piglet is pig. Oh my gosh, I didn’t know what kind of animal Piglet was when I was young! It just didn’t make sense to me – he couldn’t be a PIG, since he didn’t have a curly tail! I felt like such an idiot when I figured it out … as an adult! (By the way, you might be laughing, since this is so obvious to the rest of the world, but my brother totally gets this!)

If I won the lottery, I would… pay off all of my and my family’s debts. Invest wisely. Buy myself my dream piece of land with cottage by the ocean and take in abandoned kittens. And design and create and write to my heart’s content. Sigh.

I’d like to thank the Academy for… the opportunity to play myself in my life story. It’s definitely the most challenging role I’ve ever been offered!
Now for the Giveaway!
So here's how you can enter to win one of the brand new mitts from Phydeaux. Visit her Etsy shop and post a comment to tell me what your favorite item is and what colors you'd like to see more of. You have until Oct. 26th to enter, and please make sure I have a way to contact you. The winner will be announced on Oct 27th.
Additional entries:
1. Follow Brenda's blog.
2. Join her mailing list, which you can do from her blog, and tell me that you did.
3. Follow my blog.
4. Twitter about this giveaway. Please have @juneshindesigns in the tweet.
5. Become a Facebook Fan of June Shin, and post a comment on my wall.
6. Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post.

Special offer just for you!
Brenda is also offering 15% off your order and free first class shipping (not including gift certificates)! Just mention my blog at checkout. This is valid until Oct. 26th.

GetReadySetGo Winner!

Thanks to Rachel for being my first interviewee and to all who participated in my first interview/giveaway! I'm happy to announce that Sydney is the winner! Congratulations! She already owns a clutch from Rachel's shop and her current favorite is the UPCYCLED Light Blue VINTAGE Train Case w Dandelions and Seedlings SOFT SIDE.
To keep up with the goings on of Rachel's life, be sure to read her blog and check out her shop, as she is filling it up with new designs.

Please check back in a few hours, as there will be a new interview/giveaway posted.

Giveaway Reminder

Just a quick reminder that I have a giveaway running from GetReadySetGo. Read more about her and enter for a chance to win an $18 gift certificate from her shop of awesome, upcycled luggage here. You have until Monday to enter.

GetToKnow - GetReadySetGo

Yeay! I'm so happy to finally launch my interview series that I've been thinking about for a while now. Even better is to have Rachel,from GetReadySetGo, as my first victim in the hot seat. Muahaha! But seriously, Rachel is this amazing artist who upcycles vintage luggage with her remarkable artwork and also collaborations with other artists. As they say, pictures say 1000 words and you just have to visit her shop to see all the fabulousness for yourself.
As for this interview, I wanted to give it a little different format from the typical q & a; I started some sentences and had her finish them. I hope you like and enjoy the outcome. And lastly, Rachel is kindly giving away an $18 gift certificate to her shop! Why $18? Something to do with soccer and hockey which you can ask her about. :)
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I am a left-handed girl, with an intense need for music, photography, coffee, time away from my over-active head and most importantly I NEED A PLACE TO PUT MY ART!

I was born & raised in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan- it will forever be home to me.

I will be ALWAYS ALL OF THESE THINGS: curious, passionate about the things & people that i love, a little too sensitive, an artist, driven, intensely intrigued with the problem of pain.

I am motivated by everything i see and hear. the little things in life. whether it's a shadow that cuts across a wall, in a hand shielding the sun or in the everyday moments that often pass by too quickly for us to notice.

My passion is living- even on days when it hurts.

Many people don’t know that I suffer from "severe anxiety and depression" - that's my textbook diag-NONSENSE:)
but i'm getting better at fighting it with every passing day and i'm constantly looking for ways to put it to good use! It's something not a lot of people talk about or are too scared to talk about. I'm a firm believer that HONESTY, COMMUNICATION and OPENNESS are the healthiest route. I figure, if I can help someone suffering to feel a little less alone by being open and possibly "branded" with this disease then it's ALL worth it. I know it doesn't define who Iam, but it does play a large role in who I have and will become.

I’d like to learn to design the perfect crochet hat pattern for myself!

I wish I had known a lot of things but life's too short to live with regrets. Although, I wish I had known to take piano lessons when I was young!

If I won the lottery I would probably have a panic attack at the very thought of all that money. Then T would build myself a studio/ art- house in my back yard. I'd then save the rest to fly all my friends and family to my house WHENEVER they wanted.

I’d like to thank the Academy for always believing in me and for never giving up on me.
but more importantly I'd like to THANK JUNE FOR COMING UP WITH THESE STELLAR QUESTIONS AND GIVING ME A CHANCE TO LET THE COMMUNITY KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE REAL ME:)
Now for the Giveaway!
So here's how you can enter to win an $18 gift certificate to GetReadySetGo. Visit her shop and post a comment to tell me which item you will purchase if you win. *You must leave your name and e-mail in order to qualify and have until Oct 19th to enter.* The winner will be announced on Oct 20th.
Additional entries:
1. Follow Rachel's blog , and tell me that you do.
2. Join her mailing list, which you can do from her blog, and tell me that you did.
3. Blog about this giveaway and paste a link to the post.
4. Twitter about this giveaway. Please have @juneshindesigns in the tweet.
5. Follow my blog.
6. Become a Facebook Fan of June Shin, and post a comment on my wall.

Win $20 for purchase towards my shop!

My jewelry was recently featured on the Pour Some Sugar on Me blog and it is where you can enter a chance to win $20 credit towards a purchase in my shop! There are many chances to win, so please click here to read the details.

Good luck!

Necklace Giveaway!

Hi Everyone! Just a quick post before my weekend festivities. The fabulous Asian Cajuns of Decatur, GA are hosting a necklace giveaway on their blog. So please check out their blog and enter to win the necklace that Catherine is modeling below.
Good luck and have a great weekend!

Earrings giveaway

I apologize for not posting this month's poll/giveaway. But to make up for it, Nicole from Lillyella jewelry is hosting a giveaway on her blog, where you can win a pair of earrings from my shop!

Let me tell you a little about Nicole. She is super friendly, and in less than a year, has become a top jewelry seller on Etsy! I met her through twitter when I was having some graphic design woes. So not only did she help me with my newly designed stickers (I will post pictures later) but she also featured me on her blog. All I can say is that she is one of the nicest people in the world. So please check out her shop and blog and tell her I said hi!Coral Bells Earrings from Lillyella

You have until 11am this Thursday to enter, so hop on over there! Good luck!

Thanks Nicole! You're the best!

Another poll

For this poll, I will be giving away a pair of earrings of your choice, from my etsy shop, any value!

I created this necklace and am trying to decide which length looks the best. The necklace is made of graduated sizes of dyed red quartz on a gunmetal chain. Do you prefer the short, medium or long length? Please leave a comment with your choice of length and the earrings you would like to win, and I will randomly choose a winner next Friday, November 7th at10PM EST.

[Edit] I've decided to try it with 2 different tops to see what you think.

Don't forget to leave either your e-mail address or etsy username. If I cannot contact you, you cannot win. Good luck!