CORK -- A few Reasons I'm all in for this Eco-Friendly Fashion Trend

A lil HISTORY: Lulu tugged one of my earrings when she was just a wee thing. My piercing ripped slightly and I haven't been able to wear heavy earrings ever since. ugh. I guess she was worth it... I'm not going to stop wearing earrings! This prompted a hunt for all things lightweight. Enter Leather. HUGE HIT! Enter customers inquiries on a leather alternative... The search was on! Faux leather or Vinyl has come a LONG way, as far as appearing to look a lot like leather and more natural. However, it is not. And I struggled with that... I much prefer to use organic materials in my jewelry designs, it just feels more true to me and speaks to my soul. ENTER CORK.

CORK is the outer bark from the cork oak tree which grows in the humid, low-rain coastal climate of the Mediterranean basin. It is harvested by hand by highly skilled professionals. The harvesting is done around 12-16 times within the tree's 150-200 year lifespan, in a 9-12 year interval. Portugal has 1/3 of the cork oak population and is the largest producer of cork. The harvesting is regulated by law to protect the valuable resource and regulate the quality of the harvest. Once the cork is harvested, it is boiled, dried, shaved into thin sheets and sealed with a non-toxic sealant to make cork fabric. Now here's some truly remarkable FUN FACTS about CORK: 1) Cork oak trees are the only tree that benefit from the removal of their bark and this aids in the process for regeneration so it makes this product truly sustainable. 2) When the harvest is done, the tree absorbs about 5 times the CO2, making harvesting an important part in reducing greenhouse gases. 3) Natural occurring properties of Cork include hypoallergenic, eco-friendly, sustainable, lightweight, and resistant to water, fire and abrasion. SERIOUSLY, Cork is available in a huge variety of colors and patterns and this versatility makes it a really fun element for jewelry design. It is a also wonderful to feel good about what you're wearing by knowing that CORK is vegan, erco-friendly, sustainable fashion!

My Apologies!!

I am terribly sorry that I haven't kept up with my blog lately! Life gets so busy. We're having a great summer, lots of fun with my 3 year old son, and another baby boy on the way with just 5 wks left! I am starting to nest and likely going to slow things down with the etsy shop for a bit. SO... Before I go into hibernation, I wanted to extend to you an offer exclusive through my blog with a 20% off SALE. Just use this code during checkout at www.madebymaggie.com :)

Thanks for your support and loyalty!

COUPON CODE: 'MBM20POFF'

Smiles, Maggie

MADE BY MAGGIE has finally cleaned and organized her WORKSPACE!

Seriously folks. We moved into our new house in July 2010 and life has been so busy. Things got piled up in my studio and I just learned to work around them! {By-the-way, i am not known for being a tidy person... When I was a kid, my mom used to make me clear a path from the door to my bed every night " so the fireman could rescue me if need be!".

Anyway, Excited I am! Hoping to keep up with it... And now, trying to decide what to paint the walls...I want a fun, vibrant, inspiring color!

Thanks to all of you out there who love MADE BY MAGGIE Jewelry designs. I've been hard at work on a new spring collection which I promise to debut once all this snow melts ;)

Happy Saturday! M

SUMMER UPDATE

Hi there friends, family and jewelry lovers!
Quick update of what's going on at Made by Maggie:

* Summer sale in my ETSY jewelry shop, 20% off all items ends Monday July 5th

* JUNE 30th, TODAY! Last day to enter the FACEBOOK giveaway. See FB fanpage for details.

* And finally...There is a new collection in the process! I love to ask all my lady friends what they love about jewelry because that's what I want to give to you! After a lot of requests and brainstorming, I am currently working on a very versatile collection, which will include layered chains/necklaces/bracelets that can be worn long, doubled, alone or together. FUN FUN! Can't wait to reveal it...

BUT...Gotta get into this new house first! Things are really busy as we are moving into our new home next week. Mama is super excited to announce that there are enough bedrooms, and not enough kids, yet...that I will have my own PRIVATE BEADING STUDIO. Yay! peaceful retreat.

Love to you all, hope you're having a wonderful summer! M

Made By Maggie Giveaway

Thegiveawaydiva.blogspot.com has reviewed my designs and had such sweet things to say about Made by Maggie! She is hosting a MBM giveaway on her BLOG til May 22nd. You can also get to know a little bit more about ME and my design process in an interview on her BLOG. The lucky giveaway winner will be able to choose from 3 unique MADE BY MAGGIE designs, Details on her BLOG! The Giveway Diva

MADE BY MAGGIE is Spotlight Mama THIS MONTH at stlboutiquemoms.com

I'm excited to announce that I am in the Spotlight as a FEATURED ARTIST at STLBoutiquemoms.com this month! The website is really wonderful and has a great variety of mamas getting their craft on! It is dedicated to supporting St. Louis Stay at Home Moms (SAHMs) that have their own online boutiques or businesses that they manage from home. You can learn about their products or services and it has links directly to their sites to shop and purchase. I LOVE to support local small businesses, and what a great place to find gifts and fun little treasures for any occasion! Check it out: www.stlboutiquemoms.com

Spotlight Mama in March at stlboutiquemoms.com

I'm excited to announce that I will be in the Spotlight as a FEATURED ARTIST at STLBoutiquemoms.com next month! The website is really cute! It is dedicated to supporting St. Louis Stay at Home Moms (SAHMs) that have their own online boutiques or businesses that they manage from home. You can learn about their products or services and it has links directly to their sites to shop and purchase. I LOVE to support local small businesses, and what a great place to find gifts and fun little treasures for any occasion! Check it out: www.stlboutiquemoms.com

The Debut of the Made By Maggie Personalized Collection

AT your REQUEST!! After many, many of my jewelry loving friends have requested...I have finally LISTENED. Well, I was always listening, it's just that it is now finally coming to LIFE after a lot of planning and designing! This new collection is in the works. I hope to add a new design daily over the next week or so. Make sure to check my Etsy Shop often to see what's new. I have gotten a lot of ideas, feedback and advice from all my customers and girlfriends and put a lot of love and consideration into this new collection! Hope you all think it's great, It will make the PERFECT CUSTOMIZED GIFT for Mother's Day!
~M

Font Choices for the Personalized/Monogram Collection, Click the Fonts and they will appear larger.

ORANGE YOU GLAD Treasury Featured on Etsy.com FRONT PAGE

Here's my Treasury called "Orange You Glad!" that made the Front page of Etsy.com a few weeks ago!

My First Blog

Wow. Can't believe I'm really entering the world of blogging! Guess it was time I took the plunge. I hope to use the Blog as a way to better describe some of my designs / processes / thoughts / specials / giveaways /etc. about Made byMaggie Jewelry Designs. It's a good home base as well, with links to all my other media regarding my jewelry collection. So, here's to learning new technology. I can' t believe how far I've come in just a few short months. And thanks to my brother-in-law, Chris, who gave me the dumbed down version of html for dummies and my girlfriend Erin who is also a fellow Crafty Mom! Check out her blog site and Etsy shop info here: Lizzie Jeans

Alright, back to my Studio to create, Hope to have my new Personalized/Monogram Collection available to you all soon! ~M