*Review* Pendant Necklaces from Handy Maiden (4.5 stars)

HandyMaiden.Etsy.com - hand-painted miniature sculptures and collectibles (San Diego, California)

Little owl pendant necklace

Product: "Little owl pendant necklace"
Order Date: August 15, 2011
My Total: $30.00 + $5.00 s&h
Discount: $28.00 Heartsy voucher
Artist: Danielle Pedersen

I first learned about the Handy Maiden shop through the Heartsy giveaway. I absolutely love the miniature pendants and had a hard time choosing which one I wanted to buy. I've been trying to not load up on things that have no functional use, so decided to go the wearable art route and choose one of the pendant necklaces.

There is a great amount of detail in each of the sculptures and collectibles and I can only marvel at how the artist, Danielle Pedersen, is able to do it without shaking and smudging anything. She has a wide variety of items that she offers in her Shop: miniature animal sculptures, brooches, chalkboard zoo series (adorable and very funny! see below on the left), earrings, necklaces, and more.

Verdict

Woodland wedding cake toppers - foxes, $160 + free s&h

The pendant looks just as it did in the photos - better, actually! - and arrived very quickly: I ordered it on a Monday and received it on the Saturday. It arrived very securely and safely packaged. I had asked for the chain to be shortened and it was.

+ PROS + Even prettier and more delicate-looking than in the photos. Owl pendant always faces the right way and doesn't twist around as you wear it. Very comfortable to wear, not at all heavy.

-- CONS -- Chain does turn as you wear it, so am always having to check where the clasp is and move it back so it's hidden. The price.

= BOTTOM LINE = I love the necklace and am very happy with my purchase. I wish that the pendant had been attached to a link in the chain so it didn't always twist around though; always an annoyance that I try and avoid when I purchase necklaces. It is a little pricey and I wouldn't have been able to afford it without a Heartsy voucher, however the price is fair given the quality and intricacy of the work.

Chalkboard pig figurine, $15.00 + free s&h

Shop Information

Opened: June 30, 2009
Items currently for sale: 64
Total sales: 518
Feedback: 487, 100% positive (487 positive, 0 neutral, 0 negative)

Links:
* HandyMaiden - Etsy Shop
* @HandyMaiden - Twitter
* Danielle Pedersen - Etsy Profile

NOTE: I purchased the item reviewed and am expressing my own uninfluenced opinions.

Welcome to Heartsy ... and Today's Deals!

Today: Bath & Body, Jewelry, Cookies, Photography, Paper Goods

Once you go Heartsy, you'll never go back! Have you heard of Heartsy.me? If not, be prepared to fall in love and spend much more money on Etsy (while justifying it by telling yourself that you're saving a lot)!

Heartsy uses the same principal as Groupon, LivingSocial, and Deals for Deeds - except it's all for Etsy. Each day, there are several Heartsy deals, each with a different Etsy Shop and offering store credit that saves over 50% (usually 55-70%). It is unbelievable and once you start, you won't stop, lol. Enjoy today's deals (they expire at end of the day!) ...

Ophelia's Apothecary
$14 for $35 Online Store Credit - Save 60% - Deal has been extended: 14 hours left
"Ophelia's Apothecary is a two person team of oil blending fury. We are proud parents of 3 mini-doxies and have a fabulous soap-making studio about a mile away from our house. We believe in using good-for-you ingredients and create our bath and beauty products in small batches to ensure fabulously fresh products from our studio straight to your door."
v Bought it! Review to come ...

    

    

Petite Paperie
$11 for $30 Online Store Credit - Save 64% - Deal has been extended: 14 hours left
"Hi, I am Jennifer the owner of Petite Paperie. I have always enjoyed vintage images and paper products and those two passions inspired Petite Paperie, a store specializing in vintage inspired stationery and papercraft. It is so fun to see all the beautiful crafts made from the digital downloads offered in my shop and it always puts a smile on my face knowing that the stationery I create is used to send special messages to your family and friends."
v Am debating ... have bought so many recently though!

    

    

Scrumptulicious
$14 for $30 Online Store Credit - Save 54% - 14 hours left
"Kristen Timmers' business Scrumptulicious was born out of necessity. In order to make ends meet after her husband was diagnosed with a life-threatening kidney disease, Kristen began pursuing her passion in baking and created a line of organic cookies which are made using only the finest, local, organic, fair-trade, and seasonal ingredients. The cookies are handcrafted, in small batches, and made to order. Timmers' philosophy is to keep it simple, keep it sustainable, and bake it with love."
v Bought it! My Mom and I couldn't resist - review to come ...

    

    

Ballyhoo Jewelry
$18 for $55 Online Store Credit - Save 68% - 14 hours left
"Hi, I'm Amy and run this little gig here at Ballyhoo. I have many inspirations: juxtaposing sweet and evil, tattoo images, Steampunk, horror and romantic/Victorian styles. I live in the D.C. metro area and love the East Coast. I hope you enjoy my designs!"
v Have to look through, but have already bought SO many jewelry Heartsy deals recently ...

    

    

Sweet Sally's Soaps
$9 for $25 Online Store Credit - Save 64% - 14 hours left
"Hi, my name is Sarah from Sweet Sally's Soaps. I create beautiful amazing smelling soaps from organic oils. I have always loved to cook and have had an intense interest in herbs and essential oils, so soap making, just seemed a natural progression. From the start, my goal was to produce skin care products that not only smelled wonderful and looked beautiful, but they also must be made from the best skin loving, nourishing ingredients available."
v Haven't looked through the Shop yet, but my resistance threshold is pretty low, lol, so ...

    

    

dreams & visions
$18 for $50 Online Store Credit - Save 64% - 14 hours left
"Hi, I'm Tricia McKellar, artist & photographer. My dreamy photographs are inspired by the Southern landscape & a sense of wanderlust. I combine modern photography with digital painting to evoke an emotion or memory within the viewer."

    

    

All images from Heartsy.me, which were all submitted by the respective Etsy Shops

Shop Feature: irregularexpressions

Freeform Fiber Art and Jewelry (Turkey)

irregular expressions is a shop I found towards the beginning of my Etsy days and one that I immediately fell in love with. The Shop is run by a family in Turkey: the mother, a retired schoolteacher, is the artist and her son and daughter help her run the Shop.

The work is beautiful - unique, intricate, colorful, and very natural-seeming. Some items are funky, others are delicate - it's a nice blend of different styles and, as seen in the pictures, will always complement - and wonderfully enhance - a simple black top. The main jewelry sold are necklaces and cuffs/bracelets. There are some definite signature styles that are repeated with different colors, accents, and materials.

Items: necklaces, bracelets, cuffs

Price Range: $70s-$170s; most around $90 or $100

Experience: N/A

Verdict: once I can afford it, I will definitely be buying a piece

Opened: September 1, 2007

Items for Sale: 14

Total Sales: 392

Feedback: 262, 100% positive (written notes are all glowingly positive!)

    

     

All photos taken from Etsy Shop irregularexpressions.