Tuesday, November 24, 2015

fabulous handmade gifts to inspire her


My love of creating positive, inspiring jewellery for women and teens continues, and I'm offering some wonderful feel ah-mazing gifts for you to choose from this year. Today's finds are all about colour, creativity, joy, and belief.

You can find Starzyia designs in store at Starzyia on Madeit and Starzyia on Etsy

I'll be open until Dec 20th this year, and reopening the first week of January 2016. I recommend buying gifts by
*Dec 1st for orders outside of Australia (I cannot express ship jewelry overseas)*Dec 12th for general Australia (all states/territories except WA) or use express shipping until the  16th.
* Dec 15th for Western Australia.

I like all my customers to receive their parcels before I close, but I am at home, and contactable through the store you purchase from each day. I don't refund for parcels not arriving in time for Christmas but I do have a gorgeous image you can download and print or email to your recipient letting them know a beautiful gift was thoughtfully chosen for them and is on its way.

You can also join my email mailing list if you'd like to receive an instant 20% off and inspiration and offers delivered to you each month. There's a lovely email sign up app for Starzyia

And its nearly time for me to wish Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends, I hope you have a safe and wonderful occasion.

Sunday, March 8, 2015

a very special vintage postage stamp pendant - more epic love!


I've been writing about how my vintage postage stamp pendants are part of an epic love, and this weekend I was able to experience that on an even deeper personal level than I usually do.

When I snatched up this White Tailed Kingfisher postage stamp from my treasure box, it was still attached to a small portion of its original envelope paper. I noticed the postmark was from Kadina, and we know only one person who lives there - a very beloved cousin of my Mum's who is a real kindred spirit to me.

Then I noticed the postmark date, 6th January 1981 - two days before my Aunty Jean's birthday (who tragically passed away in 2011 four years ago under traumatic circumstances) this stamp clearly carried a birthday card between two of my favourite people, and I'm not parting with it for all the world, its going straight around my neck.

I did not notice the postmark when I carried the stamp all the way home from Adelaide to Mandurah after Aunty passed away, closing up her house was just so sad for us, but I am glad I noticed this stamp's details before they were lost. Most of my stamps have already been removed from paper - most of them have been removed from their envelopes for 50 years, so this is just so special to me.

As I said, its going straight around my neck, so I have my two girls with me always.

You can see the current range of vintage postage stamp jewelry I have available in my
Madeit Store or Etsy Store if you are interested in owning a beautiful work of art that has historic and sentimental value.

Monday, February 9, 2015

the secret joy of vintage postage stamp jewelry

vintage 1973 magyar posta bird stamp, handmade upcycled jewelry by Starzyia on etsy.

Ever since I created my first postage stamp necklace as a custom order for an etsy friend, I have grown more and more in love with creating upcycled vintage postage stamp jewelry.

It took a friend wanting a unique gift for her grandmother to get me to realize that I had a way of using the thousands of stamps I received from my own grandmother and aunt and absorbing and reveling in all the love the stamps represent.

First of all, the stamps that I create with are used stamps, they carried personal news to my family all the way from Eastern Europe to Australia, year after year, decade after decade, a steady stream of love. I call it an Epic Love, a love that traveled a vast distance but brought families closer together, and the stamps have also survived 50-60 years after their initial use, so they have a history, and are indeed survivors.

When I look at the stamps, I don't know which ones brought which news, they have so much mystery, and this is really exciting for me.

butterflypendant created with 1966 vintage postage stamp from Hungary

I feel so much love when I work with the stamps, from choosing them to completing their design, even just thinking and talking about them, I feel so close to my late grandmother and aunt that I glow.

Even more joyfully, the stamps can make such unique and exciting gifts for people, they can be chosen by their year of origin - a great birth year gift, or anniversary gift, especially for those big milestones like 25th, 40th, and 50th birthday and golden anniversary (what if the couple sent out their wedding invites with the very stamp you have chosen as their gift?)

Choosing a stamp by nation of origin and theme are also great ways to give a beautiful, heart felt gift, every image on a stamp is symbolic of something, and I'm here to help you if need information about what different symbols mean, or need help finding the right stamp for a gift occasion.

You can view my current postage stamp jewelry designs any time, in my postage stamp jewelry store sections and if you want help I can locate the right stamp out of my vast supplies for a custom order (just make sure you allow plenty of time for creating and sending the gift)

vintage postage stamp jewelry at Starzyia on etsy
vintage postage stamp jewelry at Starzyia on madeit

*** and if you did read this article, thank you, it has been a very long time since I've blogged here, I was having so much difficulty with being locked out of my account until I made the magical decision to join google + and that has given me access again (don't ask me how) but I'm glad to be here, and I hope this also means I return to commenting easily on your own blogs again. I am a social girl!