Salon D'Arte

Pledge Handmade this Holiday Season

2011-11-08T16:59:00.004-05:00

I hope everyone this season takes this pledge. Buy local! Buy from your local crafter or artist! Go to your local neighborhood indie craft festival [not the craft shows in the mall]. Support hardworking artists and crafters right here at home in the USA - as opposed to spending hundreds of dollars on cheaply made stuff from China.

I'll quote my crafty friend Amanda Marks, who says this perfectly...

"Christmas should be memories and traditions (Great Grandma Mimi's Pork Pies), not about how much money you spent on stuff that will be in the trash six months from now. Every artist and crafter I know takes their time and a part of themselves is in each piece they create. It doesn't roll off an assembly line it is made with love by hand. Whether you purchase an item on Etsy, ArtFire or from a craft show you are helping the economy here. Dying for that new sweater from J. Crew check out Etsy. I am sure you will find something that was made by hand.

Involve your children or grandchildren in creating something from the heart. I have made and bought many things for many people. The things I created or children helped create are held much more dearly than anything I have ever purchased. Need an easy gift for a teacher? How about an eye mask with bath salts?

If you have children create traditions with them whether it is building Gingerbread Houses (ours were sort of a failure but it was fun), salt dough ornaments, hand prints (grandma and grandpa love anything with hand prints)."

So think outside the box this year and start a new handmade holiday tradition.

Some Halloween and Fall Favorites...

2011-10-22T00:28:00.000-04:00

Here's some more goodies for your Trick & Treat pleasure in this Etsy Treasury by Etsian jcbabycakes!

SalonD'Arte's Witch Hat and Card are featured in this with some fantastic haunted treasures. I am so in love with the cat eye ring!!! Sb

A Happy Handmade Etsy Halloween!

2011-10-20T14:19:00.003-04:00

It's feeling a lot like Halloween with this Etsy Treasury by Etsian CreationsByAngel!

My spooky cute matching Witch's Hat and Card are featured along with this menagerie of haunted treats - enjoy! Sb

Some news to share...

2011-09-18T12:42:00.002-04:00

I haven't been blogging so much lately since I have been spending most of my free time working the summer craft shows, making ornaments, tweaking my display and preparing the for upcoming big holiday craft shows {the first of which was last weekend}. But I have also been feeding my creative muse by having some play time and trying out some new things...several months back I became part of the Unscripted Sketches Design Team...and...drumroll please...

I have super awesome news!!!

I am proud to announce that I have been selected to be part of an awesome group of artists & crafters! It is beyond words to explain how happy I am to be part of this group of talented stamp artisans. WOW! This is an awesome adventure that I am setting off on and I invite everyone to come along for the ride.

ANNOUNCING the New Viva Las Vegastamps! Design Team

Viva Las Vegastamps is excited to introduce you to our new Design Team for the next 6 months... This team will be post projects on the Viva Las Vegastamps blog on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. Please stop by to check it out and leave comments. Check out their online store, too - there are stamps for everything and every occasion.

I will still be doing graphic design and printing by day - and my ornaments and unique paper crafts, too. This is a FUN thing for me that is truly an adventure. I am not a traditional "Stamper" by any means and I am excited to be chosen to play over at VLVS.

Custom Mini Journal Project

2011-08-31T10:35:00.003-04:00

Hi Everyone! I know it's been a while since I've posted much lately - I have been working the day J.O.B. and spending the evenings & weekends preparing for my upcoming craft shows. How do you like the new background? A little goody I came across searching the web for some stamping technique ideas.

Did you know most everything at SalonDArte's shop on Etsy can be customized?

I received a request for a custom order of my popular "Altered Schoolbook Journal". You never know where inspiration comes from and I am always ready when it comes my way. The request was to make an Italy travel theme word search. Laura, my new client, sent me a list of words for the background word search and I was off and running...

Here is the final product which is merrily on it's way to Alabama. Hope you like it. I will have one more of this available in the shop, soon.

Thanks Laura for the fresh and fun inspiration. I hope your sister loves the special handmade gift! I enjoyed playing while making something new.

SalonD'Arte display at Beat Cup Folk & Craft Fair

2011-08-01T07:54:00.000-04:00

SalonDArte vending at Beat Cup Craft Fair July 31st

2011-07-22T16:45:00.003-04:00

Sorry I haven't been blogging too much lately. I been working really hard, making things and preparing to get into the local Indie craft show scene. Been doing one, Dada Bazaar, the past three months and it been great - especially to get my feet wet.

Great news!!! I Just got the call, it's official... drumroll please...

Save the date...I'll be at the Beat Cup Craft Fair in Delray Beach, Florida in a week with handmade ornaments, lanterns and other artsy goodness. I have a lot of work to do to get my display in order this weekend. I have some very artistic art in which to hang the ornaments...and a couple surprises, too. Looking forward to it, love music and artists painting in plein aire...maybe I'll do that once the weather cools down a bit. See you there : )

Looking forward to it. There will be art, live music and even artists painting in plein aire...maybe I'll do that once the weather cools down a bit. See you there : )

Dada Bazaar photos and OWH Bloghop Winner Announced!!!

2011-06-04T11:46:00.006-04:00

This was a short and whirlwind week and I participated in the Dada Bazaar on Thursday night at Dada Restaurant in Delray Beach, Florida. This is a monthly event with 15-20 vendors and live music at this restuarant that resides in a historical house. I have to admit I feel quite at home at this venue with it's laid back atmosphere, porches to lounge on and it's cool, artsy vibe.

I'm so happy it's the weekend again so I can catch up on my ZZZ's and take some time revisiting some of my new crafty friends I met online last weekend. If you have some free time, check out last weekend's Operation Write Home Memorial Day Bloghop for great cards, and how to's.

Now to announce my blog candy giveaway from 67 comments left on the last post....

selected by Random.org ... a DRUMROLL please...

Redonna said...
Great card. I know your sister had to love it. Send my heartfelt appreciation to her and her husband for their service to our country. TFS, Redonna

CONGRATULATIONS!!! I am packing up an assortment of crafty goodies to ship out on Monday! Can't wait to hear from you Redonna...thanks so much for visiting during the OWH bloghop.

: ) Sb

Swimming in the Tropics for Operation Write Home's Memorial Day Bloghop

2011-05-28T09:38:00.001-04:00

Welcome to this stop on Operation Write Home's Memorial Day Bloghop 2011. This is my third year participating...thanks so much for joining us in celebrating!!! Our family is so proud and grateful for all of our men and women serving in the armed forces. My brother-in-law was deployed to Afghanistan in April. So we are keeping ourselves busy making cards and sending care packages.

I have gone TROPICAL with this "Miss You" card. My "LITTLE Sister" was married Christmas of 2009 in Hawaii and is now officially part of Hawaii's Army National Guard unit. Since this is a 5 x 7 card, I mounted it to foldout pocket card that I stitched pages into. I sent this off to my Lil' Sister so she can write a special something to send to her hubby overseas. We actually got to spend Christmas with them and our whole family this past Christmas in Chicago. I describe more in length about this card later in the post...

My Little Sister is 10 years my junior and nearly a foot taller than me. This photo is from her deployment ceremony that was in Fort Lauderdale last January. A last minute surprise and change of plans by her unit -AND- it was so wonderful I was able to see her off from where I live.

**BLOG CANDY** I will be having a RAK giveaway of goodies from comments left between now and June 1st. Good luck!!!

Keep on hopping! The next stop is
with Laura at Scrappin' Daphne

Have a happy & safe Memorial Day Weekend! If you have ended up here in the middle of the hop, click Operation Write Home Memorial Day Bloghop to get back to the top of the hop!!!

{{ artful hugs }} : ) Sb

ABOUT THE CARD...

I have recently joined the Design Team over at Unscripted Sketches. This is one of my favorite creations to date using Sketch it Saturday's sketch #106. I have been excited to use this Stampendous "Sushi Bowl Party" stamp set I got on clearance, and have left it out on the dining room table to remind me & this sketch was the perfect use. I combined this with flourishes from a tropical stamp set and sentiment from a dollar stamp set from one of the craft stores.

I stamped the fish bowl on patterned water paper and added more depth with markers blended with water brush pens. I also stamped images on recycled film {acetate} with Staz-on and colored the flourish with marker. I layered this on top of the blue fishbowl for depth. Between the layers is a fish and heart on hook from the same "Sushi Bowl Party" set. I added black embroidery floss coming out of the bowl to the top of the card.

The pineapple patterned paper is Basic Grey and is so fun and tropical. The stamped flourishes are accented with pink marker. This card just screams "PINA COLADA"!!!

SalonDArte at upcoming event June 2, 2012

2011-05-28T08:58:00.001-04:00

SalonDArte will be at the Dada Bazaar on June 2nd at Dada Restaurant in Delray Beach, FL. To keep up with Dada Bazaar events click here. See you there!!!

Dada Bazaar - May 5, 2011

2011-04-22T09:24:00.001-04:00

Our very first INDIE craft show was May 5 at Dada Restaurant in Delray Beach, FL. My best friend Chelsea joined me and helped set up my display. She was my "display designer" and I think she did an awesome job setting up my Objects D'Arte!!! We'll be there again on June 2nd...all are invited to come and check it out. Great art, music and food all in one place. Aside of the mid-evening downpour...it was a great night : )

Greencraft Easter Goodies...

2011-03-31T11:34:00.000-04:00

Exciting things this month....

2011-03-03T17:49:00.000-05:00

Starting off with getting a real website!!!

Coming soon - http://www.SalonDArte.com !!!

I have a web guru working on this right now since I'm up to my ears in making ornaments for a craft booth I'll have on March 26 at the 54th Annual Youth Day Festival in Oakland Park, Florida.

I'm soooo excited!!!

FromNancysHeart brings Smiles to all Seasons...

2010-10-24T18:34:00.001-04:00

This weeks EtsyTwitter Team Featured Etsian.

One of my favorite ETT Teammates and I featured this item during my Christmas in July Extravagana. You will find your fill of Fun & Festive seasonal decorations by FromNancysHeart at Etsy. There's Thunder & Lightning, and Lightning Bugs but what about the least famous brother... the Lightning Bulb? Santa's favorite insect of them all - The Lighning Bulb! This cute little guy certainly shines a whole new light to crafting GREEN : ) Sb

Meet Nancy Napoli, the creative mind behind FromNancysHeart, the Etsy Twitter Team's Shop of the Week! She has an Etsy shopful of original 3-dimensional ornaments, signs, wreaths, dolls and cake toppers--are all made of wood--and covering just about any holiday or occasion you can think of! And she ships internationally, too!

Nancy has been making little characters for years and never tires of the joy it brings. "Making their little faces just makes me smile and I love telling a story about each one." This imagination and love shows in each item description! Nancy gets most of her ideas from watch all the children in her family. She says "I never have enough time in the day to be able to capture all of their experiences and joys. I love their stories and try to incorporate their imaginative fun". She's pretty economical, too: "I love that I use little pieces of wood to create one item...it's great on space!"

Nancy is relatively new to social media, but it figured prominently in her goals for this year: exploring "The virtual world; and expanding my own knowledge of how it runs." Her aim is "to motivate and inspire customers back into handmade" by "tweeting and sharing creations of other ETT members along with other Etsians on Facebook ~ I hope to bring both family and friends to see the joy and wonderful artistry that's in the world." That's a goal that all Etsians can appreciate!

Nancy's plans for this Winter/Holiday Season include bringing out some new items for the family, possibly even a group gift! "I'm going to show items that can be multi personalized, possibly for a family; or for Grandma with the names of her grandkids." And special for this week, she'll be releasing a few new designs!

Bringing traffic and sales to your Etsy shop can be a challenge. Nancy has worked to create quality photographs and Twitter raport to accomplish this feat.

Nancy will be offering
Free Shipping 10/18 through 10/24
Just mention code SOTW1018
in the comments section
~~~~~~~
Follow Nancy at
Etsy Shop: http://www.fromnancysheart.etsy.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/fromnancysheart
Blog:
http://www.fromnancysheart.blogspot.com
Special thanks to Judy of WellspringCreations for writing this post : )

FirebirdHouse feeds your passion for Vintage...

2010-10-24T18:27:00.002-04:00

This week's EtsyTwitter Team Shop of the Week

Introducing FirebirdHouse, the Etsy shop of Kristen Evans, and our Etsy Twitter Shop of the Week. FirebirdHouse offers books, jewelry, and home accessories. The common theme? Kristen loves using reclaimed and recycled materials as well as new. She says "I really love old things, especially books, and I am passionate about not losing a piece of history to the trash can or the landfill if I can help it." Her ultimate goal is to make everything that comes out of her studio a true work of art that is also useful and unique. It is not surprising that she is inspired by beautiful vintage items, everything from "furniture to an Art Nouveau book", she says.

Browsing FirebirdHouse, it is evident that her work is, by its very nature, unique and one of a kind. Kristen thrives on this variety: "When you work with vintage, you get used to the fact that every piece will be different. I am constantly challenged and inspired by what I do."

While Kristen is talented with updating vintage jewelry, her true love is vintage books. She is looking to move more into bookbinding and has just signed a gallery contract to do just that. How exciting to be able to do what you love most...and be recognized for your work! Congratulations, Kristen! She plans to migrate her FirebirdHouse inventory over to journals and other bookbinding efforts to reflect her changing focus.

Kristen is an accomplished Twitter user. Her only secret? "to interact as much as I can. My twitter-hood is a fantastic group of people, and I find them encouraging and inspiring." Conversely, to bring traffic to her shop, Kristen lists consistently (usually several times a week) and she uses posterous.com to post links to her new work in multiple places at the same time. "These are the best ways I have found for bringing people...to my shop."

~~~~~~~

Etsy Shop: http://firebirdhouse.etsy.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/firebirdhouse
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/firebirdhousedesigns
Blog: http://firebirdhouse.posterous.com

Special Thanks to Judy of WellspringCreations for writing this post!

Jewels that are out of this World by starbabyonline

2010-10-24T18:21:00.003-04:00

Etsytwitter Team's Shop of the Week

Meet Debby Carter of starbabyonline, this week's Etsy Twitter shop of the week. Debby makes jewelry with an ethnic/organic feel and loves working with glass, semi-precious gemstones, and sterling silver. No newbie to jewelry design, Debby has been intermittently designing since 1973, discovering a love of beads early in life. In fact, she admits "working in a bead shop was the first job I ever landed! The owner was smart; she knew she'd get my salary back in my bead purchases."

Her creations are one of a kind because "I want everyone to have their own unique piece." Luckily, Debby finds inspiration everywhere: a bead, a fashion, a movie. As she puts it "Seriously, it could be just about anything... how the weather feels that day..."!

And she loves a lot about her craft-

* Her materials, "There are *always* new beads coming out";

* the social side of beading: "I've met so many friends starting with a conversation at a bead or craft store"; and

* even sharing her skills: "I'm paying forward everything I've learned from others."

Debby is making a big change this season: "I'm moving my 21 years worth of possessions from my three BR house into a house-share that's already furnished. Not coming at the best time of the year for me, because I can't devote as much time to Etsy as I'd like. After my move is complete in November, I'm going to list as much as I can on Etsy as possible. There'll be some great promotions going on with that too!" Something to look forward to!

As for Twitter and promoting her Etsy Shop, Debby feels it is important to promote others as much as she promotes herself, but it is also critical to speak up and let people know she has an Etsy shop!

~~~~~~~

Etsy Shop: http://www.starbabyonline.etsy.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/starbabyonline
Facebook: starbabygems and starbabyreadings
Blog: http://starbabyslittleuniverse.blogspot.com

Special thanks to Judy of WellspringCreations for writing this post!

EtsyTwitter Team's having a Wonderland Wedding

2010-10-01T14:08:00.007-04:00

Special Event OCTOBER 1st - 9th

Planning a wedding can make you crazy with all the activity that surrounds it. It’s hard enough to find a dress and a caterer and a band, never mind thinking about the little extras that make the event fun and memorable. The EtsyTwitter Team is creating this event for the bride-to-be so she can find unique items in one place. Our wedding gift to the bride will be great specials and discounts that will make it easier on her wedding budget.

From October 1 thru October 4, Fall weddings will be featured. A splendid display of all the Autumn colors will make for a beautiful wedding. Items for themed weddings - Halloween, Victorian, Goth, and Southern Bell will add to the fun.

From October 5 thru October 9, Winter weddings are in season - snow white, sparkling blue ice, warm reds, Christmas and New Year’s. Come back everyday and see how the EtsyTwitter Team can help you have a magical celebration.

Meet Valerie from crochetgal

With Fall having cool evenings make sure your bridal party is warm during those pictures and/or as a thank you gift for being in the bridal party. These shawls can be custom made for all members of the bridal party. (please convo her for color and other arrangements if you don't see it in her shop) Shown here is the white wedding shawl with tiny beads.

A second version of this shawl is a butterfly shawl that can be viewed here.

Meet Ayca from SuppliesbyAyca

Use the coupon code "ETTLOVE" and she will offer 10% OFF on any of her crochet flowers.

The crocheted flowers can be used for wedding table decoration , favor , wedding hair accessories DIY ... etc.

A special thanks to Maxine from WhimsyFish for writing the first part of this blog & our PR for the event ~AND ~ to Jessica from frostedtreats for making the graphic for this event...and don't forget our Awesome Etsytwitter team leader ~Jennifer Kubrick~ of Jenco13 for organizing us and this event!

Add POP-art to your Cuppa Joe at dizzlePOP!

2010-10-01T13:41:00.005-04:00

This weeks EtsyTwitter Team Shop of the Week...

Introducing Gigi Thorsen, the creative mind behind dizzlePOP, the EtsyTwitter Team's Shop of the Week. Gigi makes coffee cozies in a wide assortment of fabrics from bold to subtle, from flowers to skulls. It's no wonder she finds inspiration from these wonderful fabrics she's collected. In just over three years, her Etsy shop has seen 870+ sales, so news of her quality and attention to detail has certainly spread. Gigi says "I love making items functional and lasting!"

Some of dizzlePOP's popularity stems from Gigi's great customer service and fast shipping. Not one to rest on her laurels, her goal this year has been to make sure she has enough inventory to be able to turn her orders around quickly, but that's not her motivating force. She says, "For me it's not the numbers but the joy of creating and sharing!"

Gigi feels that Twitter is the best tool that brings business to dizzlePOP. Her secret? "Have relationships with your followers and those you follow." It's not just about the marketing, but the relationships you build through the medium of Twitter than can cause someone to check out your shop and stumble upon that 'just right' purchase. However, she does have a secret Twitter pleasure: Gigi loves to "watch views after a tweet and...to watch the number rise!"

Gigi is planning a holiday special starting sometime after Thanksgiving, but this week she's offering a shop of the week special!

Buy one, get one half off.
If you order 3 or more, shipping is free!
~~~~~~~
Find dizzlePOP on
Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/dizzlepop
Twitter: http://twitter.com/dizzlepop
Special thanks to Judy of WellspringCreations for writing this post!
Sb : )

Jusshar is just Sew Fabulous!

2010-10-01T13:39:00.002-04:00

EtsyTwitter Team Shop of the Week - jusshar

The EtsyTwitter Team shop of the week is jusshar, featuring the sewn, knit, and crocheted accessories created by Beth Newbern-Hallam. Beth just doesn't run down to the store to buy material for every project. She loves to recyle yarns and fabrics. As she puts it, "I'm really dedicated to using what I have, and repurposing materials into something new." She does buy new materials for use in custom projects, unless the customer is like-minded and requests the repurposed materials!

As for ideas, Beth doesn't just get inspired; she is driven! "I just have an internal need to create. I knit and/or crochet every single day. I can't imagine NOT creating." Another thing Beth loves about her work is its mobility. She'll take it along on trips, car rides...even to her kids' school events! And if she's not getting the result she wants? "I can just unravel it and start over."

On the business front, Beth is planning to revamp her blog and website. She also plans to change the direction of her work from trying to hit trends to creating the items that come from her own imagination. This will be a challenge as she is a full time student in graphics and web design and planning a move to North Carolina where she plans to continue her college education. She wont' be alone though, as her youngest son will be attending the same college!

As for Twitter, Beth does tweet, but considers herself a "dabbler". As a business tool, she approaches social media carefully as she is concerned about being spammy. "That's such a turn off for me personally." Bringing business to her shop has been a struggle, although she has concluded that her sales are cyclical, with increased activity over the holidays. With her busy college schedule and planned relocation, Beth is planning to put her Etsy shop on an indefinate break on November 30th. "I'd like to sell out my Etsy shop(s) by then."

~~~~~~~

Other links to jusshar:
Etsy Shop: http://jusshar.etsy.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/jusshar
Facebook: http://facebook.com/jusshardesigns
Blog: http://jusshardesigns.blogspot.com

Thanks to Judy of Wellspring Creations for writing this post! Sb : )

Have your cake and wear it too with FrostedTreats!

2010-10-01T13:32:00.002-04:00

EtsyTwitter Team Shop of the Week

The EtsyTwitter Shop of the Week is FrostedTreats, featuring the creations of Jessica Mount. Since 2008, she's used polymer clay to make delicious looking cupcakes, cakes, cookies, pea pods, roses...and the occasional pig in an ice cream cone! While most of the tiny sculptures are wearable charms, Jessica has expanded her product line to include general accessories: bookmarks, push pins, magnets, etc.

For inspiration, Jessica collects photos, mostly from the Internet, of a variety of items: flowers, cakes, owls, fortune cookies, teapots, butterflies (and a few of her brother's pick up truck, though she's not quite sure how they got in there!) Always open to new ideas, when someone says "Oh! You should make..." she adds it to her list!

About her work, Jessica says "Since clay is my medium, the possibilities of what I can create are only limited by my own imagination. That is why I LOVE custom orders. I love having someone ask for something abstract and being able to say, "Yup! I can do that!" The only greater feeling is when they receive the finished product."

Jessica's goal this year is to continue expanding her product line. She says "Even though I love the idea of wearing a little cupcake around my neck or strawberries dangling from my ears, not everyone is into that sort of fashion statement. I've been working on creating more gift-able items...that way everyone can enjoy a little extra treat without worrying if the color of their frosting matches the rest of their outfit!"

In addition to her Etsy shop, Jessica will be showing her creations at a few craft fairs and market tables through the fall in preparation for the holiday season. She's been sketching out some holiday ornaments and...listening to her customers who are looking for gifts to give, that has defined her holiday focus. Look forward to all these new creations in FrostedTreats over the coming weeks!

Jessica has found that Twitter is her main form of bringing traffic to her Etsy shop "Since I started tweeting about my handmade crafts (as well as cross-promoting for things that catch my eye!) my sales and traffic have been phenomenal!" Her advice: "Tweet others the way you would like to be tweeted! If you see something that catches your eye, tweet about it! Having someone else gush over your work is so much more rewarding than gushing over your own projects. Make connections. Build friendships and networks with crafters like yourself and with people whose talents amaze you!"

Jessica's creativity is matched only by her enthusiasm!

~~~~~~~

Visit FrostedTreats in all these places:
Etsy Shop: http://frostedtreats.etsy.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/frostedtreats
Facebook: http://facebook.com/frostedtreats
Blog: http://frostedtreats.blogspot.com
Special Thanks to Judy of WellspringCreations for writing this post : )

EtsyTwitter Team at the Harvest Festival - Best in Show at

2010-09-16T15:19:00.005-04:00

HARVEST FESTIVAL!! ~Let's shop!

Meet Donnielle from

Design Knit Fun
Make sure you check out the Harvest section of this amazing shop! You can also find
Scarves, Neckwarmers, Cowls, and Bangles.

Include code ETTHarvest at purchase for a complimentary Simply Fun bangle - choice of colors depends on availability

Meet Ellie from My Little Chickadee Creations

Here you will find Tile Coasters, Wedding Favors, and Personalized Ornament.

Sale is the following -please use the code "ETTHarvest"

25% off select tile coasters & trivets during the harvest festival.

Meet Claire from RhodesAnnalsDesigns

Claire makes beautiful scarves, cowls, and bags.

Her sale is:

FREE international shipping for September using the code ETTHarvest

Meet Debby from starbabyonline She has set up a special section just for our Harvest festival where you will find beautiful jewelry.

Her sale is EtsyTwitter Team is having a fall Harvest Festival sale! For my part, each of my items with the "ETTHarvest" tag are each $2.00 off - no limit on how many you can purchase! Just include ETTHarvest" in the "message to seller" section of your final review and I'll PayPal the $2.00 back to you within 24 hours.

Meet Janelle from Scrap with Style .

If you love to scrap or love pretty ribbon you gotta book mark Janelle's shop. Where you will find tons of Paper, Ribbon, Scrapbook Kits all in fall/autumn themes

Sale of 10% off any order of $10 or more (not including shipping) with the ETTHarvest code entered in the "msg to seller" spot at checkout. Refunds will be given via paypal after payment is made, 10% back will not be given on the shipping charges. Only one promo code/offer per order.

Welcome to Jus Shar desings run by Beth. She sews, knits and crochets many different items for men, women, children and teens. Pictured on the left here is one of her hats for men. She has several other designs and colors to choose from.

Mention "ETTHARVEST" in sellers notes and receive

FREE shipping within the United States, and 15% off shipping for the rest.

Hope your finding some great deals for the holidays. If not do not give up hope there are many more shops we can help you find that perfect gift in - just search type in search words { etsytwitter harvestfestival } in Etsy and you can see all our Team's creation.

Thanks for shopping HANDMADE : ) Sb

Find Haute-Couture at Yarncoture...

2010-08-28T20:15:00.002-04:00

EtsyTwitter Team Shop of the Week

This week the Etsy Twitter Team is featuring yarncoture, the Etsy shop of Maryum Karim. Maryum is a knit/crochet accessories designer who makes an entire line of knit and crochet sweaters, hats, shrugs, scarves, brooches, spa items, and in the near future, perhaps, even bedding and home decor items!

The designs of yarncoture are aimed at customer comfort and satisfaction. Maryum offer a wide range of products and price points to accommodate every preference and be attractive to any budget. Maryum adds, "I also specialize in custom work to provide my customers with a "haute-couture" boutique experience...there's always going to be something special that a man or woman would like to own in their wardrobe and the experience of creating something special for someone is truly...rewarding".

Looking through her shop, it's not surprising that Maryum delights in using the finest materials and trying out new stiches and techniques. And inspiration? She says "Anything can inspire me..a strong personality, a beautiful vintage button, some soft fluffy yarn...anything! I can see a specific person or a specific group of materials and I will try to create around those things to fashion together something extraordinary."

Keep an eye on yarncoture for new designs for the Fall/Winter 2019-2011 season! Maryum is halfway to her goal of 300 sales this year and she's hoping the winter season will bring in lots of sales...and very satisfied repeat customers!

Maryum uses Twitter in a way reminiscent of fine shopkeepers by greeting everyone, talking a little bit about what she's working on, responding to other people's tweets of interest, and maybe tweet about some of the items in her Etsy shop. She believes that keeping her virtual shelves stocked with new and unique items is what brings sales to her shop...and that great customer service results in wonderful word-of-mouth advertising!

yarncoture is offering
Free Worldwide Shipping on SELECTED items
Free Shipping on EVERYTHING shipped within the U.S. and Canada
20% off on all Basketweave Knit Scarves and
20% off on all Amazing Chunky Skinny Scarves
~~~~~~~
Check out yarncoture through these venues!
Etsy: http://www.yarncoture.etsy.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/yarncoture
Blog: http://www.yarncoture.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HandKnitsbyYarncoture

..and how about her latest Fall Collection video?!
Thanks to Judy of Wellspring Creations for writing this article!
: ) Sb

Getting an inside look at inmyheadstudios...

2010-08-22T19:41:00.002-04:00

EtsyTwitter Team Shop of the Week!

Our Etsy Twitter Team Shop of the Week is inmyheadstudios featuring altered mixed-media domino and game piece jewelry, microscope slide glass pendants, ACEOs (Art Cards Editions and Originals) by the talented Vickie Porter.

In describing her work, Vickie puts it best "I have a seriously good/bad relationship with perfectionism so my customers can rest assured they are getting top quality materials and artwork. It’s sometimes hard to tell in photos online, but the dominoes and microscope slide glass pendants have real tiny paper collages on them. I work with ridiculously small pieces of paper sometimes.

"My new line of archival prints on my domino jewelry has allowed me to reach new levels of detail for such a tiny canvas. I have been creating larger mixed media collage work in the same proportions as the dominoes. I scan and print them out in wood domino size, which is 1 3/4 inches x 7/8 inches. I usually add another layer of detail to the little collage to make the domino special."

For such a variety of beautiful and intricate results, Vickie gets her inspiration from colors, lines, and shapes (basically everything). "I simply have to create or I’m not happy. It’s like needing air." It follows that Vickie is not confined by rules, but lets her inspiration and creativity have full rein. While she may not stick to one medium, she admits, "Central to almost everything I do is paper. I love paper."

For the upcoming seasons, Vickie plans to show her work at as many shows as she can fit into her schedule. She has big holiday plans, however to add domino Christmas tree ornaments and admits to having a "couple other things up my sleeve"...so we have some holiday surprises to look forward to in her etsy shop!

Vickie is happy to take custom orders and ships internationally, too!

On the business side, Vickie is adept at Twitter (via TweetDeck) and recommends the team to "Engage! Talk. Share! Provide quality content. Comment on links posted. Retweet. Actually, I rarely tweet about my shop. I probably should tweet it more. I get irritated with Etsy sellers who only tweet their shop links. Tell me about you and what is important to you. Let me get to know you. What excites you about your work? I’m way more likely to buy from you that way."

Tweeting links can be time-consuming to research, but Vickie has a tip to share! "One of my tricks is using Google Reader to find quality content to share. I have a feed set up for the keyword “creativity”. So every morning I have a big shiny new list of articles about creativity, which is a subject I really like to read about. When I read really good articles, I tweet them. Providing this kind of content gets me retweeted a lot and that in turn gets my name out there."

For bringing traffic to inmyheadstudios, Vickie has this tip to share: Connect "with people online in a combination of places– Twitter, Facebook, Ning sites. You have to talk about you or no one else will be talking about you. Get out there! All The Universe asks is that you show up."

FREE shipping to anywhere
from August 16-22!
Discount applied through
prompt PayPal refund.
No need for coupons or codes!
~~~~~~~
Etsy Shop: http://inmyheadstudios.etsy.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/inmyheadstudios
Blog: http://inmyheadstudios.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/InMyHeadStudios
flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/inmyheadstudios
Special thanks to Judy of WellspringCreations for writing this post!
: ) Sb

My Most Favorite Aunt is "Full of Knits and Flair"

2010-08-17T14:14:00.003-04:00

EtsyTwitter Team Featured Shop - MostFavoriteAunt

The EtsyTwitter Team’s Shop of the week is: MostFavoriteAunt, also known as Pamela Ziemlewicz. According to Pamela, the shop is full of “knits and flair,” from baby hats, coffee cup cozies and other knitted goods to pinback buttons—all adorable, all handmade, and “all me,” she says What inspires her? “I'm pretty sassy. Usually I'll make some smart-alec remark and then think, ‘Oooh, that would make a cool...’” What is her motivation? “I work a lot. At the end of a long day, I love turning on the boob-tube, and sitting down with some yarn and needles to relax.” Eventually, she’d like to turn her craft into her full-time endeavor and dreams of quitting her day job…maybe by 2011!

On the Twitter front, she offers this advice: “just tweet yourself”! She does this by tweeting about her three biggest hobbies: traveling, reading, and creating. She brings traffic and sales to her shop through her generosity: “Do it for a cause! The biggest traffic draws are items where proceeds go to charity. This scarf is a super-seller!

Her upcoming plans? “Fall and Winter are always BIG seasons for me. Lots of people buying warm fuzzies. Lots of cold and yucky days to spend inside creating.” Look for an increased and ever-changing inventory! Perfect timing for the holiday season to come!

Please visit MostFavoriteAunt:
Etsy Shop: http://MostFavoriteAunt.ETSY.com
Twitter: http://Twitter.com/MostFavorite

Thanks to Judy of WellspringCreations for writing this post : )

Christmas In July - Day 31 : A fun finale...

2010-07-31T09:42:00.005-04:00

Well the end of the month is finally here...but this month has been wonderful to explore and learn and share all things Christmas.

So to wrap up I am going to share a couple pix from my last trip home for Christmas 2008 - yes I live in hot and sweltering South Florida, but I am originally from Chicago and when I am there, you wouldn't know I've lived most of my life in Florida, except for a little southern twang "ya'all".

Last trip - Chicago was blanketed with 2 feet of fresh snow and my husband and I built this wonky snowman. In all of our holiday trips {10 so far}, this was the first time he'd ever built one - he's a Florida baby. Only one other trip there was more than an inch on the ground, but I was coming down with a cold and my Grandmother banished me to watch the 3 generation snowball through the picture window.

This snowy scene has to be one of my favorite pictures taken from my iPhone.

Here frosty was the next morning - the weather had warmed up & a funny thing: the birds and squirrels didn't eat the sugar ball cookies we used for eyes - there made with nuts!

I hope everyone enjoyed my Christmas extravanganza and I thank you all for visiting and sharing. I leave you with one thing I learned strolling the decorated streets of downtown Chicago..."You better watch out, you never know when Christmas Good and Evil will sneak up on you..."

Have a great summer crafting up handmade holiday goodies! I have lots of new things to make and I want to learn to crochet those cute ornaments I featured a couple weeks back...Sb

Celebrating Christmas Every Day! CHRISTMAS IN JULY - Day 30

2010-07-30T16:27:00.019-04:00

Welcome to Christmas, Florida...

Photo from FloridaSmart.com website

Christmas, Florida

Christmas is a small, rural community in East Orange County, east of Orlando and west of Titusville. The town's name was established from the community that was originally called Fort Christmas, named accordingly for the day the fort was built on December 27, 1837. The "Fort" was dropped when the post office opened in 1892.

Population: 1,162 (US Census 2000)

"Welcome to Christmas, Florida! Did you know there‘s a town in Florida named Christmas? Yep, it’s down there about halfway between Orlando and the Atlantic Ocean. How did Christmas, Florida get its name? Soldiers fighting with the Seminole Indians built a fort there in 1837. They named it Christmas because they started building it on Christmas Day. The fort was built in three days and abandoned three months later.

Photo from FloridaSmart.com website

Christmas, Florida has a tiny, but very busy post office. People all over the country send in stacks of mail at Christmastime. They want to get the “Chirstmas, Florida” postmark on their Christmas mail! Plus, lots of kids send their letters to Santa to Christmas, Florida. Did they forget about the North Pole????

Photo from FloridaSmart.com website

Photo from FloridaSmart.com website

Christmas also has a permanent Christmas Tree. This 35 foot tree is decorated year-round. Christmas, Florida has the Christmas spirit every day of the year!"

Christmas, Florida information quoted above is from book
entitled "The Most Amazing Book of Florida Christmas Trivia"
by Carole Marsh.

On December 25, 1837, a force of 2,000 U.S. Army Soldiers and Alabama Volunteers arrived near this spot to construct a fort which was aptly named, Fort Christmas. This fort was only one of over 200 forts built during the Second Seminole Indian War, 1835 - 1842. The fort houses exhibits and a video presentation on the Seminole Indian Wars. Photo from Fort Christmas Historical Park website.

and...Upon further research there is one other claim to fame
for this Jolly ole' town ...
Christmas, FL is Home to the World's Largest Alligator!

Photo from roadsideamerica.com

"SWAMPY" is big -- big enough to contain the gift shop, ticket counter and offices of Jungle Adventures, in the holiday season-themed town of Christmas, Florida. How long exactly is Swampy? "Pretty damn long!" an absentee manager's voice blares from the phone at the cashier's station, as employees scurry to protect their supremacy claim from a rival gator in Kissimmee. So COOL!

There's just one more day of Christmas in July...see you tomorrow : ) Sb

CHRISTMAS IN JULY - Day 29

2010-07-30T16:27:00.018-04:00

Today's post I am posting a projects that I have made for gifts. These are pretty gift boxes decorated up with pretty scrapbook paper and sheets of coordinating die-cut floral embellishments that are layered with 3-D pop dots. Makes a great home for earrings or gift card holder...and the best part, the box is part of the gift.

Inside I put a message in this one...

These just started out as blank white boxes with a magnetic closure...with a little creative love, ribbon and bling...something beautiful to enclose a gift.

Thanks for visiting...hope you have a crafty day!Sb

CHRISTMAS IN JULY - Day 28

2010-07-30T16:27:00.017-04:00

Shrink Plastic Stamped Ornament...

I've been making ornaments for my Grandmother to give as gifts to her painting students for several years now. I've made quilled snowflakes, paper origami ornaments, decorated cookie cutters, the magnet reindeers, the clear glass balls and a few more I can't recall right now. I'll have to get photos of them all when I go home and visit my Grandmother this Christmas. She puts all my handmade creations on her tree - even one's we made when I was growing up. My mom always had us making stuff for the holidays. I know she has some super cute felt gingerbread ornaments, and pretty beaded snowflakes and wreath ornaments.

For today I am sharing one of my favorite {and most challenging} creations working with shrink plastic. Who doesn't recall when they were kids and between the batches of home-baked cookies painting Snoopy and other fun "Shrinky-Dink" ornaments. I know I have a couple I snagged off my Mom out of her Christmas Stash.

This was made with a Stampington Santa Collage image stamped onto the shrink plastic, and I colored with markers and Prismacolor colored pencils on the back before baking. They are only about 2" square, but so beautiful. Especially with the twinkle lights on the tree reflecting through them. I finished them of with a border and hanger made from icicle blue fun fur.

These took a long time to make with all the hand-coloring, but the Santa's have a hand-painted look and the depth of the layers and pencil marks are retained - this was a surprise.

Have a great day! Sb

Be the Belle of the Ball with BellaBeadJewelry

2010-07-28T10:56:00.003-04:00

EtsyTwitter Team - Shop of the Week

Our Etsy Shop of the Week is bellabeadjewelry, where you can find handcrafted beads, findings, and even completed jewelry made from them! They are created by proprietor, Linda Lawrence. Her art and the the Etsy shop in which she sells it, are only one of the creative sides to her life. During the day, Linda is an art teacher in a local elementary school and, as she puts it, she "plays with fire by night!"

Linda has been making glass beads and jewelry for several years. She finds it interesting and challenging because there is always something to learn and improve upon when working with glass beadmaking. Many things inspire Linda in her creations; in fact, anything that catches her eye could possibly spark an idea for a bead or jewelry design. Linda adds, "the students I teach are a huge influence on me. I adore children. They are not complicated and are so free and open generally". Linda has a very personal feel about her work and says "the love that I have for making my glass baubles comes through each piece. I want my customers to enjoy it as much as I did creating it!"

Linda's main goals for her Etsy shop are to work smarter, try new things, and keep bellabeadjewelry stocked. Her take on it? "Its hard juggling it all but I believe good planning is key!" Tweeting must be hard for Linda to work into her busy schedule, but she uses Twitter to entice her followers into "popping over to my shop, blog or visit our shop of the week". Linda feels her greatest tools are her blog (to direct people to my etsy shop) and her newsletter.

bellabeadjewelry is offering a
15% discount
for the week of July 26, 2010
~~~~~~~
Please visit bellabeadjewelry!
Shop: http://www.bellabeadjewelry.etsy.com
Blog: http://www.bellabeadjewelrybylinda.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BellaBellaBeads

Written by Judy of Wellspring Creations

Christmas in July - Day 27: Did You Know???

2010-07-27T20:02:00.005-04:00

These Fun Facts about Holiday Ornaments...

Photo from Victoriana.com

The earliest ornaments for sale in stores were flat lead stars, crosses, butterflies and diamonds. They were popular in the U. S. between 1870 and 1890. The first blown-glass ornaments were sold in America. They were not the thin bubbles we see today, but very thick.

Photo from davidpoolantiques.com

Other early ornaments included flying angels and animals made of wax. Angels had cardboard wings and their clothes were made from tinsel and ribbon.

Photo from davidpoolantiques.com

In 1875, Celluloid ornaments were popular, even though they were a fire hazard. These included soldier, doll and birdhouse ornaments.

Celluloid Santa Clause. 10” high. Stamped on carton base “Japan”.
Celluloid face, papier mache limbs. Stuffed torso, cotton clothing, wool beard. Credit: Garth’s Auctions.

In 1880, Frank Woolworth reluctantly decided to sell ornaments in his 14 Woolworth’s stores. Little did he know that before long he would be ordering 200,000 ornaments each year!

Photo from davidpoolantiques.com

Other ornaments to appear next included: gold and silver camels, pianos and sailboats; big, fluffy, cotton-stuffed Santas and angels; glass bead stars; Japanese lanterns and parasols; hand-blown glass fruit, vegetables, fish and storybook characters.

In 1892, Christmas-tree hooks were invented! WOW!

In 1910, Sears added ornaments to its mail-order catalog.

It was 1918 before American companies began to make ornaments. They did so because of World War l; the U.S. would not accept German goods.

Photo from davidpoolantiques.com

The first silver foil icicles were very popular in 1878. Americans would be the first to make some that would not tarnish. In 1960, they were no longer made from lead; manufacturers switched to mylar because of the danger of lead poisoning. The first “angel hair” appeared in 1880; tinsel garlands in the 1890s.

Facts are from book entitled "The Most Amazing Book of Florida Christmas Trivia" by Carole Marsh.

We're still celebrating Christmas until the end of the month. Hope you are hanging in there...the best is yet to come : ) Sb

CHRISTMAS IN JULY - Day 26

2010-07-26T13:11:00.004-04:00

In the home stretch...this is the last week of July. Today's post features one of my favorite cards I have made, this lovable snowman!

This hand-stamped, hand-colored original features a layered snowman with an embossed red heart & corn-cob nose on top of a hand-painted blue paper that is overstamped with a snow-flurry flourish. Just shows how fancy you can turn something ordinary into when you dump out all the toys in your toybox and PLAY.

I hope my dear friend who received this card in my S.U.S.S. card swap group loves him. It was very hard to mail him away.

This card can be reproduced for custom orders and in multiples - please e-mail me at **mail at sbartist dot com** for more info.

Merry Christmas in July!

2010-07-25T15:22:00.006-04:00

Today is July 25th - Christmas in July. I have found so many new favorite shops and blogs in the webosphere to make these holiday posts, to mix things up with posting a few of my own crafty projects.

Today I am reminiscing and looking through old photos of Christmas' past...the one I am sharing is last Christmas I shared with my Dad, who passed on just over two summers back. His wife has a lovely ceramic holiday village, almost fills the whole living room floor. But the centerpiece was definitely the meal.

My Dad, Ralph Vincent Novak, was a fellow artisan, a glass blower, a painter and craftsman who worked for over 20 years travelling on the art show circuit. But he had a second love...he was KING in the kitchen. He loved to cook and even loved to eat more.

And his specialty was homemade meatballs, sausage and sauce {he would make his own pasta, too, but this day he did not have the patience for it}. I am lucky that not only was I passed down the artistic gene, but also the knack for cooking.

His loving wife Betty also had a downhome Alabama specialty "Sausage Cheese Loaf". One of these days I will see if she'll give me this recipe.

It looks like a mess, but I promise you it is so YUMMY and decadent...you can't stop with just one slice.

The one thing I will pass on today is this: take time doing those special things with your family during the holidays - those handmade traditions that you will pass on to your children. These are the things that you will cherish and remember always. Sb

Unwind with Crochetgal...

2010-07-25T15:22:00.005-04:00

EtsyTwitter Team's Shop of the Week!

The EtsyTwitter Team's shop of the week is crochetgal which not only offers crocheted wearable art and specialty yarns, but also display mannequins. Valerie, the crochet talent and proprietor, also sells handcrafted soap dishes made in her family's woodshop!

"Perplexed" is a beautiful crocheted lace shawl that was inspired by the old fashioned pineapple.... a pattern that never ages. The detail in this design is amazing!

Valerie is the sole designer and creator of crochetgal's crocheted offerings. She crochets each item with meticulous detail and is equally committed to customer service. She is inspired by "almost anything" she says, "from an interesting piece of material to a shape to a color". Valerie loves the flexibility and change possible with her craft as she explores various methods in detail. She says, "Right now I'm in my 'exploded lace' period with the crochet and have been there for about 3 years, but I see that direction changing within the next 2 years."

Valerie takes her business very seriously by setting both short and long-term goals. Initially, she defined a 5-year plan to make the business 'work' and provide an income. Her next 2-year plan was to double the size of the business. Her current 2-year plan is to double the volume of each year's business over the previous year. "It's ambitious, but without a goal in mind, a business cannot flourish."

A great deal of energy is spent during the Winter shows. She spends her summer planning her strategy...and relaxing while she can! In her spare moments she likes to tweet. Her emphasis is to interact with other people using Twitter, rather than posting continuous links.

Check these out!! Available in a pack of three...One for your kitchen, one for your bathroom sink and one for your tub or shower. These soap decks are a great gift idea & I need some of these...

crochetgal is celebrating
Christmas in July with
20% off all shawls
20% off a wide range of yarns,
(some yarns are net 65% off reg retail price!)
~~~~~~~
Etsy shop - crochetgal.etsy.com
Confessions of a Yarnaholic Blog - crochetgals.blogspot.com
Twitter - twitter.com/crochetgal

Christmas in July - Day 24

2010-07-25T15:21:00.005-04:00

The final "Piece de resistance" in the series of Stacking Boxes is Mrs. Claus. Complete with wire-rim glasses and fresh out of the kitchen baking holiday cookies. It is so amazing what can be made with the array of craft supplies and patterned papers we have at our disposal - the possibilities are endless!

One of my favorite crafty stores is the Dollar Tree. It is an endless supplies begging for transformation. I scored a dozen santa hats made from a felted plaid fabric, which made Mrs. Claus' bonnet so perfectly...and the leftover fur rims were saved for another project I will share in a day or so.

Mrs. Claus is adorned with apron,
too and a red bow tying it off in the back.

Hope you enjoyed this post! Have a great weekend : ) Sb

Christmas in July - Day 23

2010-07-24T23:14:00.003-04:00

Vintage Christmas - Cards

Today I'm sharing with you an blog except from a friend of mine on the EtsyTwitter Team JusSharDesigns that she shared last holiday season. Some real down-home vintage crafty projects. Please visit her blog with more of these vintage posts here.

"I have a lovely old book (McCall's Giant Golden Make-It Book) from 1953 that is full of fun, vintage crafts. I thought with the holidays coming on, I'd share my favorite Christmas one's with you. Click on each photo to enlarge it, and print it."

Have a crafty day!
: ) Sb

Christmas in July - Day 22

2010-07-23T10:14:00.007-04:00

I was searching for Santa's, but I found him AND a couple of his friends...old and NEW!

From July 15th, through July 25th Etsy is promoting Etsy shops offering Christmas in July promotions. Please check out these and many other fantastic handmade items at Etsy by using search keywords ChristmasInJuly or CIJ.

Please click on the photo to go to the item link in Etsy.

Collect them all!! These Jingle Bell Buddies by LyonsDenCreations are created using a jingle bell as their bellies...featuring Santa Claus, Elves, Gingerbread, Snowmen, and Penguins. Want another special character custom made? Feel free to convo LyonsDenCreations with your request!

These little guys from FunkyJunkyVintage at Etsy were too much to not feature here. I love their wide-eyed gaze, like, yipes, there's a Grizzly! I think they're reindeer? Without the red nose & their antlers haven't grown in yet...

A very unique gift any time of the year by JaniceCordeiro. This needle felted soft sculpture Santa is a great additions to your holiday decoration collection. All wool - beautiful!

I LOVE PURPLE so naturally, I picked this! Spiders in your Christmas tree? Of course! Many believe a spider in your tree is good luck! And this purple and black spider is one of the nicest spiders you could wish for! This spider by sandijagt at Etsy would also make an interesting pendant or decoration for Hallowe'en!

RhondasOriginals has taken a glass jar and upcycled it with antique-look buttons, fluffy white feathers, pearls, dried rosebuds, a coffee stained crochet "hat", a porcelain rose necklace, and antique paper book page scraps from the 19th century. She has Metallic chenille arms and tiny bells will jingle when the doll is moved. A Ms. Frosty is born.

What are you doing this Christmas in July weekend? Anything Crafty???
See you tomorrow : ) Sb

Christmas In July - Day 21

2010-07-21T15:55:00.008-04:00

Wow! Only 10 days left in the month...where did it go?

Here's today's crafty project...A hanging Holiday Trio made from blank approx. 4" x 6" premade white chipboard blanks, some pretty papers, ribbons and binder rings to join the pieces together.

All of this is very basic paper piecing and is a great project to make with kids and make a real nice gift to be enjoyed for years to come. A great variation would be to recycle the images from christmas cards...

Santa's head on top...

His belt and holly berries in the middle...

and a folky-fun star on a festive green background.

This is the backside panels decorated simply & spelling out "JOY". This can be hung and viewed from both sides. Feel free to comment and share what crafty Christmas decorations you are making this summer. See you tomorrow : ) Sb

Christmas In July - Day 20: a Tuesday Tutorial goody!

2010-07-20T17:54:00.005-04:00

Christmas In July - Day 19

2010-07-19T14:06:00.007-04:00

Handmade Holiday Tree Centerpiece

Christmas my husband and I will travel to Chicago to spend the holiday with my Grandmother. There is nothing like experiencing Christmas in Chicago especially after the HOT summer we've been having so far. Living in South Florida it will be in the 90's well into October... We do have a very nice annual Winterfest boat parade, but there's no comparing it to the windows at Marshall Field's or the Festival of Trees at the MOSI in Chi-town...

For these travel holidays, I have my Holiday Tree to bring the holiday cheer to my house, without dragging out all the trimmings. Fashioned from wood dowels, and square of wooden fence post is lavishly embellished just like a regular tree - adorned with keepsakes, family photos, paper snowflakes, Scrapbooking embellishments, ribbon and garland. This is just the one side, and there is more to be added yet, but I snapped this photo before I junked it up too much - less is more...

This makes a beautiful centerpiece on the table and keeps the family busy reminiscing on all the photos I cherish on this tree. Best of all, I can change it for any season.

This tree is approx 26" tall and longest limb is 14". If you are interested in a naked tree form, base, various size hooks & star for the top ready to assemble and decorate - I'm happy to produce a naked tree structure as custom orders for $15 each plus shipping. Please E-mail me at mail { at } sbartist dot com.

Check back tomorrow for the next installment ; ) Sb

Christmas in July - Day 18

2010-07-18T21:03:00.004-04:00

This sweet Handmade Holiday Card with Candy Cane is perfect to hold a gift card, teacher's gift or to top a special home-baked gift...

This sweet hand-stamped holiday card is 5 1/2" tall x approx 4" wide made with My Minds Eye patterned paper, with candy-cane spine decor [not for consumption], and finished off with satin ribbon and stickles glitter adhesive.

Inside is blank for adding personal message and comes with an envelope for mailing. The faux candy cane can be removed and replaced with an edible one...for an extra sweet treat! Sb

Christmas in July - Day 17

2010-07-18T00:03:00.004-04:00

Today I'm feeling like some cookies, so I found these great holiday items that will certainly get Santa's attention...

From July 15th, through July 25th Etsy is promoting Etsy shops offering Christmas in July promotions. Please check out these and many other fantastic handmade items at Etsy by using search keywords ChristmasInJuly or CIJ.

Please click on the photo to go to the item link in Etsy.

This rainbow inspired felt play food set includes seven cookies, by LittlePicklepotamus are hand embroidered with sparkly pearlescent sprinkles. The cookies are approximately 3 inches and would be so cute on the tree, too.

For all the bakers out there - here's a find to top the cookie swap! Vintage 1978 - the full set of 12 cookie cutters, made right here in Wisconsin sold by vakvar at Etsy! The designs are oh, so 70s!

OK - this one is to relax after a long day of baking - but look good enough to eat! This box of 8 Bath Cookies by SugarSugarScrub are scented with Cotton Candy Fragrance Oil. Drop one or more cookies into your bath along with Sugar Sugar Bubbles or alone for a SWEET treat!

WhimsyFish loves to bake too - and likes to think of cookies as the jewelry of the the baking world. This *.pdf book is a collection of super yummy cookies and confections that her and her family have enjoyed over the years. Yum! I can do that!

This is such a great gift idea, from megscreations: Your choice of 3 cookie mixes in 32 oz canning jars. All you need to do is add the eggs, butter and vanilla then bake and you have homemade gourmet Cookies. Each mix makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen cookies. Quick and Easy - and baked with love : )

Enjoy - see you tomorrow...off to get the real thing, I need a snack! Sb

Christmas In July - Day 16

2010-07-16T02:33:00.004-04:00

Hello everyone! It's finally Friday again - this week has flown by. If you have been checking in every day, you might remember July 9th's post featuring a set of stacking Santa boxes.

Well here is his trusty little sidekick "Elmer Elf" with "Rudy" the Reindeer. My apologies on the phone pix, they are the only one's I have. I just had to share it with you. This photo is of one that was made by one of my students at my local S.B. store, Sabrina, who is a constant source of inspiration to me - she asked me to come up with an elf to go with the man in red.

Elmer is also a set of stacking boxes, just smaller, when sitting next to Santa stacked. These stacking boxes are easy to make with patterned cardstock and some craft embellishments. My Elf was given away as a Christmas Gift so I'll have to make another.

The elf hat and ears give "Elmer" such personality and the paper pieced reindeer has my favorite embellishment - googlie eyes!

Happy Friday everyone! The month is halfway over, and there is much more ahead in my Christmas in July posts. Stay tuned...Sb

Christmas In July - Day 15

2010-07-15T15:39:00.019-04:00

Wow - halfway through July already...

Today I am featuring some fabulous finds made by some real talented folks on Etsy.

Starting today, July15, through July 25th Etsy is promoting Etsy shops offering Christmas in July promotions. Please check out these and many other fantastic handmade items at Etsy by using search keywords ChristmasInJuly or CIJ.

Please click on the photo to go to the item link in Etsy.

Pinecone Charm Necklace by Madcandy at Etsy. This necklace was inspired by the gorgeous Ponderosa Pine trees of the Pacific Northwest which drop the most amazing pine cones!

Fun & Festive Lightning Bulb seasonal decoration by FromNancysHeart at Etsy. There's Thunder & Lightning, and Lightning Bugs but what about the least famous brother... the Lightning Bulb? Santa's favorite insect of them all - The Lighning Bulb!

This Pretty Cherry Red with White flower cup cozy by Jenco13 fits almost all take-out cups. Think Green and use this cozy everyday! A great gift item and it's also perfect for hot chocolate...or a hot toddy on a cold, blustery day. Jen also makes these cozies to custom order - I ordered two in Jet's Green and Yankees Blue & White for gifts last Christmas.

Stuffing a stocking has gotten a little cooler. A set of 10 Candy Stuffers by KelliCraftStudio3 are perfect for gift tags, stocking stuffers, or dressing up a holiday card. These treat pouches are small, but they add a little fun to gift giving.

This handmade Knotty Scarf by Ayca is so light weight,airy and perfect accessories. Fun and festive for the holidays or year-round...and depending on how you accessorize, you can wear it either as a scarf or as a cowl.

Hope these items gets you in the Handmade Holiday Spirit. : ) Sb

Christmas In July - Day 14

2010-07-15T15:39:00.018-04:00

Today I was hunting around on Etsy for Ornaments. Since I make ornaments and have a collection of personally chosen treasures for my tree, I feel I am a sort of tree bauble connoisseur.

I found these great selections... and one is an instructable to download and make yourself. Being it is the middle of summer there is plenty of time to start your handmade holiday projects. I would love to make any and all of these. Enjoy!!!

Please click on the photo to go to the item link in Etsy.

Knit yourself a Merry Little Christmas!!!

This PDF pattern will instruct you on how to knit these original Christmas Ornaments by AmyGaines. Aren't they so adordable!!! I have to learn how to knit now - thanks Amy.

This colorful stocking by BloomAndBarnacle is not only super cute, but also eco-friendly! Made from thrifted sweaters and recycled felt, it's great as a tree ornament, package tie on, or simply a holiday decoration.

This unique ornament made of a "Sputnik" Sea Urchin by WadeCreations is perfect for a Christmas-by-the-Sea themed tree. The wood finnials really make this ornament so elegant, but compliment the natural beauty of the shell.

These recycled "REINBEER ORNAMENTS" and Non-Alcohol SANTA'S LITTLE HELPERS are Reindeer shaped ornaments made from recycled Beer and Soda Cans created by makeshoplive. These gave me a chuckle...so cleverly named and GREEN... Oooh and they have googlie-eyes, too!

These neat trees caught my eye and upon closer inspection, they are clay - not wood. Made by justmare from their woodland friends series, Tilting Pine is ready for the holidays! Each is hand crafted stoneware with a wood grain texture, and glazed on both sides... just like gingerbread & sugar cookies!

I hope you've enjoyed these ornaments - I looked at hundreds and I could keep looking for days. There is so many beautiful ornaments to be found to fill that perfect niche on my tree : ) Sb

Christmas In July - Day 13

2010-07-15T15:39:00.017-04:00

Today's post is a card I've made for the holidays - a slightly different variation of a standard accordion card with a kinetic twist.

This fun and festive "Let it Snow" winter print is two sided and has 3 flipping windows to hold photos on each side.

On the green "Merry Christmas" side, I have placed an embossed "Ho, Ho, Ho" vellum paper rubbed with pearlescent white ink for extra shimmer. This card folds flat to fit into a standard A2 response envelope.

I'm thinking about making this as a custom card for my SalonDArte shoppe at Etsy. Perhaps as a set of blanks, that are ready to be decorated and mailed. Any suggestions, summertime crafters???

Here comes the ice cream man...catch you tomorrow : ) Sb

Interview with Smutopia -

2010-07-13T11:28:00.004-04:00

EtsyTwitter Team's Shop of the Week

Our EtsyTwitter Team Shop of the Week is smutopia (smoo-topia), which offers jewelry and accessories by Jessica Smutek. Many of her unique handcrafted pieces are made of shells and other findings reminiscent of summer at the beach. My favorite piece in her shop is this "Seashore ShapeShifter" which is two pieces of jewelry in one-- you can wear this piece as a necklace or remove the chain link section and wear the beaded section as a bracelet! Sweet!

Jessica uses primarily stone, glass and metal beads and components in her work. There is such a variety of materials and techniques, "that it is impossible for her to get bored!" She says she “has always been inspired by the diversity of nature--so much so that when looking at my collection as a whole nearly every design falls into one of three categories: Sea, Earth, or Sky.” Her inspiration is very personal and so her art is very personal. As she puts it “Each piece I create is a reflection of the beauty I see in the world around me. I love the thought that my designs are bringing the beauty of nature to my customers’ as they are worn.”

On the business side, Jessica has some modest sales goals in mind for the year, but her artistic goal is to use more of her own lampwork glass beads in the designs she sells on Etsy. “I began making my own lampwork beads in April of this year and am completely hooked! I hope to introduce smutopia Jewelry made with ‘beads by Smu’ sometime in the next few months.

This summer, she’ll not only be working on improving her lampwork skills with the torch, but plans to get out and do some up close and personal collecting of materials. “Think beachcombing”, she says. Later, in the fall, she plans to set up the “smutopia traveling road show” at the Designers Downtown Market in Raleigh in September and November of 2010.

In the meantime, she’ll keep tweeting. Her Twitter philosophy? “Interact with people! Promote others, or offer advice and feedback. You’ll attract followers in greater numbers if you’re more than just a self-promotion machine.” Jessica feels that listing new items is the best way to bring sales to her shop “I find that keeping my inventory fresh keeps the gears turning by bringing in new customers from the Etsy homepage/categories, giving returning customers a reason to check in, and by giving me something new to promote through my social media connections.”

smutopia is offering a Shop of the Week
special from July 12-18:
a free zipper-pull charm with every purchase!
PLUS, through the end of July:
FREE Domestic AND International Shipping
~~~~~~~
Etsy Shop: http://smutopia.etsy.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/smutopiaJewelry
Facebook: http://facebook.com/smutopia
Blog: http://smutopia.blogspot.com

Special thanks to Judy of WellspringCreations for writing this post : ) Sb

CHRISTMAS IN JULY - Day 12

2010-07-13T11:15:00.004-04:00

Today's post features this beautiful handmade kissing ball size Vintage Candy Cane Swirl Large Paper Lantern.

This is an One of a Kind large lantern size origami ornament made with Cosmo Cricket patterned paper, vintage red and blue, reminiscent of peppermint swirl candies. Paper is acid & lignin free. Each ornament is approximately 12" high from top to bottom of tassel with a coordinating 1/8" white satin ribbon loop to hang from (approx. 4 1/2"), finished with a gold filigree cone. A large gold bead flanked by red silver lined glass beads adorn a handmade red embroidery floss tassel. Each ornament is hand crafted - the paper form alone is 7" tall - kissing ball size; can be hung alone or in clusters. Each ornament comes with a recycled handmade gift box for storage.

I love making dimensional paper creations. There is a joy and zen quality about them when completed. What makes this ornament so special is the attention to detail, including handmade tassel and finishing touches...a true labor of love.

Check back tomorrow for more holiday ideas...What holiday crafts have you been doing this summer???

CHRISTMAS IN JULY - Day 11

2010-07-13T11:13:00.012-04:00

Today's post features How-To's for Festive Holiday trees...

Of course, Better Homes and Gardens has some wonderful ideas, and we all can't be Martha Stewart...though she's always got the endless list of great crafty ideas.

Check out these fantastic holiday trees to decorate your home - that you can make. Please click on the photo to go to the blog page. Enjoy!

How-To make this Cute Christmas Tree from Lynn of Albany, NY at ThiftyFun

Make this Twine Wrapped Tree for $5. from The Thifty Crafter

How to: Table top Christmas Tree by Bleu Arts

Make this Fab Table top Christmas Tree out of FunFur by Roxycraft

Stephanie Barnes of little birds handmade made this cute soft tree. Very beachy...great for the Tropical Christmas in South Florida.

Hope you enjoyed these trees! Have a craft day : ) Sb

CHRISTMAS IN JULY - Day 10

2010-07-13T11:07:00.003-04:00

Every year we send out Christmas cards - either store bought, or handmade. I always seem to have a couple leftover that aren't used...What do you do with all those leftover Christmas Cards???

Well, you could use them up next year. I never do that, I just save them in a box. I never want any of my family or friends saying, "didn't you send me that one already?"

So in an effort of "thinking Green" and saving a few dollars, a friend of mine at work and myself brought in all our "leftovers" and during lunch swapped out our leftover miscellaneous cards. What a great idea!!! I now have a beautiful assortment of 45 new cards for this year's upcoming holiday season and so does my friend.

This is a great idea to do during the summertime - have a get together with a few friends for a Holiday Card "SWAP-a-RAMA". You could even make tags or other seasonal cards, too.

Have a great crafty day! See you tomorrow : ) Sb

SalonD'Arte is Featured...

2010-07-13T10:47:00.004-04:00

as EtsyTwitter Team's Shop of the Week

This weeks shop of the week is SalonDArte. Owned and run by the very talented Susan M. Brown {sbartist} from Fort Lauderdale, FL. Susan creates "paper-crafts mainly. Paper ornaments, lanterns, cards, collages, and mini books are my specialty. I paint, dabble in photography and other media, too. My items are quite different from knitting, crocheting and jewelry that many of my talented Etsy friends create. For my family and friends, they always get a special handmade gift from me - earrings or a bracelet - something special made just for them. Each item is hand made. A one-of-a-kind creation. Not machined, mass-produced or factory made - Handmade. Time and attention to detail is given to each piece and in many cases, I even make a custom package to give it a proper home. Even though the supplies may be the simple and small in nature, each piece comes to life with it's own character and special charm - making it something to treasure."

The favorite thing about my crafts is their simplicity and attention to detail. Being a graphic artist by trade, and a habitual perfectionist working in the printing industry, I focus on the little details - that one thing that is the finishing touch, the personality of the item. Especially with my ornaments. I have my own collection of personally chosen gems for my tree, and it's those details that always catch my eye.

I get inspiration from everywhere. Sometimes this could be a bad thing, because I am one who loves to dabble in many media - and I have many media at my disposal. A week ago Friday, I was standing in the Grand Canyon, what a beauty of nature, with so many juxtapositions of color and texture - so I was a photographer that day. Just this past Sunday I attended a clothing Swap-a-rama and ladies were altering clothes and silk screening on site at the event. A "Light bulb" went off over my head - collage my clothes...now I'm now off on another tangent! I have the luxury of using my Etsy shoppe for my alter-artistic ego. Lately I have been really into artfully recycling things, and giving things a crafty second life. I love making cards - they are a small canvas that can go in many directions. Also I love to teach, and I share my artistic, crafty knowledge with others, which is the greatest reward."

An insiders tip about how Etsians ship their handmade items..

"Something about shipping: I think that many Etsians would agree, we are in a quandry about shipping. We aren't in the business of selling shipping, just recouping the cost. Due to the odd size and shape of my items, the shipping may seem expensive. The ornaments and lanterns are made of paper & hollow inside - these have to be double boxed and have extra cushion to keep from being crushed in shipment. Honestly, shipping is a means of delivery, not profit. Many times the postage is more expensive than what I am charging to ship - it's more expensive than the item I'm selling in some cases. If it's not in an envelope and less than 13 ounces, the cost of shipping is getting pretty ridiculous.

I prefer to use priority mail, they provide sturdy packaging, the service is pretty reliable and the less time it's being handled the better. I have a beautiful china doll my uncle sent me for my ninth birthday that was delivered via UPS. When I opened the box and picked her out of the packaging, her neck was broken in several pieces. My mom was able to super glue it, but it was never the same. Now the glue is aged and brown on the white porcelain. It's a constant reminder to me that when it comes to shipping precious cargo, one should never be to frugal. Please keep this in mind when shopping with your favorite Etsy artisans."

Susan shared with me her special events or plans she has for SalonD'Arte over the summer. "Since this is my 1 year Etsy-versary this month and that most of my items revolve around items for the holidays - I will be celebrating Christmas in July ALL month long at my Etsy Shoppe and every day at the Studio Blog!"

Special deals or coupons for the week and how they work/are redeemed if you have them: July 5th through July 11th, all items in my shop will have FREE US domestic first Class shipping. No coupon code necessary. The shipping cost will already be adjusted. For international shipping, please convo for invoice with shipping cost.

Etsy Shop: http://www.SalonDArte.etsy.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SalonDArte

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/SalonDArte/103281492810

Blog: http://www.SalonDArte.blogspot.com

Special thanks to our EtsyTwitter Team leader, Jen for writing this article. Please check out her shop at Jenco13.etsy.com or follow on twitter: http://twitter.com/jenco13.

Christmas In July - Day 9

2010-07-09T08:34:00.003-04:00

Ho - Ho - Ho!!! Where's Santa Hiding???

This is a project I made out of 12" x 12" patterned cardstock modeled after a project I saw in a magazine made from decopaged paper boxes. This is much more fun, less expensive and real cute...and best of all this Santa comes with his own hiding place.

I even made a real Santa hat for him, by using a seam ripper to unstitch a regular santa hat, then hand stitch one triangle back together to make a perfect size hat for this stackable Santa. Stay tuned for tomorrow's crafty goodness.

BTW - only two days left of Christmas in July SALE - receive FREE US domestic shipping on all items at SalonDArte shoppe.

Christmas In July - Day 8

2010-07-09T03:34:00.004-04:00

Today's second installment for Thursday is this beautiful clear glass ornament filled with glitter and a hand-stamped and painted acetate circle suspended inside. You could even put in a photo inside for a special personalized gift - and inexpensive, too. A pack of 6 glass ball ornaments, depending on when you buy them, can be as little as $3-4.00. Too bad not as many stores are doing Christmas in July these days...I used to get the best stuff in July and late summer months before the Holiday season frenzy.

How did I get the circle size for the inside? I used my circle scissor circle tool and I cut out several circles near the size of the glass ball. Then I placed the glass ball into the holes and the one that fit the most snug without forcing it in was the size I used. If the packaging has a cardboard tray, you could trace the circle shape from that, too.

So I stamped and decorated my acetate & cropped to a circle. To get it inside, gently pull out prong for hanger, roll image around a pencil or back end of paintbrush {something to fit in hole}, and gently slide it inside ornament and let unroll. Gently hold it so that it doesn't fall flat to the bottom {if it does, use pen to reorientate}. Add glitter with small paper rolled funnel. Then replace hanger with prong so that one prong is in front of circle image and one is in back and that will keep it from falling down.

This is something I made for my grandmother to give to her students. I sent her two-dozen of these. This is one of my favorite ornaments I've made. The one drawback of living in South FL - I spent $60 sending these Fed-Ex to make sure they made it there in one piece to Chicago - and it was worth every penny - not a single one was damaged.
Enjoy : ) Sb

Christmas In July - Day 7

2010-07-08T17:07:00.008-04:00

Oops - I am so sorry! I totally forgot to post this yesterday, so today will be a 2-FOR-THURSDAY. I fell asleep in almost an instant when I got home from work last night...working as a Christmas Elf in the summertime is pretty exhausting - I could sure use a igloo or a snowcone right about to cool off a bit!

So here are some fabulous holiday finds, ALL with how-to's - and these are all things I have added to my EVER-Growing List of TO-DOs.

Please click the photo to go to the linked site. Enjoy. : )Sb

Go from this to this...

Gather a bunch of glass ball ornaments and a wire hanger
to make this fabulous wreath by: Hope Studios

Homemade Peppermint Marshmallows from: Little Birdie Secrets
YUMMY!

So cute! You too can make these Lightbulb Snowmen from Trash to Treasure Decorating

A NO-SEW Santa table runner from: Tote's Life

and...have you been Naughty or NICE???
Make these Lumps of Coal gift boxes from: Tatertots & Jello

I've had a great time searching for great holiday crafty ideas & I have one more
FANTASTIC blog you HAVE to check out and bookmark for later...with a perfect name -
SOMEDAY CRAFTS - Crafty projects and ideas to make when you get the time someday...

Christmas in July - Day 6

2010-07-07T00:49:00.003-04:00

Today's Post feature's this unique Kinetic Santa's Secret Card.

Hiding behind this vintage Santa is a unique holiday card featuring a hanging photo circle dangling in the center. This is perfect gift to send annual photos to family and friends.

Self-standing and is 5 1/2" tall x 4" wide made with My Minds Eye patterned paper, antique gold accents, and finished off with satin ribbon. Inside is blank for adding personal message, or full size photograph, folds flat for storage and comes with an envelope for mailing.

Dangling circle is double-sided, so a photo can be on both sides. A template will be provided to cut your photo to the exact shape. This item can be made custom for holidays, weddings, or party favors.

I love paper creations - there is a joy and zen quality about them when completed. What makes this card so special is the attention to detail, dangling 2-sided circle for photos and antique gold accents.

This is one of my favorite cards to make, and I really love surprising my gal pals with children by making these with their kids photos. Check back tomorrow for more holiday goodness : ) Sb

Christmas In July - Day 5

2010-07-06T00:13:00.005-04:00

I hope everyone is enjoying the Monday holiday. I did get to see my fireworks tonight from my upstairs bedroom window. My city sports complex that hosts annual fireworks display is just a few blocks away, so if it's too wet, hot and buggy, I can enjoy from indoors. It was wonderful.

Here is today's crafty Christmas in July post: How about altering a mini notebook for a great little place to stash a gift card or stocking stuffer.

Why have a plain notebook, when you can have a unique, handmade notebook and plan your Holidays in style!

This 4x6 inch mini altered school composition notebook has a vintage Christmas feel. It features a four tab divided sections. Perfect size for pocket, purse or backpack.

The background paper on front and back cover is Basic Grey holly berry patterned paper in red and green on cream with coordinating Basic Grey patterned striped paper divider tabs. A tag with "Noel" embellishes the front cover.

Thanks for dropping by! See you tomorrow : ) Sb

Christmas in July - Day 4

2010-07-03T21:07:00.010-04:00

Happy Forth of July!!! Hope Everyone is having a wonderful day celebrating with friends and family, some BBQ and fireworks. My fireworks were postponed until tomorrow night because of the torrential downpours we had all afternoon and early evening, so I enjoyed a couple naps and some web browsing & blog hopping on the OWH Independence Day Blog Tour. Check out today's installment of fabulous finds of fantastic Christmas Crafts {please click on photos to go to site I found}. Enjoy!!!

First FANTASTIC find:

Easy Christmas Kids Crafts - Finger Puppets
for BIG and little kids alike...I just Love that elf and penguin!

Love this Polaroid Wreath by Elsie Flannigan, but scroll way down for a couple other fun variations she has on her blog "A Beautiful Mess".

This one I found on "Folding Trees" Blog - Quill a stylized Christmas Tree,
perfect for cards and decorations, courtesy of Ann at All Things Paper.

and...Classic Holiday Card Ornaments on Martha Stewart Living website. Something I plan to get to one day, they are simply elegant.

Happy Crafting!!! See You Tomorrow! Sb : )

Christmas in July - Day three

2010-07-03T21:07:00.005-04:00

After some internet googling, I found some interesting info on the history of Christmas in July. This being the 4th of July weekend, I'll keep the posts light for the next day or two, but still fun, festive and informative. Have a great Saturday!!! Sb : )

Picture from mimifroufrou.com

This following info is from the
"Christmas in July" website www.theholidayspot.com.

History of Christmas in July

It's hot, you're sweaty and longing for some relief from the heat. Aren't you? And while thinking about winter, you're probably also dreaming of all those snowy nights of Christmas celebrations? Well well, you can't actually change the season now, but the closest you can get to doing so is reduce the time left for Christmas and celebrate it now, in July. That's what many are doing year after year. An unofficial holiday, Christmas in July imitates the festivities of the actual Christmas and signifies our yearning for the coolness of winter amid the scorching summer months. Do you have any idea when Christmas in July celebrations started popping up?

Come July, and there is an air of festivity all over. Everywhere we find people making a mad rush to nearby stores, shops and malls to buy gift items, apparels and all other articles traditionally linked to festal occasions. Those out of the loop may wonder at the reason for this sudden shopping though such people are a rarity. It is hard to come by anyone who has not heard about or celebrated the much talked about occasion - "Christmas In July".

But how did this festival originate?

The precise beginnings of the Christmas in July tradition is not very clear, although it is commonly believed that it actually started in Europe, as a way to celebrate Christmas in summer. During the summer months in the northern hemisphere, the weather becomes increasingly warm and many people crave the coolness of winter. Amid the scorching summer months, people miss the gift giving, and holiday spirit of the Christmastime. Though it is not known when it started exactly, it is probably from the 80s that the festival began to be celebrated. The earliest Christmas celebrations in July saw people throwing parties that imitate the actual Christmas festivities in December. The celebrations also included other Christmas traditions like Santa Claus, ice cream and other cold foods, and gifts. It was held that celebrating in the warm season would ensure a strong, happy winter Christmas season.

This untimely Christmas festival is also often ascribed to a group of Irish tourists who went for a vacation in Sydney's Blue Mountains in the summer months of July in 1980. Away from the summer temperatures in their country, they were overjoyed at the sight of snow there. It is believed that they convinced the proprietor of a local hotel in the Blue Mountains in New South Wales to hold a party called "Yulefest". The idea was an instant hit and caught on the imagination of everyone present there. The proprietor saw a golden opportunity in this and henceforth held a Christmas Party each year in July. The local businessmen too jumped in to cash in on this unique festival and it continues to this day. Today, the tradition is so well entrenched in Australia that most restaurants, clubs and dining halls, have an official advertised annual catered menu for Christmas in July, and are often booked in advance. Most hotels, restaurants, bars, apparel stores, gift shops offer special discounts for the occasion. During this time, you can find the local gift shops brimming with figurines of Santa and Snowmen. Resorts have special events connected with their Christmas in July celebrations. The whole occasion has come to be utilized as a marketing gimmick as much elsewhere in Australia as in its snowfields where the month of July coincides with the high season in the Australian skiing resorts.

But the market opportunity is, undoubtedly, the most plausible reason behind "Christmas in July" celebrations. it is commonly said that the occasion was dreamed up by retail merchants in the western countries who wanted to benefit from a holiday in July, which is otherwise a dull season for business and has few marketing opportunities. That makes a lot of sense, specially when we see how so many “holidays” are emerging these days ranging from Boss’ Day to Grandparent’s Day. Many people embrace these special days as they emerge which surely spells a fortune for retail merchants as well as greeting card companies.

These days, Christmas in July seems to be mainly a time for retail sales. In the United States, like all other festivals, this event too has become highly commercialized. is more often used as a marketing tool than as an actual holiday celebrated by ordinary people. But these days, many American families have started celebrating Christmas in July. An unofficial holiday, the event is especially popular among the young people. Restaurants offer special discounts on this time. Many nightclubs host on this time Christmas parties open to the public. Drinks are guzzled and food items eaten up like crazy. Television stations show the recent blockbuster flicks on this occasion or re-run Christmas specials, and many stores throw special "Christmas in July" sales. Many however, choose to spend the time all by themselves or with their families.

Some families love the concept of Christmas in July, especially if their family members are scattered across the states, because it is easier for them to have a get-together in July, which is a summer month and when the weather is favourable for a vacation, rather than in the freezing winter months when long distance journeys are really hard.

And then there are others who does not celebrate during this time. They are reluctant to acknowledge the event in July are opposed to having such an occasion. They argue that this untimely celebration of Christmas makes a mockery of the actual festival that is held on December 25th and commemorates Lord Jesus Christ's birth.

However, the precise date of Christ’s birth is subject to a lot of date. No one really knows when the messiah was really born. Hence, celebrating Christmas in July shouldn’t be a huge issue so long as the holiday doesn’t lose its meaning.

Despite it's rampant commercialization, Christmas in July remains primarily an occasion to remember the nothern hemisphere's snow blanketed Christmas nights. It is a fun way to satisfy the craving for cooler weather and holiday cheer that many people experience during the hottest month of the year.

Movie Poster images from moviegoods.com

Christmas In July - Day Two

2010-07-02T14:11:00.005-04:00

Hello everyone in webland, welcome to today's installment. I wanted to share with you a cute little something I made with some crafty items you might have on hand {especially if you have crafty kids}.

This little reindeer is made from...Yep you guessed it! One of those wooden ice cream scoops! Can you believe it????

With some paint, a few other wooden shapes {or craft foam cut shapes will do, too}, a pipe cleaner, some beady trim {I used one that was little christmas bulbs}, a bow around the neck and to top Rudolph off in his holiday best a pom-pom red nose and GOOGLY EYES!!! I gave him some extra detail with a marker, and VOILA! What a cutie.

I also added a strip of magnet to the back so he can charm the refrigerator all season long.

I made a bunch of these for my Grandmother to give to her students at her painting classes and they loved them. It was quick and easy to make a bunch of these, like decorating cookies - they come to life when you add those finishing touches - especially the googly eyes.

Enjoy! See you tomorrow : ) Sb

Operation Write Home Independence Day Blog Tour

2010-07-02T13:04:00.007-04:00

Welcome to the next stop on the Operation Write Home's Independence Day Blog Tour. To start at the beginning, CLICK HERE to go to the OWH Star & Stamps Page. Thanks for dropping by.

This is a little detour from Christmas in July - a month long Celebration to get a jumpstart on your Handmade Holidays. Please click on the Logo banner at top of page to get at the newest installment of holiday goodness.

Here is my post of two (2) simple birthday cards. This one (above) is made by hand coloring directly onto the stamp to color each stripe differently. Thanks HERO ARTS for giving me the creative option [more like an obsession] to do this! It takes a little time, but the effect is really fun and festive. I topped it off with a purple sentiment and balloon and a sparkly gem to top of the candle {gotta have some bling}.

For this card, I gathered up a blank card, some paper scraps and some ribbon to match. I stamped, embossed with white EP and masked the candle image, then repeated stamp and EP again to complete border. Then I colored in the candle flames with my jelly sparkle pen and yellow Zig writer to make the flames really POP! Maybe I should put some dimensional glaze on them? What do you hoppers think???

Have a Fun and Safe 4th of July Holiday everyone!!! Thanks for supporting Operation Write Home and all of our men & women in uniform : ) Sb

First day of Christmas in July -

2010-07-01T15:47:00.004-04:00

a month long ETSYversry Celebration!

It has been a year already since launching the SalonDArte shoppe on Etsy. Wow - the time certainly has flown by. It has been wonderful and I am always excited when mid summer comes along to get a Jumpstart on the holidays. As you might have noticed, I specialize in Christmas/Holiday items.

Each day this month will be featuring an item Christmas or gift themed for Christmas in July. Keep stopping in to see what's going on...catch a tutorial, a giveaway, and shoppe specials.

Have you been Naughty -or- Nice? This whimsical candy cane gal is all decked out in her sparkly red & green in this handmade holiday card.

This hand-stamped card is 5 1/2" tall x 4" wide made with patterned paper, featuring a hand-stamped, hand colored candy cane girl and finished off with layered ribbon and a two-toned ribbon bow. Inside is blank for adding personal message and comes with an envelope for mailing.

What makes this card so special is the attention to detail, with a hand colored stamped image and hand-stamped black embossed sentiment adds sparkle.

Off to the freezer to cool off from the summer heat with some "Thin Mints". See you tomorrow : ) Sb

Style the Kids like Royalty...

2010-07-01T14:10:00.003-04:00

with RegalCottage - EtsyTwitter Team Shop of the Week!

I love this little guy! Marty the Tooth Buddy Pillow - in my favorite color - GRAPE!!! He comes complete with a pocket on the back for the Tooth Fairy to leave her treasures...

This week the EtsyTwitter Team is spotlighting the talent of Regina Frydman of RegalCottage. Regina makes eco-friendly children's clothing, accessories, and gifts. Many of her designs combine vintage fabrics with modern designer quilting fabrics, eco-felt or organic cotton for the perfect eco-fab combo. Regina feels that "even kids deserve to have style with a conscience." She wants her designs to excite kids--to make clothes they "can't wait to wear. Fun, color, comfort, and style are my priorities when I am designing my products," says Regina. "My inspirations come mainly from my materials. I have a real passion for vintage fabrics, and so I spend a great deal of time hunting for truly special fabrics. I love the thrill of the hunt, and when I find a treasure like a colorful peacock chenille bedspread, my heart just skips a beat. I can't wait to tear into it, and start creating something new."

On the flip side, Regina finds sewing relaxing. After spending the day with her four children, she sews for her Etsy shop at night, calling it "me time." She's hoping that she'll get to do some of her sewing from the beach this summer! She obviously loves her work! "I have a journal stuffed full of things I want to work on. So many ideas, so little time." In this, Regina is a kindred spirit to many in the Etsy Twitter team!

Regina loves to connect with crafty people on Twitter, to see what others are working on, and share her latest creations. Her secret? Using TweetDeck from her phone. "When I have down time, I like to jump on Twitter, and see what everyone is up to."

Buy Any 2 T-shirts, Get 1 Free
RegalCottage special deal this week!
Free shirt will be refunded via Paypal.
~~~~~~~
Etsy: http://www.regalcottage.etsy.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/RegalCottage
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RegalCottage
Blog: http://regalcottage.blogspot.com/
Thanks to Judy of WellspringCreations for writing this article : ) Sb

Lindab142 is a Gem to be Treasured

2010-07-01T14:05:00.002-04:00

EtsyTwitter Team Featured Etsian

Amidst the flurry of new members, we'd like to highlight Linda Blatchford and her Etsy shop, Lindab142. Linda creates a variety of personal decorative arts, including beaded and bottlecap jewelry, women's chapel caps (kippot) and Judaica items. Linda is inspired by gemstone colors. She says, "I love to design using different sizes and shapes of beads together. Jewelry design has so many facets and possibilities!" In addition to her inspired art, Linda enjoys custom orders where she uses "gemstone characteristics to enhance a certain spiritual quality" and to fit any budget. Her ultimate goal is that each of her customers is happy with their purchase.

Linda uses Tweetdeck to keep track of the Etsy Teams activities on Twitter. "It's not only a tool for promoting my items, but I've met people on Twitter and we talk about TV shows, movies and other things. I also find it as a resource for asking business questions. It is the 2nd or 3rd Referral site in my Google Analytics program." Linda has two business goals this year: keep organized records of inventory and learn new techniques, starting with wirewrapping.

About the Etsy Twitter team, Linda says "I'm so happy to be on the ETT team, challenging me to come up with more ways to use Twitter. I hope to be able to meet more new ETT team members soon."

~~~~~~~

Etsy Shop: http://Lindab142.Etsy.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/lindab142
Blog: http://linorstorecom.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/linorstore

Thanks to Judy of WellspringCreations for writing this article : ) Sb

Congratulations New Members!

2010-07-01T13:59:00.002-04:00

Welcome to the Newest EtsyTwitter Team Members

Here is a list of their etsy shop names and twitter addresses. I hope all of you join me with following their tweets and learning about their shops. If you didn't get into our teams this time around please continue to look out for our next open enrollment. I look forward to getting to know my new Esty friends.

How info is set up: Name of shop owner/ etsy shop/ twitter addresses

1-Rita: http://ritascreationsonetsy.etsy.com/ and http://andmorebags.etsy.com/

http://twitter.com/ritawetzel

2-Jenni: http://jenni20.etsy.com/ http://twitter.com/jenni20designs

3-Rhonda http://aandrdesignstudio.etsy.com/ http://twitter.com/AandRDesign

4- Lea: http://www.etsy.com/shop/LAJewelryDesigns http://www.twitter.com/lajewelrydesign

5-Janet: http://honeyfromthebee.etsy.com/ http://twitter.com/honeyfromthebee

6- Nora: http://jewelrydrops.etsy.com/ http://twitter.com/jewelryDrops

7- Raceytay: http://raceytay.etsy.com/ http://twitter.com/ibrakeforbokeh

8-Maxine: http://whimsyfish.etsy.com/ http://twitter.com/whimsy_fish

9- Claire: http://carnelion.etsy.com/ http://twitter.com/carnelionart

10- Steph: http://www.heartsandlaserbeams.etsy.com/ http://www.twitter.com/hrtsnlaserbeams

11-Ellie Jacobson http://www.angelellie.etsy.com http://www.twitter.com/stampgarden

12-Kelli http://kellicraftstudio3.etsy.com http://twitter.com/kellicraftstudi

13-Marisa : http://madcandy.etsy.com http://twitter.com/maddesignstudio

14- Robin http://RobinMariaPedrero.etsy.com http://twitter.com/robinpedrero

15-Curtis & Lydia http://faerytalewings.etsy.com http://twitter.com/faerytalewings

16-Anna www.meinemariaknits.etsy.com http://twitter.com/meinemaria

17-Janelle http://blamejanetics.etsy.com http://twitter.com/JaneticsInk

18- Donnielle http://www.designknitfun.etsy.com http://www.twitter.com/designknitfun

19-Trudy www.mommagoddess.etsy.com www.mommagoddesstreasures.blogspot.com

20- Wendy http://vintageday.etsy.com http://twitter.com/vintageday

21- Bev http://44thstreetfabric.etsy.com http://twitter.com/fabricjunkie

22- Aubrey http://www.maubysfabric.etsy.com and http://www.maubys.etsy.com
http://twitter.com/Maubys

There are a few more that will be posted after info has been verified. ; )

Pearls are a Girl's Best Friend!

2010-07-01T13:54:00.003-04:00

EtsyTwitter Team Featured Etsian - MindyG

Our featured shop this week is MindyG, operated by Mindy Greenville. Mindy designs and sells unique handcrafted jewelry. She says eloquently that her jewelry line "has been created by blending beautiful gemstones, freshwater pearls and fabulous findings with vibrant colors and textures". It's easy to tell that Mindy loves her work, both by her words and the quality of her items. She says, "Inspiration for me comes from many simple forms...positive people, getting outside of my little world by traveling with my husband and two sons, art, fashion and music." The result is a jewelry line of sterling silver, gold, gemstones, pearls and crystals. "Pretty much anything that has facets and sparkles", she says. She loves working with textures and colors and incorporates both new or old into her designs.

Mindy serves on the Women's Advisory Committee for Mira Costa Community College. In early fall, she is participating in a big fundraiser for the college called Wine, Women & Shopping. The proceeds from this event will be used for scholarships for students in the community.

In addition, she plans to design a website, no small task! This summer, MindyG's jewelry line will be offered at some local jewelry events, too.

On Twitter, Mindy says "I am a novice at twitter, but I do follow people that have similar interests and that aren't just spamming." She likes using Twitter to help promote other team members as well and seeing "interesting bits of information" in her Twitter stream.

~~~~~~~
Etsy Shop: http://www.MindyG.etsy.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Mindy_G
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MindyGJewelryBoutique?v=info

Thanks to Judy of WellspringCreations for writing this article : ) Sb

Cool Relaxing Whites Treasury

2010-07-01T13:44:00.004-04:00

Check out this new Treasury East I made with these Fabulous Etsy Artisans! Maybe it will make front page {wink....wink...}

Please go and check out these items and click to visit each shop. : ) Sb

Operation Write Home Memorial Day Bloghop

2010-05-29T03:14:00.009-04:00

Welcome "Hoppers" to my blog studio for Salon D'Arte - one of my shops on Etsy. My name is Susan and I am so proud to participate for the second year now.

Operation Write Home began in 2007 with just a few cards made by friends on a message board; what began as an outlet for a hobby has become a much larger mission to help heroes keep in touch with home - and the effort has been joined by thousands of cardmakers!

OWH receives handmade cards donated by crafters across America (and beyond!). Cardmakers range in age, location, and level of skill; cards are provided by individuals and groups, schools and scouts, companies and churches. All have one primary thing in common: a desire to serve those who defend our nation!

Cards are mailed to one of our volunteer shippers in quanities both small and large. The shippers process, sort, repair, and document each donation, and then pack and ship boxes of over 300 cards each to our contacts. Our heroes request cards (families may also request on their behalf; we serve all branches in all deployed locations. Click Here for info on how you can participate.

My youngest sister is in the National Guard [for 2 years now] and was officially deployed on Jan. 5, 2010 from Ft. Lauderdale to report to Fort Hood for preparations to Iraq.

I am so proud and grateful to all the men and women serving our country, and to their families, too - my thoughts and prayers are with you. Happy Memorial Day everyone! Thanks so much for taking the time to visit, please take the following link to the next blog on the hop:

Paper Castles by Lori... a pretty little beachy oasis.

To Celebrate I am sharing a Tutorial: Click this link to my previous post with the tutorial on how-to create your own embossing template for cuttlebug. Super quick and easy...and best of all - FREE! To take you back to the "Top of the Hop" click here.

Thanks again : ) Sb

More...Operation Write Home Memorial Day Bloghop

2010-05-29T03:08:00.004-04:00

Still hanging around "Hoppers"??? Thanks - you are truely Wonderful!!!

Here's is a link to my post in last year's OWH Memorial Day bloghop.

How-to Make your own Embossing Template for Cuttlebug Tutorial:

I did this with one of my jumbo T!m Holtz stamps and made a card for a swap I participated in for the "all things T!m" yahoo group. This is my finished piece. I painted a sheet of gloss paper with alcohol inks, topped with pounced metallic alcohol inks for that hammered metal look. But flat, it was lacking... since I am usually doing this stuff in the middle of the night, I had a "lightbulb MOMENT" to make an embossing template to give this stamp some "ooommmph"!

It's really easy and you only need a couple things you probably already have lying around your craft area - and the best part it's FREE!!!

You need: A stamp you want to emboss; some lightweight chipboard that you can cut with scissors comfortably [I use my T!m Holtz Tonic Scissors] - or - thick cardstock; ink, adhesive; and that thin rubber mat used for nestabilities.

STEP #1: Stamp your image on one piece of chipboard cut to exact same size of finished piece. Set this one aside.

Then stamp image on another piece of chipboard a couple of times [this will vary on thickness of cardstock or chipboard]. Cut out the areas you want to raise up and glue these one on top of another directly onto the final finished size piece [from step #1]. You can make chosen areas as thick as you want. I added two additional layers to the base layer. If you make it too thick, your embossed edges may crack/tear.

Final embossed areas number 3, 4, 5 0, & 7. The rest of the image is left flat.

OK - now you are going to take this and place it UNDERNEATH your finished pretty stamped piece, line it up and temporarily adhere it with removable tape or adhesive so it doesn't shift as you run it through the cuttlebug. Then place the Nestabilities rubber mat on top and run through the cuttlebug...and voila! The rubber mat forms around the raised areas while protecting the surface. Gently remove the layers and the embossed template to reuse again. I used this template 7 times and it still looks like it's got a few impressions left.

PLEASE NOTE: Please do a test run or two before doing your final piece to make any adjustments.

Here are the results - I had a couple cracks at the corner of the 3 near the 4 and 5. I easily masked these by coloring on the backside of the paper with a matching marker where the cracks were. They blended right in.

This added that extra "Pop" that it needed for this metal look. This technique is quick and easy and didn't cost me $10 for the Cricut Cuttlebug template kit. I checked it out at the craftstore and shimmied the contents out of the package to examine what it is [it's two pieces of sticky back thin chipboard that you cut out a positive and negative shapes and mount to a blank plastic cuttlebug shell]. I could have got it on sale 50% off, but opted to pass, and spent my $$$ on stamps. The kit may come in handy if I make a custom cricut shape, but haven't needed it so far.

Thanks for reading! I'd love to hear how this worked for you. Please post a comment on my Facebook Page with a photo.

If you have any questions regarding any of the steps, please leave a comment & I'll respond ASAP.

Operation Write Home

2010-05-26T17:01:00.003-04:00

I am participating this weekend in the Memorial Day Operation Write Home Bloghop. Check back Saturday AM for my Patriotic Card and also a crafty tutorial, too. See you then : ) Sb

Beautiful things have washed ashore...

2010-05-26T16:43:00.002-04:00

with NovaScotiaBeachGlass -
EtsyTwitter Team Shop of the Week

This week, the Etsy Twitter Team is featuring NovaScotiaBeachGlass for our Shop of the Week. NovaScotiaBeachGlass is the creation of Lori Stewart who collects seaglass from the beaches of Nova Scotia. She hunts the beach with her black lab, Willow, looking for beach glass, seaglass, driftwood and any other treasures the sea might reveal to her. She turns these treasures into lovely works of wearable art: pendants and necklaces.

Lori told me that beach glass is also called seaglass or mermaid’s tears. "This collectible is formed after years of tumbling in ocean waves, softening the sharp edges of shards of broken glass. Sea glass originates from man-made trash - bottles or jars tossed overboard ships or dumped with other garbage into the ocean, where they would break into pieces and tumble around. Most sea glass found today dates before the mid 1960's (when plastics became the norm). A perfectly smooth piece may have been in the ocean for decades, even a century. Collectors value the glass for its beauty and the mystery of its history - whose hand might have held the original item? What story might the sea glass tell?"

Lori appreciates the history and romance of her chosen material. She says there is nothing so soothing as to handle seaglass. In addition to her interest in recycling the vintage seaglass, Lori also expresses her artistic nature using resin. While she is always experimenting with new designs, this year she would like to improve her jewelry photography.

Lori ships worldwide and the interest in her work is ever growing. "I've been asked to do a home party...plus several stores have expressed interest in displaying my necklaces." On the Twitter front, Lori likes to keep people interested by tweeting a little about everything...not just about Etsy and her shop.

NovaScotiaBeachGlass is offering
Free shipping for the month of May to
Canada and the US
Also, a sale: 25% off orders over $100.00
~~~~~~~
Etsy Shop: www.NovaScotiaBeachGlass.etsy.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/seajewelry
FaceBook:www.facebook.com/NovaScotiaBeachGlass
Blog:www.novascotiabeachseaglass.blogspot.com

Special thanks to Judy of Wellspring Creations for this article : )

Get your Geek On with...

2010-05-18T13:51:00.004-04:00

Geek Details: EtsyTwitter Team's
Shop of the Week!

Meet Amanda Roberts, the talent behind the Etsy shop, geekdetails, and EtsyTwitter Team's Shop of the Week.

Amanda makes and sells a variety of what she describes as "geeky things". Her product line ranges from artistically embellished luggage, pinback buttons and art prints, sculpted singing flowers; even some jewelry items! Her product line is varied and reflects the sources of her inspiration. When asked what she loves most about creating, Amanda states: "That I get to make stuff every day...I love the process of making new items, seeing something lovely and knowing that I made that pretty thing."

As she puts it, her inspiration comes from, "Everything! It can be a music lyric, something a friend says, a glass of wine, the way the colors of my flowers blend. I try to find inspiration everywhere and then I mix it up to create something new." This is further reflected in her business resolution: to step "out of my box" and attend gamer conventions! "I went to my first in January (it was called VisionCon) and had a blast! I’m hooked and glad I did it! I met some amazing people that have been excited about what I do. They’ve become some of my biggest fans and really encouraged me in my retail endeavor." The result is an eclectic blend of fun products which Amanda ships worldwide (on most items*)!

How about a "poisoned apple"?

Amanda has several exciting activities planned in the next few months. She's attending many shows this summer, including Origins in June. She's helping to develop a new website called Con-Vixens. AND she's "appearing" on an online radio program called Dragon Talk Radio this Thursday, May 20!

Amanda is @geekdetails on Twitter. Her Twitter philosophy? "Follow who you like and converse with them. Don’t just mindlessly follow everyone...and don’t follow people simply because they’re following you. This may lose you some followers, but the quality of your twitter connections will be higher! For me, twitter is about making connections with people. One connection with a rabid follower of your work is (imo) far superior than 50 followers that don’t really care about what you’re doing and are just upping their numbers. It’s quality over quantity for me!"

This week geekdetails is offering
Free domestic shipping on orders over $80 when the buyer mentions “etsytwitter” in the notes to seller section

* Some large items can vary greatly in shipping price from one country to the next. Convo geekdetails for the international shipping rate specific to your location.

~~~~~~~

ETSY SHOP: www.etsy.com/shop/geekdetails
TWITTER: www.twitter.com/geekdetails
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/geekdetails
BLOG: www.geekdetails.com

Special thanks to Judy of WellspringCreations for writing this post.

Unique Handcrafted Jewels by

2010-05-01T20:36:00.002-04:00

SouthPawStudios:
EtsyTwitter Team's Shop of the Week:

Our EtsyTwitter Team Shop of the Week is South Paw Studios, which offers handcrafted jewelry by Toledo, Ohio artist Katy Mims. She not only makes necklaces, bracelets and earrings, but she has a unique bridal line. Her styles incorporate faceted gems, Venetian glass, pearls and precious metal. As she puts it, it "brings the jewelry to life."

Thanks to EtsyTwitter Team Member Judy for this interview with Katy!

Judy: What do you want your customers to know most about your products?

Katy: I feel that I offer functional jewelry that you can wear everyday with jeans and a simple white t-shirt, yet you can wear it to a formal function if preferred. I don’t want my customer to seem pressed on the thought of “I love this necklace, but where am I going to wear it?” I want them to be more, “I love this necklace, and I can wear it with anything”. I want there to be “No Fuss”. Jewelry shouldn’t be complicated, it should be enjoyable. That is why I feel I create jewelry that is much more appealing and affordable to a wider range of woman, from the younger jewelry lover to the seasoned shopper.

Judy: What inspires you to create?

Katy: I get inspiration from everything from a shower curtain, to sunsets. I know that sounds cliché, but really there are great color combinations in sunsets. I also get my muse from new supplies. I really have an addiction to beads and gems. I buy way to much stuff, but I just cant help myself. Having new supplies really keeps me excited to sit at my work bench for hours on end.

Judy: What is your favorite thing about your craft?

Katy: This question is tricky, but when I sit down and think about it, one of my favorite things about my craft is it is very competitive, but that keeps me on my toes. I like a little friendly competition. With jewelry, I love that everyone can take part in this particular medium. It is a little piece of wearable art that you can take with you and wear with pride every day, to work or even the grocery store. It makes art become functional. I love that it is an appealing part of the art world that seems to be able to survive even in the hardest of times.

Judy: What are your Twitter tricks of the trade?

Katy: I really don’t have time to log in and out of all the accounts I use online on a daily basis, so I use Facebook, primarily to twitter from. I used to use Tweetdeck, but it started to have some glitches a little while back, and I just couldn’t seem to find the right patch. I am sure it is fixed by now, but again, TIME! So anyways, I linked my Facebook fan page to my Twitter account and “whola” I get two birds with one stone (no birds were actual harmed in this sentence) and only have to type something once. I may not seem like much, but it is a time saver for me and works just great.

Judy: What is one of your business resolutions for the New Year?

Katy: I really want to beat each month’s sales, compared to last years, and have my profit margin higher as well. To achieve this I feel a combo of getting more money per piece, and as well as tighten down on my expenses / cost of goods sold (COGS) will help me reach my 2010 business new year’s resolution.

This week, Katy is offering a special Etsy Twitter Team Shop of the Week Discount! 15% off all regularly priced items, now thru May 2nd. Enter code “Etsytwitter15” in message to seller during checkout. Discount will be refunded via Paypal.

ALSO: special promo item, these earrings will be on sale for only $7, regularly $16, no code necessary.

Etsy Shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/southpawstudios

Twitter: http://twitter.com/SouthPawStudios

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/SouthPawStudios

BLOG http://southpawstudios.blogspot.com/

Main website http://southpawonline.com/

Bead website http://www.etsy.com/shop/southpawsbeads

Art by Betty Refour

2010-05-01T20:33:00.005-04:00

EtsyTwitter Team Shop of the Week:
brefour on Etsy

A couple of month's back I was preparing a treasury for Etsy and I selected one of Betty's cards - a reproduction of a painting with a gold heart in the center [above]. I loved it so much I bought it! I sent her a note in the comment to seller and I told her I was so excited to frame it and hang it in my studio with my other inspirational ART. She not only sent me the card I purchased, but sent me a larger size to frame. I intend to send the card to my sister for her birthday next month. Not only unique artwork, but an outstanding and thoughtful fellow Etsian. Thanks Betty for setting such a great example for your teammates : ) Sb

Let me introduce you to Betty Refour, the proprietor behind our Etsy Twitter Team Shop of the Week, BRefour. Betty's Etsy Shop, offers original art and note cards created by Betty and Betty's sister, Rose, who has autism. Both artists use bright colors in small spaces, offering art that is both visually appealing and affordable. Betty says much of her inspiration comes from fabric and architecture. She loves art because, "with art there are no boundaries... limitless imagination." Betty is very inspired these days--she has joined a local 'daily painting group'!

The art of BRefour is internationally known. Her stellar customer feedback reflects the quality of product and service. Not only does Betty offer products that are made with care, but a portion of the shop's proceeds is donated to charity. Betty applies a similar selfless attitude to Twitter: to “establish relationships, tweet about things other than myself and retweet other tweets.”

Betty is practical about her 2010 resolution: to destash* She says "I think creative people can see something in everything and because of that, we end up with so much more than we need." All of us can relate to that!

This week, Betty is offering a special Etsy Twitter Team Shop of the Week Discount! 50% off all items in the SALE section. Use code SOTW in notes to seller and she will send you a revised invoice.

~~~~~~~

Etsy Store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/brefour

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/bettyrefour
Facebook: http://artist.to/artbybettyrefour
Blog: http://artbybettyrefour.blogspot.com

Special Thanks to EtsyTwitter Member Judy for this interview.

*DESTASH means to get rid of excess art/crafting supplies…to get rid of your stash!

All Hearts for MySassyGlass

2010-04-15T07:30:00.004-04:00

EtsyTwitter Team's Shop of the Week

This week's shop of the week is mysassyglass run and owned by Susan Buchanan and Emilee. Located in Buchanan Fond Du Lac, WI the girls ship internationally. "I started the business about five years ago after I was downsized out of my fourth job. My plan was to make larger glass pieces to sell, but glass is expensive so I started making pendants to practice different techniques and found there was a market for them. Emilee was drawn to my studio and soon received a blue ribbon at an art show for this piece. http://www.flickr.com/photos/mysassyglass/2243252424/She started helping me sell at craft shows and when I expanded my business to the Internet, she became my photographer, Internet marketer, and technical support."

Within the shop Susan told me your can find the following : "For Etsy we make and sell fused glass slides, pendant and pierced and clip on earrings. When we are selling at art and craft shows we add wind chimes, garden stakes, jewelry dishes, melted wine bottles and table art to draw more people to are booth. In my supply store, I sell some of the jewelry bails, ear wires and display cards that I use for my jewelry. I like to buy my supplies in bulk, so this store allows me to pass on savings to etsy shoppers."

Her twitter tricks of the trade are: "When using twitter we like to limit our direct promotion tweets and sprinkle them in with tweets of miscellaneous information that people might find interesting. We also feel that interacting with people is important so we like to ask questions and try to get responses. We like to select people at random and RT something for them. We find that most of the time, they will reciprocate by RT’ing something of ours. This not only increases the chance that your tweet will be seen and read by your followers but it also now can be seen by people that are currently not following you. You never know from where your next sale will come. I sold a pendant because I responded to a random tweet about a woodpecker. We tweeted back and forth a few times until he got curious and went to my profile page. He then went to my etsy store and selected a pendant for his wife…."

Susan's favorite thing about her art "My favorite thing about glass fusing is that when things go well… you open the kiln its like “Christmas morning”. But unlike other crafts, once the kiln was turned on there is no going back to alter something that doesn’t work quite right. In the kiln, the glass is slowly heated to over 1300 degrees and then slowly cools down to room temperature. This process can take a minimum of seven hours and can be 15 hours or more. When glass is heated it can move or just one layer can slip, bubbles can form and sometimes large bubbles can pop. Glass can also stick to the mold being used to create a shape. When things go unexpectedly, it is important to be able to envision a new plan for the glass. The following image is two pendants that slid together in the kiln, I was disappointed until I rotated the piece and saw this. http://www.flickr.com/photos/mysassyglass/2406866958/ "

Mysassyglass is offering the ETT readers the following deal:

FREE SHIPPING until April 30th on all purchases totaling $40 or more from either of our Etsy shops. Items will be shipped either USPS First Class OR First Class International. Please use code: SOTW in the comments at checkout to redeem this offer. Shipping charges will be refunded via Paypal after payment or you may convo me before payment for a revised invoice. Wisconsin residents - applicable purchase of $40 is calculated before sales tax. Also…..We invite you to check out our facebook pendant giveaway. http://www.facebook.com/MySassyGlass

More links for this shop are as follows:

Etsy Jewelry Store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/mysassyglass

Etsy Supply Store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/mysassysupplies

Our Website: http://www.mysassyglass.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mysassyglass

Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/MySassyGlass

Blog: http://mysassyglass.blogspot.com/

Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mysassyglass/

Thanks to Jen Kubrick, EtsyTwitter Team Leader for this article:

www.Jenco13.etsy.com

So Impressed with PurpleLemonDesigns -

2010-04-11T08:46:00.006-04:00

EtsyTwitter Team's Shop of the Week!

Put together my favorite color and some lemons and you get PurpleLemonDesigns [sounds like a refreshing summertime cocktail, mmmm]. This shop is one of my faves - rubber stamps galore - many unique custom designs, too ; ) Sb

Kelly Rinehart is the creative mind and designer behind PurpleLemonDesigns, this week's Etsy Twitter Team's Shop of the Week. Kelly's Etsy Shop designs and produces custom rubber stamps and stationery, both printable and professionally printed. Her custom products are designed to complement her customer's personality. Kelly says, "When using my products, I like for my customers to feel as if they are sending a stamp imprint or piece of stationery that reflects them." Customer satisfaction in what drives her: "When I create a stationery or stamp design that my client loves and feels is perfect for their everyday needs, wedding day or other special event, that makes all the hard work worth it."

Her main goal for 2010 is "to get my business in order. I was able to take a fabulous business crash course that helped me write a business plan, marketing plan, advertising plan, and other pieces of my business puzzle. This has really helped me think through my business, and really see what I need to do to move it to the next level." She has a relaxed attitude toward Twitter: "I just like to make connections and converse about a little bit of everything...I just like to make new friends that I normally wouldn't run into everyday." With 548 sales in less than two years on Etsy, her business approach and products are obviously successful!

To celebrate her spotlight as Etsy Twitter team shop of the week, Kelly is offering 10% off your entire order {excluding shipping} if you enter ETSYTWITTER in the "Notes to the Seller" section during checkout. The discount will be refunded through Paypal. This offer is good April 5 - 11th.

Etsy Store: http://purplelemondesigns.etsy.com
Blog: http://purplelemondesigns.com/blog
Twitter: http://twitter.com/purplelemon
Facebook: http://facebook.com/purplelemondesigns

Thanks to team member Judy for this article.

Fun Friday Facts...Did you Know???

2010-04-02T20:53:00.004-04:00

Yesterday being April Fool's Day - I have a little interesting cultural tidbit about how the French celebrate April 1st. It's called "Poisson d'Avril".

In France on April 1st, the victim of a hoax is called "Poisson d'Avril", an April Fish - which refers to a young fish which is easily caught. The French delight in shouting "POISSON D'AVRIL" at the denouncement of foolery. French children sometimes tape a picture of a fish on the back of their schoolmates, crying "poisson d'avril" when the prank is discovered. Ooooh-la-la, would Pepé le Peux approve....

Above is an A.T.C. { artist trading card } I created for an April Fool's swap with my local swap group. I must admit, it was the most challenging theme for the group, and turned out to be one of the best swaps we've had since we started in 2006. It was quite interesting researching different cultures and how this "all pranks day" is celebrated around the world. I couldn't imagine where would we be without google & wikipedia.

Let's see what I can dig up for next Friday : ) Sb

April First - Lucky Day!

2010-04-01T14:45:00.005-04:00

Was just quickly checking Craftopolis treasury time clock and I found that I am feature in a new treasury "Fabulousness - A collection of bold blues and warm..." by a FABULOUS fellow Etsian PaaPuu who makes gorgeous 100% handmade lampshades and home goods. Please check out the treasury - it's a beauty. Don't forget to sign in to click & comment. : ) Sb

Prettycheap is Pretty CHIC...

2010-04-01T02:59:00.010-04:00

EtsyTwitter Team's Shop of the Week

This week's shop of the week is Prettycheap, run by owner and creator Nina Danza. Nina ships her items internationally from Ventura, California.

Nina describes herself and her shop as the follows "I am the Frugal Artisan making many different kinds of beautiful bargains! Look in my shop for classic timeless jewelry designs in precious metal, natural stone, and pearls as well as richly colored original photo cards, pressed flower stationary, and embroidery and needlework cards (all very time honored classic crafts)."

{ I love this card that is part of a Set-of-Three Water Inhabitant Photo Cards. This little guy looks like one of my turtles "Moe" that moved up to my sister's pond last summer. I hope they've survived the COLD Florida winter in Orlando. : ) Sb }

When walking through her shop please remember the following: "Everything at Pretty Cheap is made with quality and sold at inexpensive prices. Once you get past the name, my customers can't believe what a great value they get in their purchases: "These are just as sweet and well made as can be! Thank you for great items at good prices! In the words of my granddaughter, Prettycheap rocks" ... "I LOVE these earrings!!! Even prettier in person. They are gorgeous! I have gotten a ton of compliments on them. Fast shipping and very well packaged too. Thanks so much" are just a couple of the 100% positive feed backs."

As always we here at the etsy twitter team love to share our information about how we work on twitter. Nina would like to continue to inspire all of you to use twitter by using the following trick of the trade: "Focus on following and interacting with those of the same passion. Instead of singing to the choir, figure out what sets you apart (ok, easier said than done) and use http://www.twellow.com to find others of like mind. I am such a die hard saver it was easy to start seeking out other thrifty folks. How convenient to have a recession come along and make frugality a trend!"

Nina's business resolutions for 2010 is as follows: "Last year I did an experiment to see what scale of profit I would earn by selling at an increased number of in person shows. The result was good, and gave me first hand knowledge of what price range and type of items shoppers were buying especially at the year end holiday season. I learned that I want to develop the perfect all around gift, that would fit in a medium 2" square box, for a moderate price, by fall of this year!! (and if so I'll let you all know what it is!)"

Nina is offering our readers for this week only:

Free Recycled Guitar String Bracelet with every order (no minimum purchase necessary). While supplies last. Lots of colors and styles, great environmental fashion statement. Just ask for it at checkout. See examples here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/prettycheap/4368649814/

TWITTER ADDRESS http://www.twitter.com/prettycheap

FB PAGE http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pretty-Cheap-Jewelry/250706407767?ref=ts
BLOG http://www.prettycheapjewelry.savingadvice.com

MAILING LIST Click on the blog link and add your email in the left sidebar box

Special Thanks to Jen Kubrick of Jenco13 for writing this article : ) Sb

Mrs. Kwitty's Cottage - This Week's

2010-03-25T13:29:00.003-04:00

EtsyTwitter Team Featured Shop!

Special thanks to Judy of Wellspring Creations on Etsy for this article.

Karen Witkop is the proprietor of this week's EtsyTwitter Team Shop of the week, misseskwittys. Her shop offers a variety of handmade cottage style items in fabric and paper, which she is delighted to ship domestically or internationally. Her attitude about her work shows clearly. "I just love to make things with my hands---pretty, colorful things. I love to get an idea in my head, go down to my studio and pick out some pretty fabrics or papers, and then allow that thought to become something you can actually hold in your hand! It's very gratifying....and FUN!"

When I asked Karen what she wants her customers to know most about her products, she responded, "there is a lot of love involved in my crafting-- from picking the colors of fabrics or papers, hand-stitched or embroidered details, pretty papers, cool old buttons and laces and ribbons (which are often really hard to part with!) for the 'perfect little detail'--and I design my own patterns". Her inspiration is vintage/retro things like embroideries, laces, ribbons, buttons, and rickrack. She says, "I am especially inspired by the linens and fabrics of the 30's and 40's. Don't you think it's wonderful how the housewives of that era, which was a pretty dark era in terms of the war and the economy of the time, did all they could to make their homes beautiful and colorful places--and they did it with their handwork". It is no surprise she also carries some of these vintage items!

Karen has an interactive approach to Twitter. She says, "it's all about being part of the community--I like to tweet my new listings and promotions for the Etsy team, but I also make sure to click on other people's links, too, and leave a comment if I like what I see."

Karen is offering a special deal to celebrate her Etsy Twitter Team Shop of the Week status: With every order this week, she will include a free Gift Tag Sample Pack with each order!

Karen maintains her Internet presence in several ways:
Mrs. Kwitty's Cottage Etsy Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/misseskwittys
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/misseskwittys
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=708146164&ref=name
BLOG: http://misseskwitty.blogspot.com/
FLICKR: http://flickr.com/photos/misseskwittys/

Visiting with KimWhiteCreations:

2010-03-21T19:33:00.003-04:00

EtsyTwitter Team's shop of the Week:

This weeks Shop of the Week (SOTW), kimwhitecreations, is run by the lovely Kim White. Within Kim's shop you will find knit and crochet wearable and usable art. "I like to call my creations, Creative Mentionables! I make Care Shawls and Lap Wraps which are like a warm hug for a loved one. I also knit Coffee Cozies that are like a warm sweater for your coffee cup. I have a Cozy Closet full of Slouches, Caps, Beanies, Scarves, Granny Square Purses and more!"

Kim is inspired to create from family and friends, seasons, colors, foods, and the feel and colors of fabric and yarn. Within her products she offers "creative mentionables...literally wearable/usable pieces of art! I put love and care into every piece I create. If you shop regularly on Etsy, you can appreciate that. I like to buy handmade things as well, and understand the time and effort it takes to produce a quality product. "

Kim's Twitter tricks of the trade: "It's all about relationships. Business is personal, so getting to know my customers, their needs and wants through Twitter has been beneficial for me personally and professionally. I have met some great people, promoted my Etsy shop, found some other wonderful artists. I can promote and purchase from my daily business.Daily tweets about my business and fun/interesting tweets about my personal life keep my Twitter account fresh, fun and follow-able!"

Her favorite thing (scratch that the thing she loves the most) about her craft is when "customer(s) lets me know how their purchase from me, has been a huge hit with the recipient. It really touches me when a Care Shawl or Lap Wrap has been given to a widow, or used for an ill family member."

This year Kim's goal for her shop is "To continue to build relationships with my existing customers, and to grow my customer base. That's tied with adding more Care Shawls to my shop, and continuing to create more custom-order Care Shawls."

This week only Kim is offering our readers:

Any Coffee Cozy FREE with a $50 or more purchase before shipping-just let me know your Coffee Cozy selection in message to seller.
(I will ship internationally if requested.)

To learn more about Kim and her beautiful creations visit her at:

TWITTER ADDRESS http://twitter.com/kimwcreations

FB PAGE http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kim-White-Creations/450797680577?ref=mf

BLOGhttp://kimwhitecreations.tumblr.com/

Thanks to Team Leader Jen Kubrick for this article. Please visit her shop at Jenco13.etsy.com

PS-- March marks crochet month & national Craft month ;) Happy crafting to all!!

Simple & Stunning Photographs

2010-03-14T23:17:00.007-04:00

by DeeJayPhotography - EtsyTwitter Team's Shop of the Week:

Meet Denise Montville of DeeJayPhotography, this week's Etsy Twitter Team’s Shop of the Week.

Denise and her son work together to maintain a shop full of lovely photographs. They are available in several formats including bookmarks, cards, ACEOs aand, of course, prints. When asked about her work, Denise says, “The world around me inspires me to create. I love looking at textures, shapes, colors, and nature and I usually regret the days I leave my house without my camera!” Browsing through the shop, this is immediately apparent, with the result that there is something for everybody.

Their talented eye picks out the detail in an everyday scene and using unique angles, they turn the pretty and almost mundane into a unique and striking photo. Denise says “My son always sees things from different angles than I do” and the result is a broad spectrum of pleasing photography. When asked about her business goal this year, Denise laughed, “to try to shoot more photos and actually get them listed in my shop!”

Denise is a skilled Twitterer. With over 1200 followers, she has found a balance between sharing her life and art with her Twitter friends and retweeting items that she feels would be of interest to her followers. This balance invites followers because she is interesting!

Follow Denise on:

TWITTER ADDRESS : http://twitter.com/D_J_Photography
FB PAGE http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dee-Jay-Photography/133391096559?ref=ts

DeeJayPhotography is celebrating one partner’s 17th birthday by offering a 17% discount. In addition, as Shop of the Week, they are offering free shipping this month (just wait for a revised Paypal invoice before paying for your purchase). International shipments can be accommodated, too. Just convo Denise first to request a shipping quote.

Thanks to Judy of Wellspring Creations on Etsy for writing this article. Sb

Mikiye Creations Designs so In Style...

2010-03-07T18:50:00.003-05:00

EtsyTwitter Team's Shop of the Week

Article Written by Jen Kubrick from Jenco13.etsy.com - thanks Jen! : )

This week's shop of the week is run by the lovely: Mikiye Narita. In her shop, Mikiye Creations, you can find various types of jewelry and Specialize in designing one of a kind customized hair accessories. "I am constantly learning and being inspired by my Brides. They always have me on my toes when it comes to creating their one of a kind pieces, many of which are heirloom quality for their Special Day. It's so fantastic to always be striving to be the best I can be and creating heirloom pieces that they will cherish forever."

When interviewing Mikiye she told me a little about herself.

"I grew up in a family full of artistic women and was bit by the art bug early in life. I have always loved keeping myself involved with anything that I can express my talents in. I spent 15+ years working as a Professional celebrity Makeup artist in Los Angeles and about 7 years ago began my love affair with making flowers. It wasn't long until my clients and friends were asking me to make them flowers and accessories so it was a natural move to start my own business. I am completely self taught so it's great fun for me to see how far I have come and how much my skills and techniques have improved!"

As an artist the world that surrounds us normally inspires us to create. (well at least that's what my art teacher taught me in elementary school) For Mikiye she is inspired by "history! Art History was one of my favorite classes! I just drooled over the elaborate clothing and accessories. The paintings, colors and representations of opulence drove me wild! I try to incorporate that richness into my work. Little inklings of it here and there. I think my attention to detail and high quality help bring my passion to fruition. Everything in fashion can be traced back to the beginnings and I love to pick and choose from each era a little something special and add my own twist."

Mikiye's trick of twitter is as follows: "I really enjoy getting to know people on twitter. It is such an easy way to see what people are up to. I check out new items my friends tweet about as well as just see what they are up to. I like to make sure I comment/interact with others and I always like to share something I find interesting that another person has tweeted about. Definitely take the time to get to know who's on there because it is amazing the tight knit family that can actually develop when you really pay attention to who's doing what. Frankly, it's just A LOT of FUN!"

As all of our members have Mikiye has shared her business resolutions for the New Year. "One of my business resolutions is to get my personal site up! Literally, this has been in the making for the last 5 years and keeps falling through the cracks. I can't wait to have this available for my clients!"

Mikiye is offering our readers the following special this week:

FREE U.S. SHIPPING on all purchases. Please add SOTW in notes to seller to redeem this. Shipping will be refunded through Paypal.

To learn more about this shop please use the handy links below:

TWITTER ADDRESS http://www.twitter.com/mikiyecreations
FB PAGE http://www.facebook.com/mikiyecreations
BLOG http://www.mikiyecreations.blogspot.com

Check out EtsyTwitter Team's

2010-03-07T18:47:00.001-05:00

Shop of the Week: Amievoltaire 2/21-2/29/2010 -- & a SPECIAL GIVEAWAY!

Angela Keller of Amievoltaire http://www.amievoltaire.etsy.com/ has a shop full of colorful handmade classic children’s clothing with a modern flair. Skirts, dresses, aprons, and even doll clothes abound with bright patchwork and all-girl ruffles. She has provided many happy clients with her clothing apparel since she opened her Etsy shop in January, 2008. She ships internationally, too!

In our interview, it was very apparent that Angela loves what she does. “My items really are made with love.” she said “but my customers say they like working with me because I take pride in my work.” She loves seeing her customers come back, knowing that they enjoyed their experience. She stands behind her work with her workmanship guarantee.

“My zest for the artistic spans my lifetime.” Part of the joy in her work comes from connecting two or more gorgeous artistic creations into something pleasing, but completely different. She says many things ranging from “my children, the seasons, the weather, my childhood and currently – fabric!” inspire her. Like many fabric enthusiasts, she says “I need to control my pine for fabric”!

What are your Twitter tricks of the trade? Angela responds, “It's clear that if you want someone to listen you need to provide them with something interesting, something they can care about. I try to be open and honest and share what my friends are doing. I need to continue to establish relationships. I believe this is working for me on Facebook and I'd like to foster it more on twitter.

To celebrate her status as the Etsy Twitter Teams’ Shop of the Week, Angela is offering a special giveaway that ends February 28.

Anyone who mentions Etsy Twitter Team will receive 20% off their total purchase. In addition, check out her giveaway on her blog at http://rosepetalcustoms.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2010-02-17T10%3A23%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=1.

Follow Angela of Amievoltaire on-->

Twitter: http://twitter.com/amievoltaire

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/amievoltaire
Blog: http://rosepetalcustoms.blogspot.com/

--Judy

http://www.wellspringcreations.etsy.com/

Stamped in Silver - PunkyJane...

2010-02-17T04:19:00.004-05:00

EtsyTwitter Team's Shop of the Week

I love stepping into Sandy Simpson shop, PunkyJane. She has these amazing hand stamped and personalized sterling silver jewelry and gifts, but also work a bit in copper and fine silver. PunkyJane ships internationally from woodland, CA since October 2008. With over 500 sales on etsy Sandy feels that the most important thing about selling on etsy is that "to know is that I truly enjoy working with customers to help create their vision. It's not all about MY design. Hopefully my work will be something they treasure for a very long time. I love a good challenge!"

All of our team members here get the SOTW questions (just some basic questions) from our Team Leader Jen Kuebrich & Sandy has turned one of our questions into a fun twist. Here is how the conversation went...
Jen: "What are your Twitter tricks of the trade? "
Sandy: "Say that 10 times fast!! I think being a part of the Etsy Twitter team has really taught me how to be a good tweeter. It's all about community. Sure, tweet when you list a new product or have a special sale, but I truly believe you'll have more success if people get a feeling for WHO you are, not just WHAT you do. And the nice thing is that it doesn't have to be too deep...it's only 140 characters after all!"
(to tell you the truth Sandy and fellow readers she did say it 1oX fast-it was not pretty;)

PunkyJane's favorite thing about her craft is : "As a graphic designer, I always had my undo button. It saved me all the time! With stamping, there's a finality to it. I've had to completely change my thinking about how to create. It's taught me that perfection isn't possible, and for me, that's a great lesson to have learned."

Sandy's business resolutions for 2010 for her shop is as follows: "I resolve to become more efficient at the paperwork and communication parts of the business so I can focus on what keeps me going...being creative."

This week Sandy is offering the following sale to our readers:

Free standard shipping on everything in my shop now through February 25, 2010. Use 'TwitterSOTW' in the message to seller box at checkout and your shipping will be refunded via PayPal.

To learn more about Sandy's shop (aka PunkyJane)

please use these links and check out the other blogs here on our blog (ETT).

http://twitter.com/punkyjane

W E B ~~~> http://www.PunkyJane.com

B L O G ~~~> http://PunkyJane.blogspot.com

F A C E B O O K : Become a fan! ~~~> http://facebook.com/PunkyJaneJewlery

"Feeling Lucky" Etsy Treasury

2010-02-15T18:21:00.005-05:00

Happy Chinese New Year! I'm feeling "Lucky" & blessed with so many things with this new year of the tiger so to commemorate I have chosen these items to bring you Luck, celebrate the coming of spring, or donning a little green for St. Patty's Day!

This Etsy Main Treasury features my friends from the EtsyTwitter Team - Enjoy! Susan : )

Glitzy Events -

2010-02-15T18:17:00.001-05:00

EtsyTwitter Team's Shop of the week!

With the wedding season coming up, the Etsy Twitter Team’s Shop of the Week GlitzyEvents has the invitations and the customer service attitude to make the experience perfect for the bride-to-be! The shop proprietor says, “I just want brides to be able to get exactly what they want. Often times with mass production companies there is no personal interaction, so you can’t just say I love this part about this invite, but can you change this. I want my clients to be 100% happy with the product that they receive, so almost all requests can be accommodated.” Since she ships internationally to Canada, UK, Australia, and Ireland, that’s a lot of happy brides!

Kimberley Williams is the talent behind GlitzyEvents. She specializes in custom invitations; the process from start to finish is entirely for the client. They choose all paper colors, fonts, & text, and can also mix and match invitation styles. Coordinating pieces to complete the look and feel of the wedding are also available, i.e. menus, programs, placecards, unity candles, seating charts, & more!

Kimberley’s is inspired by her dedication to quality goods and customer service. And she loves all the options available for paper goods. “There are always tons of new papers in production so I can continually evolve my line.” And with her high quality paper goods, hardware, and machinery, “everything from samples to full invitation orders come beautifully professionally packaged, and with useful freebies for the modern bride.”

Facebook and Twitter are key tools for Kimberley’s business, but most importantly, she enjoys them as a means of building relationships. In addition, she says she has ‘met’ and been able to cross promote with many great wedding professionals. When tweeting about a new product or promo, “the retweets from these ‘tweeps’ have been really priceless.”

Her 2010 New Year’s resolutions is to “reach a larger audience. The start of 2010 has been fantastic. I have literally tripled my business from this time one year ago. It really has been an awesome start to the year.”

From February 8-14, GlitzyEvents is offering
Free shipping on all invitation samples
Just mention EtsyTwitter @ check-out for a refund on shipping,
or convo me ahead of time for an updated listing.

To learn more about Kim and her amazing shop please use these links:

twitter is http://twitter.com/glitzyevents

blog is http://blog.glitzyevents.com/

facebook: http://facebook.com/glitzyevents

Thanks to Judy for this article - WellspringCreations.etsy.com

2010 Lake Worth Steet Painting Fest

2010-02-12T05:16:00.007-05:00

This is the painting I will be recreating for the Annual Lake Worth Street Painting Festival in Lake Worth, FL on Feb. 20-21st, 2010.

It is by artist Bruno Zapan, entitled "Barges Under Pont des Arts, Summer Light" an Oil on canvas, 32 x 25 1/2". Part of the recent exhibition "en plein air" at the Galerie D'Orsay - which I stumbled upon from searching for a painting on the web. Bruno Zapan is a living artist who work is a modern incarnation of Impressionist & Post Impressionist masters. "Zupan’s inspiration comes from spending his life in the pursuit of light. He prefers to paint en plein air rather than in his studio, and his locations of choice are Mallorca, Venice, and Paris. Picturesque vistas, the haphazard growth of flowers along stucco walls or well-worn footpaths, and the golden tones of sunset on Venetian architecture all owe their inspiration to Zupan’s observance of light and the recognition of the varied yet simple manifestations of its beauty. Bruno Zupan was born in 1939 in Slovenia. Once his studies in Zagreb, Croatia were completed, he immigrated to Paris in 1962 where he enjoyed a bohemian lifestyle. He traveled to the United States in 1964 and became an American citizen in 1969."

Special Thanks to the Galerie D'Orsay | 33 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02116 Ph. 617-266-8001 | for their beautiful website and featured online exibitions. One day I have to plan a trip to Boston and visit this Gallery myself.

I am so enticed by this painting and I am excited to be paying homage to a 'living master' painter. Sb

Do You Know my Friend FoxyG?

2010-02-03T15:02:00.002-05:00

FoxyGknits is the EtsyTwitter Team's
Shop of the week:

I LOVE THIS SCARF! It's so uniquely purple! As one of my fellow EtsyTwitter Team -mate's, and lover of PURPLE - Lois Rocks!!! Her work speaks for itself. She always is on top of the team goings on with posts and tweets, and is a regular blogger as well. I have had the pleasure and honor of being featured in her blog posts. So many Etsians are grateful and lucky to have such a woman to look up to who leads by example... Thanks Lois for all that you do AND ALWAYS giving back to the Etsy & Twitter communities. Sb

This week's shop is from one of our most active members here on the EtsyTwitter Team. FoxyGknits, owned and created by Lois Stifel, is a beautiful shop. Within the shop you can find hand-knit one-of-a-kind shawls, wraps, and scarves that are fashioned by combining diverse yarn textures and color palettes. Designed for today’s woman, all items encompass both style and comfort. You can tell that Lois's world is truly inspired from colors and textures in the which she describes as the "everyday world around me". From everything Lois lists in her shop you can tell that she believes, "Knitting was my avocation long before it was my vocation, and each item is hand knit with love. I take great pride in my workmanship, and if something isn’t up to my standards, it doesn’t go into my shop. "

Lois is always on twitter, tweeting about many amazing things such as: her fellow teammates on ETT, her newest items she or her mama Fox has made, Her Art from the Heart feature on her blog, or beautiful quotes/saying about those who are in her life. When asked about her twitter tricks of the trade Lois shared with me the following:

"I am not sure that this is a “trick of the trade,” but I don’t tweet anything I wouldn’t mind seeing on the front page of the New York Times! On a serious note, I work at building relationships on twitter. I do this by sharing valuable information, retweeting friends’ and colleagues’ sales and promotions and not boring people with what I had for lunch or letting them know when I am leaving for the post office. And I unequivocally never beg for sales, talk about how many followers I have or don’t have or how many shop hearts I have or don’t have."

From February 1st -7th Lois is offering the following discount in her shop:

FREE U.S. SHIPPING on all purchases totaling $40 or more. Put LOVEISINTHEAIR in the Note to Seller. Shipping fees will be refunded via PayPal after payment has been made

This year FoxyGknit's goal is to make more items that you will all love! She has told me the following about this goal:

"I would have to say that one of my business resolutions is finding my niche. What I think will sell does not always. And what I think might never sell sells quickly. While I have the demographics on etsy shoppers, I do not yet have a good handle on the demographics on Foxy G. Knits shoppers."

To learn more about Lois and her amazing shop please use the links below:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/foxygknits
Facebook biz page: http://www.facebook.com/foxygknits
Blog: Foxy G’s Den of i-KNIT-quity: http://foxygknits.com/

Thank You Lois for sharing this information with us. We love you, your shop and all the beautiful things you do for the ETT.

Please note that there is only shipping to the United States at this time.*