Claire and Me

New Blog

2013-11-06T12:14:00.004-08:00

Please Visit my new Shop Blog HERE
I would really appreciate it if you like me on facebook and follow the new blog for fun recipes and giveaways.
Thanks!
janae

judeMcConkeyPhotos Interview

2012-11-03T09:51:00.000-07:00

Here is an interview with jude of judeMcConkeyPhotos of Etsy. I selected her because I love her work - the photos are so expressive and rich with detail and her jewelry is wonderful; and she is a good Facebook friend too, which I love!

1. Tell me a little bit about yourself:

I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and moved to the upper peninsula of Michigan about 32 years ago (it's where my husband grew up). I started photography about 9 years ago after a pretty horrible "glamor shot" session. I realized I could actually bring out the beauty that every woman has. It moved quickly onto fine art photography, though.

2. How did you name your shop?:

Lack of any kind of imagination since it's judemcconkeyphotos .. lol

3. If you had a thousand bucks to spend on Etsy, what would you buy?:

Ohhhh, that's a great question! There is some jewelry here that I've been wanting for years. Also, I'd love a complete collection of original artwork from obsoleteworld.etsy.com (her shop is on vacation til the 26th). Here's her FB page:www.facebook.com/obsoleteworld .. I absolutely love her work.. I can look at it and cry for hours - it's very emotional.

4. What are three tips you would give other Etsy shop owners?:

Market a lot. Renew/relist/list a lot. Try not to let it overcome your entire life (almost impossible).

5. What is your favorite thing about being an artist/creative person?

I've always been artistic/creative - I painted, I wrote, etc. And there was only one time in my life I didn't - when my children were little until they were in high school. As soon as they were old enough and I felt I had time (since I was also working a full time job) I felt that drain of not being creative. I started to try to find what would fill that creative side in me, which eventually led me to photography. THE thing is that creation is what I believe we are all here to do in some way. When we do that, we feel fulfilled.

6. How do you balance business and creating?

It's the hardest thing for me, I think. Since I started making vintage-inspired photo jewelry it takes up most of my time. Sometimes I think "are you a photographer, or what?" and it makes me leave the house and go in search of new photographs - WHICH I love to do. Working on photos is like being in a sacred place. It sounds weird but I'm so lost and happy when I do it. That is my first love ... not just taking the photo, but seeing what I can create wit it. Unfortunately, marketing is a huge part of being on a site like Etsy and I feel like I spend way too much time doing it, but that I have no choice I'd like to

hire a trained monkey to do that part ;)

7. Tell us about your family, or support system?I've been married to Tim for a little over 37 years. We have 4 grown children and 5 grandchildren - all who live very close to us (streets away). My husband is my biggest fan and has taken up photography as just a fun thing to do (he gets my old cameras when I get a new one). We enjoy traveling around to look for photos. He unselfishly takes all his vacation days to go to art/craft shows with me and does all the heavy, hard work. I treated with a Neil Young concert a few weeks ago to let him know how much I appreciate it.

8. When you were younger, what did you want to be when you "grew-up?"

I wanted to be an FBI agent, a lawyer, a writer and, in my teens, a pathologist .. Kind of glad I didn't do most of them, although I did write for a living for a while.

9. What was the best gift you ever received?

This is going to sound really unexciting, but it meant a lot to me. My birthdays are notoriously forgotten by family. One year my husband and brother went in together and bought me expensive, leather-bound books of "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings Trilogy".

Thanks so much for letting us get to know you more, jude! Be sure to visit her shop on Etsy!

Start Us Out Giveaway

2012-10-30T12:38:00.001-07:00

Now in an ideal world and the one I live in, we will be giving away excellent prizes from Etsy sellers and fabric and stuff.
But this is my first giveaway so I'm going to be a little different.
Amazon.
What could you maybe get at Amazon? Well I'm going to go over some of my latest purchases, and when I say that I mean the songs I just bought for my playlist.
Like Florence and the Machine. My friend sent me "shake it out" and I love it.
Or Call me When you're sober a great song.
Or Wide Awake which has a totally awesome music video.
Also I think I bought diapers on Amazon recently- have you seen their subscription program? It kills me it is so good.

All of them? on my running mix. I'm still not very good at running but you can imagine how good I should be with all this good inspiration. I imagine you could be even better
.
So I'm running this giveaway through Rafflecopter, and they seem pretty awesome these days.
They have easy to follow directions.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Etsy Treasury Contest: YELLandPANIC

2012-09-23T18:00:00.000-07:00

Amber Glass Chicken Covered Dish from YELLandPANIC on Etsy

Announcing an awesome Etsy Treasury Contest featuring Etsy shop YELLandPANIC!

THE PRIZE:

A $10 Amazon Gift card!

THE RULES:

1. Follow my shop blog - this blog!
2. Make an Etsy Treasury featuring any item from the Etsy shop YELLandPANIC - Place the item somewhere in the top three rows.
3. Tag the treasury "claireandjanae" and "yellandpanic" (2 separate tags)
4. Leave a link to this blog entry with your treasury.
5. VERY IMPORTANT: Post a comment on this blog entry with a link to the treasury and your Etsy name and/or email address so I can contact you if you win.
6. You may enter as much as you want - multiple treasuries are encouraged!
7. Contest ends September 30, 2012 at noon EST.
8. I pick the winner - the treasury I like the most!

Fabric Friday

2012-07-13T10:53:00.000-07:00

you might be asking yourself what you should do with the fabric you bought this week. well I found another fantastic blog that could help you with that question. A site called Sew Much Ado has lots of tutorials that are great to use- and even beginner friendly. I love their peasant dress pattern. I love sites that do tutorials- they seem to organized and with it and I want to be one of those awesome people.

Maybe I will start being one of those people- but I can't find my camera right now so I'm going to be one of those other people that loves looking at what other people do for tutorials. oh maybe tutorials should be on a different day than Fabric day. but they really go hand in hand.
So do you buy fabric for a specific pattern or look for something to do with the fabric you love?
I thought of a few fabrics for this pattern.

and I love this Michael Miller fabric. I think it would make a cute little baby dress. you know what else would? Chevrons. Chevrons are quite possibly my latest obsession. I have a board on pinterest inspired by them. So this dress could be made with chevrons. for real. Imagine how fun that would be.

what are you doing with your fabric today?

What a Beautiful Giveaway.

2012-07-12T23:32:00.003-07:00

I do love me some fabric. In a serious way. so here is a fantastic giveaway.
http://seevanessacraft.com/2012/07/giveaway-fat-quarter-shop-fabric-bundle/#comment-86817

she uses the magical powers of rafflecopter to power her giveaway of a fat quarter bundle valued at 59.99. um- I totally need to win this. My mother is obsessed with Fat quarters which I totally LOVE. and I always want to buy the bundles.
I want to win this giveaway. but I'm blogging about it- because if I can't win and you win from finding out from me that is like me winning. only different. but also I was part of it so you can imagine.

Fabric Friday

2012-07-06T16:05:00.000-07:00

Since I have decided against going to a group for fabric addiction I've decided I can post about Fabric. I might change my mind about that if I get a car anytime soon. So I will post about it on Fridays. Maybe every Friday because Fabric Friday sounds pretty good. If you have any ideas about fabric you like and why you like it or fabric storage just let me know.

So I thought first I would share a fabric idea from Craftaholics Anonymous that I totally started to copy in the Scranton house. OK right now I'm a bit in transition so I don't have a real place to store my fabric right now. Or my own place. It's also nice to surround yourself with people who are beautiful inside and beautiful things. I've learned recently who is good to have around in an emergency and how they aren't always who you suspect. I'm really blessed to have such great friends. and I'm blessed that I still have things I can enjoy to do, like fantasizing about different projects I can make. Hopefully I will be able to sell enough stuff on Etsy for a while to pay off some of my debt and become financially self sufficient. Scary! life can be super overwhelming- and trying to keep a clean house is also super overwhelming.
You know what makes it feel better? Thinking of people with awesome fabric storage. Like Linda and her Ideas for Storing Fabric on her neat Blog.
Don't you wish your floor looked this great? I know it looks like brand new carpet and it doesn't have any toys on it. So it's not my house. Oh wait- don't have a house right now...Anyway I love the way she has organized it. Not to mention that she has some fantastic fabric that I would like to own. I love the curtain rod clips to store fabric- they are perfect! It just looks like it could be in a store- and I secretly want my craft room to look like a store. If I ever get a craft room again. Ok I will get a craft room again- I decided it's official. You know what would be cool? Owning a fabric store and just being with people all day talking about different projects and helping them organize their homes. And helping them spend their money. I could really do that for a living I think. Maybe I will earn enough to buy millions of the cute little clips for my fabric.

What are some of the best ideas you've seen for organizing fabric?

Steps to being a Bad Etsy Blogger.

2011-11-09T19:31:00.000-08:00

It's come to my attention that I can give a really good guide about being a bad etsy blogger. Here are ten easy steps.

some happy sock monkeys have joined the claireandjanae team

Get pregnant. This will help you feel sick for at least 20 weeks. Maybe 28 if you are lucky. Or more.
Start challenges where you give stuff away and then get jealous of the people who start blogs about them after you and have more followers. Then they start an awesome team. and you realize it probably wasn't your original idea but you still feel a bit sad about it because you don't get to pick the winners anymore.
try to start a Facebook page but realize they are really hard to manage and apparently you aren't as Facebook savvy as some. Don't blog about tutorials since you can't do it.
Realize there are ten million other sellers who also blog from etsy and do awesome tutorials.
Don't advertize. This way no one will find your blog.
Don't tell your friends to buy things from you and follow your blog. This can be achieved by being secretive or unfriendly (see step one for help if you are too kind).
Complain a lot in the Etsy forums about how some people get all the Etsy attention. I'm pretty sure people like complainers. you could link to your blog in your complaints. Then the right kind of people will be following you. You could also complain about other stuff on etsy on your blog, which is mean.
Don't update your blog except every five months.
Don't ever do giveaways.
Don't feature other sellers.

Hopefully this short tutorial will help you attain mediocrity. I am off to start working on it, because I realize that I am never in the etsy forums so I have definitely not complained enough.

What I Made Today

2011-06-23T13:14:00.000-07:00

or rather, what I made Yesterday. I've decided to do another month challenge where I actually photograph and make things every day. I'm hoping to boost my etsy shop contents, and finish some quilts.

Danielle wanted to help me make a "quilt" which to her is a soft fuzzy blanket so we made one together. People have been asking me to make soft minky blankets for adults to I decided I should make some and list them in the shop. Danielle picked all the fabrics- so I guess it is for someone who is young at heart.
I love my little girl. Check out her design HERE

Month Challenge- 31 days of making things, every day. Consistency Counts. Like the year challenge, only way way way shorter.

DAY 1 of 31

Front Page :-)

2011-04-21T13:02:00.000-07:00

I was just on the front page of Etsy. it made my day. My little Butterfly shirt that Danielle helped pick the design for was featured. Thanks HippieKingdom!

Custom Tea Towels

2011-03-17T21:16:00.000-07:00

I like to make fun projects when I go visit my aunt. One of our projects was decorating tea towels. She came up with the idea of putting a snap in so you can snap them around the oven or fridge door. That way your child doesn't run off with your tea towel. My children tend to want to steal my towels, if only for the 18 month old to throw them in the trash. The snaps help me in the constant batter that is living with the kiddos. Every mom needs a little help with keeping things organized, and every little thing to make things easier is definitely work it.
My friend EllaBelleEtsy who makes darling jewelry asked me if I could make some with Amy Butler Fabrics which I happened to have lying around so here are some of the options I made for her.

now if only I can bring myself to give them to her instead of keeping them for myself.

Thursday Three: Healthy Healthy Healthy

2011-03-03T08:20:00.000-08:00

I want my whole family to be healthier- so I'm going to get a sign that announces it is a house rule. BECAUSE IT IS. we will eat our veggies and put THIS SIGN on the wall to help remind us. John W Golden makes these fantastic By Order of the Management signs and I bought one mounted on a block and I LOVE IT SO MUCH. I feel like he is a "fancy" etsy seller because I've seen his work at the Land of Nod. The only problem for me and all these signs- it's hard to pick which ones you want. Because I sometimes want them all.

last night I went to a gardening class- I'm going to start planning my garden which is so exciting. I tend to be a little more... expansive? ambitious? than I need to be. But today I bought my organic seeds. I'm so excited to have organic seeds to trade with the ladies in the garden club. We were all looking at our Gardener Porn yesterday (that's seed catalogs) and flipping through different garden plans. I like a fairly formal and ornamental design. Cubits is one of the nicest sellers I've ever met on Etsy, so I got me seeds from her. She has a wonderful blog about her organic lifestyle. I'm glad to plant lots of colorful veggies because I'm doing the new weight watchers program online and you can eat all the veggies you want! Deep down in my soul I wish I had the discipline to be vegan but I think an organic garden is a start. Now if only I can convince my husband to never go to taco bell again...

this print is the happiest thing in my dieting life right now. Even though I am full of a very positive attitude it is fun to have a little print to look at for all those other times. I think everyone should have one. I've lost 9 pounds so far and yesterday I had a mini melt down where I went to Olive Garden with my friends and split a tour of italy. oops. It's OK. I can eat healthy and work out like a mother for one year. I can do this. and people will still like me at the end.

The Sweetest Blog Post Ever

2011-02-23T21:42:00.000-08:00

I will by buying these seeds from Cubits in a month or two... Please come spring!

Well if you love Organic Gardening you should really get to know Cubits' etsy shop. She is one of the nicest people EVER. ever. seriously. and she made a blog post about me that makes me so happy. She got a few tie die shirts from me for a midwife friend. Twins! I can't imagine having twins- one child makes me feel like I will never sleep again. (well I have two, but i mean when you have one baby).
Please comment on her blog post HERE. What a beautiful blog she has. It makes me want to buy some organic fabric and garden supplies. I guess just about everything makes me want to buy fabric though...

My next tie dye adventure did not go well with Danielle- but we sure do have fun. What is it about tie dye that makes kids want to just throw color around all over everything- Danielle loves it and comes out with a shirt that is a kind of puke brown color and wants to wear it EVERY DAY. now we've restricted ourselves to just two colors at a time, and she just douses hers and the table and, if possible, the floor around where she is working.
It makes me crazy! and it is hilarious.
Danielle had an art project today. Underneath the kitchen table. With a permanent Marker. my little artist.
My mom informs me that the payback from my childhood hasn't even begun yet (and this NOT the first marker adventure). How am I so bad at hiding markers? I can never find one...
I'm so excited for going outside with Danielle and working in the yard so she doesn't color on the floor underneath the table. I was IN THE SAME ROOM and I somehow didn't notice. I guess I was just mesmerized by the dishes and Mark emptying the cupboards. Why do child locks only work on adults? I still don't understand it. Soon all that creative energy can be spent working in the dirt :-)

what do you do with your creative energy?

My Dog: Thursday Three

2011-02-17T12:22:00.000-08:00

Now I don't know if you are aware, but I happen to have one great big dog. Well he weighs 100 pounds which I think is big. He is a mutt. He is not very smart. He is also adorable. His best trick: down. He also knows how to "get lost" which means go far away from me. I taught him that when i was pregnant. He looks old and always has since his fur has some white in it. He is built for distance and is never aggressive. His worst quality is that if you leave him alone too long in a back yard he helps excavate it with digging. Since he is a lab mixed with a shepherd or maybe a super mutt he sometimes trees things. Or does that great big hound bellow. Or wants to herd people. Or wants to protect us. He flunked obedience class several times. So after this description you should know that EVERYONE wants our dog Austin. He is somehow the perfect dog. He has never had an accident in the house except the day we got him when he was barfing worms. He only weighed ten pounds then. This is the most loved dog in the world- everyone volunteers to take him if we can't have him anymore. He is great with children and doesn't chew on things and is house broken. Plus he is afraid of cords and vacuum cleaners and any other machine that might be trying to kill him. He loves to get his toys out of the bin when I've picked up all the kid toys. He also loves to bark at 12:30 in the afternoon. Once a cat at the vet that had been attacked by dogs got in the area Austin was in. They were found snuggling together and always do when Austin visits. This week's Thursday Three is dedicated to him.

AUSTIN THE GENTLEMAN:
Austin always lets the kids climb on him and even doesn't get mad when babies try to poke him in the eye. He just things they are trying to show him love. He is a Gentleman.

Red Tartan Bow Tie Dog Collar from Sillybuddy
How awesome are these? I love the idea of our noble dummy wearing not only a collar but a bow tie. He knows that he is noble. I think Austin would be friends with Buddy from Sillybuddy. They would run around and Buddy would show Austin who was boss unless there was a bone involved and then Austin would steal it and guard it. Here is a description of Buddy from SillyBuddy: Silly Buddy - Buddy loves bananas, peanut butter, carrots, french fries, homemade popsicles and apples the most. He loves to roll around in warm, clean laundry and although he likes his own giant bed plenty - when we fall sound asleep he sneaks up to cuddle with us in our bed. He steals smelly socks and loves to sleep on them. Buddy loves to swim but he hates to take a bath. He gets so excited and pees his pants when we play with the laser pen and loves to roll around the floor with grandma. He loves to chase squirrels and bunnies, even when there seems to be no squirrels and bunnies around. Buddy loves to travel, he traveled to Europe, made lots of friends and enjoyed more European food than we were able to. When its late at night Buddy is very considerate, he goes up and down the stairs very slowly and quietly. Buddy gives so many kisses and loves catching bubbles. Buddy jumps so high you'd think he has a built in trampoline and could probably fly really high if he tried with his dumbo-like ears. Buddy is jealous, yet so gentle and kind. Sometimes he is a lion, at times he is a bird, sometimes he is a deer and a little bit of the time he is a pig. Buddy can find his red ball no matter where we hide it. Lately he can't seem to part with his peanut butter filled bone - When we go for a walk, Buddy brings his bone.

Buddy loves us, and we love Buddy more.

Don't you think they would be doggie friends? Austin loves other black dogs.

Austin the Famous:
Austin is sometimes very smelly. He doesn't always understand that smelling bottoms is not a polite thing to do. He seemed especially interested in smelling my bottom while I was pregnant. He knew before I did.

King Of Farts Dog Tag by Sudlow
One of my first and best Etsy purchases EVER- the King of farts dog tag. My dog is truly a king of farts. Actually now that I think of it I should send one to Austin's pug friend Ralph who is truly a royal farting dog. Did you know that Austin modeled for Sudlow? And when I say modeled I mean we sent them a picture of our dog with his dog tag on and they put it in the listing :-) Famous! One guess which one is Austin:

Austin is in the bottom right. He is using everything inside of him to sit still. also John was holding him back. Rachael Sudlow has a Website HERE. I love her stuff and my dog loves his necklace. Everyone I know loves it. They are always a little surprised to find his name is Kind of Farts. Then they laugh. because it is true. This dog can aerosolize waste. More about Rachael:

A graduate from the Rhode Island School of Design, Rachael's photography work captures the landscape with an unusual perspective, bringing the bovine & barnyard up close and personal, while transforming them into a new reality.
Her work in all aspects focuses on nature & the organic side of life. The jewelry line has been described as 'a whimsical take on the everyday'. Her line of jewelry is sold among stores across the world and is also available online.

Based out of her Lawrence, Kansas studio, she also teaches jewelry at the Lawrence arts center.

Austin the Lazy:

when Austin was in beginner obedience class three times he was really only good at one thing: down. Everyone else would be anxiously waiting to be released and Austin would lay on his side and sometimes fall asleep. He begs by sitting across the room and laying down. The only thing he really gets up for really fast is danger- like the Vacuum cleaner.

XXL 50 by 57 Unique Tough Big Dog Bed from BowWowBeds

Austin likes to eat his stuffed animals and kill them just as much as the next dog. They are loved bits of threadbare stuff after a while. Nothing is more exciting than fluff. You can imagine that his beloved beds do not fare much better.
BowWowBeds has a great dane named Darth Vader. I wonder if he could make more slober than my dog.
This bed would be perfect for him. It can be Personlized. From the description:

Our dog bed covers are made to order from durable, machine washable, 100% pure cotton duck canvas. Owners with dogs who like to chew will appreciate our no zipper-pillow sham design. Stuff them with sleeping pillows, memory foam or even an old dog bed whose cover has long since bit the dust.

This XXL (50x57) listing includes the personalization fee of $5. If you do not want personalization, please see the XXL listing which has NO PERSONALIZATION in the title!

One name up to seven letters (military font, all caps as shown, each letter measures about two inches) or one stencil saying (in fonts as shown, measure about 11 inches across) is done with non-toxic black or white fabric ink by hand. Feel free to choose one image as shown if preferred.

When you checkout, please put your fabric color preference along with your personalization request in the comments section to seller. Or feel free to email us. If an image is not specified you will receive text only. If black or white ink is not specified we will choose.

Duck canvas is one of the toughest fabrics available but not indestructible to a dog that can chew a rawhide bone at ease! If you have a pet that likes to play with or chew on bedding, only allow them to have it when you are around to teach otherwise. Dogs are smart! Positive consistent training=problem solved.

I like personalized items.

What would your get your dog?

Thursday Three

2011-02-10T15:29:00.000-08:00

I thought you might be wondering what I thought about three items on Etsy. So I will tell you.

OK I have to admit lately I am loving the geometric necklaces. Loving. Today I thought about three of them.
One is the Triangles in a trapezoid necklace. can you believe it is hand embroidered? I like this seller's shop because it has great items- like an embroidered map of the USA made into a necklace. Crazy awesome.

http://www.penelopereichley.wordpress.com she has a blog (love blogs). She is named Penelope which makes her even cooler. Plus once she made a treasury with my item in it. Not only was it on the front page, but the item sold. I felt pretty honored because she is an indie artist. Not only does she use mostly recycled materials, she is also a member of the etsy free spirits team. I have always wanted to be a little more indie than I am. Just like how I wish I was a vegetarian. She even has vegan options in her jewelry. I love that!

also- I found a coupon for free shipping on her blog. you should follow her blog.

Another Hand Embroidered Necklace maker is Spinthread. She is originally from Cuba and now lives in Boulder Colorado.
Contact Info
http://twitter.com/spinthread
http://flickr.com/photos/spinthread
htpp://maranon.tumblr.com

Well Spinthread is pretty much famous, since she was the featured seller on Etsy. I remember reading the interview because she had a picture of herself with awesome and large hair. Should I admit I read the interview because of the way she looked? Well I just did. My friend Paula has big hair too, and I feel like people with big hair sort of buzz with life.

I hope she is getting her wish of having babies. I love babies. Maybe I can make her a blanket someday. Check out her beautiful necklace in some of my favorite etsy colors- blue and yellow:
Dodecahedron Cloud. awesome title. never would have thought of it.

Lastly I thought of an artist that makes geometric jewelry in- polymer clay. Her shop name is NoMilkToday. and I had one of her items in my last Front page treasury so I think she is magic a little bit. Her Dolphin Pattern necklace is adorable. I love it.
Another reason she is awesome- she lives in Athens, Greece. One of the places I went on my honeymoon. and it was blasted hot but I liked it anyway. She says using clay reminds her of collecting things to work with in her childhood.

What have you been thinking about on Etsy?

Twitter

2011-02-08T21:23:00.000-08:00

This Pillow is from Craftsquatch . It rocks.

A lot of people use twitter to promote their etsy shops. You might ask yourself: What does Janae think about the pros and cons of twitter? You might not. Either way I'm going to talk about them. because I can.
I'm happy I joined twitter. I finally know what the fail whale is. At first I just blocked everyone who tried to follow me because I didn't know who they were. Then I realized that the point is to meet new people.
sorry everyone I blocked...I wonder if there is a way to unblock people...

Here is a list of some pros and cons I've experienced

PRO: there are a lot of funny people on twitter. it's fun to read what people are up to.

PRO: One of the positives I've noticed is how soon you find people with common interests. If I had a question about something on etsy I could just write it in my status and within minutes have an answer.

PRO: I've made some great friends. My twitter bff is great and people have helped me promote my shop a lot. It makes me smile.

PRO: I've gotten more views in my shop. More views= more sales. I've felt really blessed about my little shop and how it's doing.

PRO: I've been part of some great teams. I feel like Twitter really has helped me meet people that let me on the teams. Really I don't feel worthy to actually be on the teams because the other shops on these teams are AMAZING! like die amazing. I am so unworthy.

CON- forum links.
In any public forum you hear about people who are unhappy. I never realized how much complaining happens in the etsy forums, and it is on twitter too. I know everyone has bad days sometimes but it can be draining. I'm glad the forums changed formats.

CON: the treasury team that said no thanks.
sometimes people other than me realize I'm not really worthy of their treasury team, lol.
I was also super bummed when I didn't get on a treasury team some of my friends on twitter were on. They kept tweeting about it non stop and I felt bad that I wasn't on it. It took me a while to get over myself and be excited for them. There is enough success for everyone.
Focus Focus Focus!

CON: Whining.
OK maybe I'm guilty of this too, but I see a lot of whining on twitter. One of the teams I was on had some negative press when members were complaining on twitter. They were saying some people were favorites on etsy. Those favorites were also on twitter, and responded. Some people left the team. I was so sad both for the people who left and the people who felt like they were invisible to etsy. Suddenly harmless complaining became a problem. I watched the drama unfold on twitter- it was mesmerizing. Maybe it's bad that I like watching the drama- I figure it's harmless and as long as it doesn't distract me from what I want to accomplish it's fun to read. Sometimes I want to complain too! Like when my kids color all over the house or I have a headache for a month that won't go away. That's part of life- we all need to vent a little.

PRO: Twitter is up all night.
I love some of my twitter friends. When all of my friends here are asleep and I want to chat with someone twitter is there. When I had breastfeeding questions with Mark twitter was there at three in the morning.

PRO: Justin Bieber is always a trending topic.
oh wait- maybe this isn't a pro. I giggle a little when people make fun of his hair or him. The kid owns twitter! You can't mess with that.

CON: Spam messages.
it's really fast to put an @ sign before your name. start talking about ipads and you will realize how many phony people use twitter. Ten million billion people will announce that if you click to their site you can win an ipad! Boo. still no ipad here.

Pro:
It turns out twitter is one of the best ways to get a hold of me when I leave my phone in New Jersey and you want to go out to dinner with your friends.

What have you experienced?

Thrilling!

2011-02-08T21:17:00.000-08:00

I was featured on the Etsy front page.
thanks so much GrayWorksDesign for including me in your great treasury!

Thursday Three

2011-02-03T21:58:00.000-08:00

So I don't know if you know this but I love lemon bars. I blogged about it HERE.

Then I decided to make a print about how much I love lemon bars.

This week I was thinking about food a lot because I've been trying to eat healthier.
Also think about the phrase "when life gives you lemons..." and all sorts of things could come at the end. For example when Danielle painted all over the bathroom and the hallway floor and the floor in Mark's room and the wall and the bed and the bedding and the toys I decided to make it positive and move all the toys and fun things to the freezing cold basement. Today Danielle was a darling! And she played outside in the snow. Well really it's more like ice but that's like lemonade right? Now just imagine if I had walked away and drank some hot chocolate and then come back upstairs to an immaculate room.
That would be lemon bars.
Lemon Bars make everything better.
Lemon bars are so good.
Here are three etsy items that make me think of them:

Fresh Meyer Lemons from HoneyandJam Photos.
Her name is Hannah Queen.
She has rustic and beautiful pictures of food.
She is from Georgia.
I think I know her future best friend and it is my sister in law
Brooke.

Well Honestly I don't drink but take a look at this print!
As Lisa Barbero so aptly puts it
"Lemonade, schmemonade. I like this idea better."
Her etsy shop is adorable. Maybe that's not the best description but I have a crush on it.

Third Item: Lemon Bars

You can buy lemon bars on Etsy. How awesome is that.
Baby Cakes Bakery shop had some Lemon Bars that looked good.
I think I would eat them.
their Motto: ~Where you can have your cake and eat it too!~

because seriously who wants cake they can't eat?

What have you been thinking about this Thursday?

Front Page Treasury!

2011-02-03T21:48:00.000-08:00

I curated a front page treasury today! I feel like I make a million bazillion treasuries and I am thrilled when I am lucky enough to curate a front page. I actually made the treasury around some items from my favorites. I felt like it was a break- sometimes I feel like I am thinking so hard about making a great treasury that it comes out all wrong, or isn't really "me". I'm still not sure if I should just be trying to making ones etsy will love but every now and then I like to make a more laid back treasury. so I did. My sister in law's sister was in it- her shop is MissTessCostume. I wonder if she even knows.
I am so honored that I get to curate a front page. there are so many talented curators I know and most of the time I feel unworthy of what other creative minds think of. Thanks Etsy!

New In the Shop: The Twin Sized Throw

2011-01-28T15:08:00.000-08:00

The first time people told me they wished I made blankets big enough for adults I didn't really think about it. Mainly because minky is so expensive and the satin binding would cost 14 dollars itself. Just for binding. It does feel nice when people say they like what I make though.
Then Mark was born. I made him several blankets. As a matter of fact I didn't buy him any blankets- because why would I buy my baby blankets when I sell baby items? He had quite a few cuddly blankets. Since I was breastfeeding John would bring me Mark with a cuddly blanket and sometimes Mark would leave his cuddly blanket in my bed. I was always happy cuddling with his blanket. As a matter of fact I like to have one of my arms under the pillow but I don't like it being cold so it was nice to have a blanket over it.
Then I decided to make Danielle a cuddly blanket for her twin sized bed. The only problem turned out to be that I wanted to take her cuddly blanket from her. I would sit downstairs with her on the couch and "borrow" her blanket.
Finally I've decided maybe I could carry them in the shop. It's a little experiment. The upside- if it fails, I have some of the best cuddle blankets in the world.

Help Me Decorate My Bedroom Walls Thursday Three

2011-01-27T09:00:00.000-08:00

I decided it was all right for my bedroom walls to be girly and fun, even though I share my bedroom with my husband. I can want whatever in there and if he wants something else I will quietly move it to his office. As a matter of fact making the guest room into his office is the best thing ever.
not really- but you could imagine the pink paint and Hollywood glam that would happen if John and I didn't share a bedroom.
A while ago I decorated the wall of my bedroom. This may not make sense but I really wanted some vintage bookplate illustrations. I wanted butterflies. I didn't really find very many on etsy. and now a little while later I have no idea what I must have been searching for, because they are all over. I wonder where people get these vintage books. Is there a store with 100s of the pages just lined up and ready to go in a frame? Where can I find that store? I remember where some vintage bookstores were where I grew up, but now I live somewhere else.
but I could still find some.
Shavingkitsupplies makes some of the most beautiful treasuries ever. and she has lovely illustrations. I love that She is from Philadelphia. and her pictures are fantastic.

peaches illustration from shavingkitsupplies

Another thing that would look good on my wall is this print from Buckscountyframes. I love the colors. I think it's dreamy. Perfect for a bedroom. Or any room. I didn't discover this great shop before I moved further away from Bucks County- but it makes me happy to think that it used to be so close to where we lived. I know where New Hope PA is, and I've been there. Too bad I didn't get to see the gallery when I was there. Maybe one of these days I will pack the kids up for a road trip to a gallery I found on Etsy. I LOVE art galleries.

A Sort of Dream from Bucks County Frames

Although I've long said the insects on the front page creep me out part of me wants to buy a butterfly for my wall. I think a butterfly is not creepy, but a beetle or other insect= horrifying. So of course I think about it a lot of the time. Butterflies are beautiful- and so colorful. Bug Under Glass has REAL BUTTERFLIES from their shop announcement:

► Eco Friendly
► Farmed raised insects from rain forest conservation programs.
► No cheap matboard backings.
► SEALED for protection - just like museums
► Archival quality acid & lignin-free linen paper.
► Every display comes with a researched story. Vintage museum style label describing your insect on back.
► Hand numbered and registered to you - not mass produced.

No other insect retailer can match this quality - I guarantee.

═╣ Environment & Conservation ╠═
B.U.G is the first and only GREEN CERTIFIED insect display business in the nation (by SF Green Business Association) and all my insects are farm raised, not wild caught, from forest conservation programs around the world.

═╣ SEEN IN ╠═
Pottery Barn & West Elm Catalogs, Apartment Therapy, Herman Miller Blog and Décor 8.

Now I don't know much about insect conservation but I'm glad they are part of it. Butterflies are beautiful. I want to get one of the butterfly bushes like my aunt did. I thought of two things about this great shop- one is something that grosses me out but I can't stop thinking about- the Beetle riding a tricycle wall art. So gross. Beatles are possibly the worst bugs ever. They squish if you try to kill them- there is nothing more disgusting than the crack and squish- I'm about to throw up as I think about it. If only it was a print and not an actual beetle this print would be fun. But I can't stop thinking about it and I always want to use it in treasuries. because it is just fun looking. as long as you can get over your beetle phobia. Or maybe you don't have one like i do.

After I stop thinking about the whimsical little beetle I love the blue butterflies. We went to the Natural History Museum in Philadelphia a little while ago and they had some butterfly displays- but none of them were as good as the ones from BugUnderGlass. And I didn't see any blue ones. I love the color blue. It is my favorite. the Blue Mountain Swallowtail would look lovely on my wall. Just such a beautiful pop of color.

Blue Mountain Swallowtail (papilio ulysses) Real Framed Butterfly Art Display

THE EMAIL!

2011-01-24T20:22:00.000-08:00

I was featured in the Etsy Email. I am so honored I could die. As a matter of fact I did just die a little bit. On January 18, 2011 I was in the etsy email. thank You Emily you are my new best friend ever. My shop has been doing better than usual lately and it makes me want to cry with happiness. Maybe soon I will be able to afford our rock and roll medical school lifestyle.
I know you can find the info about the email on craftcult (which I didn't know before)
you can find it online here:

http://app.bronto.com/public/?q=preview_message&fn=Link&t=1&ssid=12675&id=0h2u2yn4f6gdfvuf38rdffwmoniaa&messageversion_id=bgrdatghggsmunfcoujclosokxbhbce

An Etsy Princess Thursday Three

2011-01-13T07:15:00.001-08:00

Now this week's Thursday Three are inspired by my daughter. Danielle and I frequently discuss her recent desire to be a princess. I still wouldn't mind being a princess. A lot of Etsy items would probably help.

I can imagine putting this chair in the corner in my house, and lording it over my children. I totally need one. Maybe in blue because a lot of my house is blue. They are for sale on Etsy which is so cool. Check it out HERE.

Let's face it- the modern prince is a little darker than the old ones. Even in Tangled the hero, Eugene Fitzherbert, was an accomplished thief. If I can't have an actual vampire, I could still get him this Mad hatter coat. I bet Johnny Depp would look amazing in this coat. You can find it from the Pandemonium seller who happens to be from New York City. You can find your dark prince a new outfit HERE.

I like the idea of a printed wedding band for my princess renewal of my vows. Plus there has to be something on my list that I would be able to afford one day. Tinahdee's wedding bands are available HERE-and she also makes fancy once with real gold.

Front Page and a New Team

2011-01-13T06:56:00.000-08:00

Well there are lots of new teams on Etsy these days. I started in curation nation and then joined my sister's team, which doesn't say you can't be on any other teams. Selection Perfection is really fun to be part of and I like my teammates. They chat a little less than my last team, but it's nice in a way so I had a break- I was getting burned out of teams. You should visit their blog HERE, it has treasury challenges which are quite fun. Since a million teams were doing treasury challenges- heck they even started a team around it, I thought my blog shouldn't do them anymore.
then I heard about an "extreme" team that was starting and I applied. I thought it was a HUGE stretch but they let me in. seriously thrilling. You can look at the members of team Xtream by clicking HERE. then you will see why I feel unworthy. I am. Still felt AWESOME to be approved. so you can imagine that I felt even better when a few hours later I got to curate a front page treasury! I had made it the day before and it took me a while to make- it was difficult. It made me crazy happy since I combined the Etsy taste test with shops from selection perfection and the Handmade in Pennsylvania team.
Then I sat down and calculated how many treasuries I needed to make until the rest of the month. and now I had better go since it's quite a few.

Front Page Curation

2011-01-11T08:35:00.000-08:00

A Taste for the Etsy Taste Test

Did I mention?
I'm so excited that ClaireandMedesigns had a treasury that was featured on the front page a while back. I was using the etsy taste test feature (which is super fun) and found some beautiful stuff.

A few thoughts about the taste test- The first thing you do is pick between two collections. I would recommend not picking one if you don't like either of them. they will refresh and give you more options. And I mean- you really like them.
second- and this is not as happy- they had a lot of Front page treasuries from the taste test and many of the items were the same items I had come up with- I think there are a limited number of items and shops that are given as options for the taste test. Why are so many of the items the same? They can't just be from random shops- for example the featured shops have beautiful photos. I've looked at the favorites of my friends and not all shops have great photos.

I still love the taste test though- and I really want to have more front page treasuries.

thanks etsy!