Gonna Want This...Handmade!

Feature Friday: Simska Photography

2010-02-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

Many of us have been heartbroken by the pain and destruction that the recent earthquake brought upon the small country of Haiti. And many have given in creative ways to help those in need.

Simska Photography is currently featuring wonderful journalistic black & white photos featuring Haiti before the earthquake.

"Kodak"

Kelly, the photographer, had the opportunity to travel to Haiti in 2006 and work on behalf of the Planting Peace organization - specifically serving in one of the four Planting Peace orphanages in Port-au-Prince. Two orphanages were heavily damaged in the earthquake, though thankfully all children survived. All children have been moved together into one orphanage and currently Planting Peace has to ration food and clean water for the children due to the very real potential of it running out before they get more.

These photos from Haiti were taken by the artist herself and are all signed and dated - limited editions, and come in 8x10 size. They range in price from $25 to $45...though 100% of the proceeds will go to Planting Peace organization.

"School Days"

Simska Photography says this about the Haiti Relief Photos:

"About the charity: all proceeds from this auction, minus eBay and PayPal fees, will go to the charity Planting Peace, one of Haiti's largest relief organizations. Planting Peace will be providing food and water to the many affected by the 7.0 earthquake that devastated Haiti on January 12th. Rainn traveled with Planting Peace to Haiti last year, and reported on his trip for USA Today. Planting Peace's founder, Aaron Jackson, was named a CNN Hero in 2007. For more information, go to plantingpeace.org."

Some very practical ways your purchase may be put to work helping Haitian orphans in need are:

$10.00 can deworm 588 children
$18 dollars can sponsor an orphan
$60 can house an HIV orphan for a month

"Is Love Enough?"

Kelly from Simska Photography recently shed light on how she got her start in photography and the impact her travels have made on her and her photography...

How long have you been creating & selling your products?

I started seriously photographing 5 years ago but only started selling my work 3 years ago.

How did you get into it?
I studied Creative Photography at the University of Florida and a short term at New England School of Photography in Boston. I can't say I have been photographing since I was young or that I have a 'cool' story of how I started.. but it was an interest of mine when I was starting college and stuck with it. I had my doubts a few years into it, but I got over it. I did not start seriously selling my work until a few years ago when I was planning a trip overseas

Is your Etsy shop your primary shop? Where else would customers find you?
I have done mostly local shows and even at farmer's markets but it wasn't until the disaster in Haiti that I decided to become serious about having a shop on Etsy.
Although Etsy is my primary shop at the present time, you can view many of my other works @ http://plaza.ufl.edu/kalusha

What inspires your work?
Going on an adventure and by that I mean some place new. It could be as simple as taking a different route home, or it could be as invested as traveling to a foreign country. When I find myself at these new places, it is the connections I make with people there that inspires me most-- a warm hello, a smile, a glimpse into their life.

Do you have an all-time favorite piece? What is it and why?
Two actually; One is a black and white portrait of my best friend and Emmanuel (an orphan at Planting Peace) taken in 2007 in Haiti. I remember she was trying to get the braids out of his hair and they both ended up falling asleep on the couch. It was something so simple and sweet.

The other is a photograph of my Grandfather. While I was studying at New England School of Photography, my uncle and I would take trips to see my grandfather. At the time, his Dementia was not as severe. When people look at the photograph they ask if it was staged--the wallpaper, carpeting, Monet painting, and his vest...all yellow. I love that my grandmother's influence is so strongly present in the image, even though she is no where to be seen. If you look close, you can see me right next to my grandfather's arm in a photograph of me as a flower girl--a photo that he took.

From your shop it is clear that you have traveled a lot. Where have you traveled to internationally and which trip was the most impacting for you?

Yes, my first trip was to Poland where I stayed for six weeks living with my cousins. I got hooked on the intensity of experiencing a new culture and wanted to see what else was out there. The following year was my trip to Haiti, and it changed my outlook completely. I was floored by the fact that a country so close to home could have so much need that I was unaware of. This inspired me to focus my efforts in Humanitarian Aid. The following year, I went to The Gambia. Though it was life-changing, it was in a vastly different way. The majority of the time was spent out in the community with a group of students unlike the intimate environment I experienced in Haiti. However, this allowed me to work on various community-based projects. The following year, actually last year, I went to Rwanda to do the same kind of work as I did in The Gambia as an Art Mentor. We provided art supplies to children in clinics in small villages and painted public health murals. While I would say that Haiti has had the most impact on me, it's difficult to compare the experience.

"Sunday Morning"

Consider purchasing one of the Haiti Relief Photos from Simska Photography...and do so much more than provide great wall art in your home. Make a difference in the lives of needy orphans and support quality handmade artisans all at the same time! Click HERE to start shopping!

Thanks Kelly, of Simska Photography!

Win It Wednesday: February 3rd Edition

2010-02-03T08:22:00.000-08:00

Here are this weeks links to all the wonderful giveaways of handmade products happening around the web. If YOU are hosting a giveaway of a handmade product, link up your giveaway using the linky below! Here are MY faves being offered:

Batik Butterfly Tote Bag - Giveaway on Audrey's Giveaways (Contest closes February 12th)

Rebecca's Soap Delicatessen 3 Soaps Giveaway - Hosted by Salad for Breakfast (Contest closes on February 14th)

RCTees Item of Your Choice Giveaway (organic cotton, earthy tees, totes and other products) - Hosted by MKokopelli (Contest closes on February 14th)

AbleMabel $25 Gift Card ("Putting the Fun in Functional"...a shop FULL of fun & useful items) - Hosted by Etsy It Up! (Contest closes on February 6th)

Orglamix Eye Shadow Collection - Hosted by Mint Green with Envy (Contest closes on Feb. 15th)

Stuffed Zoonies by Eleni Creative - Hosted by KenziePoo (Contest closes on Feb. 12th)

**LET ME KNOW IF YOU WIN ANY OF 'EM!!**

Made It Myself Monday: Valentine's Day Fun!

2010-02-01T06:30:00.000-08:00

I gotta get back into my CRAFTY GROOVE! Help me! I got no link-ups last week...but I know ya'll are crafting out there! Post about it and link up to Make It Myself Monday! Just remember, your post doesn't have to be recent...bring it from your archives if you like! If you do link up, grab the "Make It Myself" button (top left sidebar) and display it loud and proud on your blog!

OKAY, on to other Make It Myself Monday news...

I have been in a serious crafting rut. I worked hardcore before Christmas on crafting options...including a lot of sewing...as seen HERE and HERE and HERE! But then the New Year started, we got into a new semester in homeschooling and I began my Making Over Me venture...which has taken a lot of focus (and I've done a lot of Making It Myself with new healthy recipes!). So I got nothin' this week. But I'm gonna choose one of these Valentine's related crafts to do for next week's Make It Myself Monday. Leave a comment and let me know which one you want to see me create!

Love Letter Tutorial by LucyKate Crafts

Valentine Zipper Pouches by Sew-Fantastic

Stacked Felt Valentine's Pin by Dabbled

Chunky Heart Valentine's Earrings by Craft Gossip

Valentine's Rose Wreath by Smashed Peas & Carrots

XOXO Valentine's Marble Craft by Tatertots & Jello

Valentine Pennie Pockets by Sew What's New

Valentine's Heart Topiary by papermonkey

Make It Myself Monday: Yum Yum AND McLinky!

2010-01-25T05:26:00.000-08:00

The last several weeks I have had a personal goal to begin to exercise and eat better for my health and weight loss. See my Making Over Me blog highlighting that journey. Part of the journey includes taking steps to eat "clean"...basically to eat as naturally as possible.

Sooo...all of my focus the last couple weeks have been on learning to eat healthy and creating new recipes for my family that are all natural! So no handmade products got made by me this week. My kids are still waiting for their Snuggies! :) But, if you are interested, you can see some of the great healthy food I Made Myself by clicking on the links:

1 - Homemade Bread

2 - Cheesy Turkey Burgers & Cauliflower Smash

3 - Made Over Chickie Nugs (aka Chicken Nuggets)

But today it is all about YOU! Your chance to link up so that readers can discover YOUR blog and the things that you made yourself! Be the first (or 5rh or 10th) to add yourself and your post to the McLinky below.

Here are the requirements to add your link to Make It Myself Monday:

1 - Make sure your post focuses on something you created yourself. This post can be a tutorial on how to make something, but it does not have to be a tutorial. A post about what was created is just fine too.

2 - The post does not have to be written on the same day as the MckLinky, nor does it have to have be written on a Monday at all. It can even come from your archives! Just make sure that your link goes directly to the post, not just to your blog main page.

3 - If you link up, please grab the "Make It Myself Monday" blog button (upper left sidebar) and either post it in your sidebar or include it in a post that links your readers to Gonna Want This-Handmade.

Can't wait to see your creations!!!

Giveaway: Love Pendant from Eclectic Wendy Designs

2010-01-24T07:24:00.000-08:00

Frugal Mommy of 2 Girls is hosting a giveaway from Etsy artisan Eclectic Wendy Designs. This very cool "I Carry Your Heart" pendant has a retail value of $52 and would be a great gift for any woman who loves someone (that narrows it down, right?)...

Eclectic Wendy Designs has been selling all sorts of eclectic jewelry on Etsy since September of '08 and has a HUGE selection of all sorts of creative jewelry options. Here are some of my faves...

Click HERE to enter the giveaway. Giveaway closes on January 31st at 9:00 PM (EST). Good Luck!

Make It Myself Monday: Blog Button Fancy

2010-01-18T06:30:00.000-08:00

Since I've become a more regular blogger, I've been learning many things...but the learning curve is HUGE! It's like drinking from a fire hose, with all the info that is out there for learning HTML, blog design, etc.

My major goal today was to figure out how to make a blog button AND to be able to get that button onto my blog with an HTML code box in order to allow other readers (such as yourself!) to capture the code and display the blog button on YOUR site! (it is in the upper left sidebar by the way...go on, grab it for your blog...leave a comment and let me know you did!).

It took me about 3 hours to get this figured out. I had to download a program for my Mac (another HUGE learning curve to figure out...thus the fairly simple blog button design for this first one). It is called Gimp and from what I read on reviews, it is very similar to Photoshop. It was a free download and I believe there are formats for PC's too. Check it out HERE.

Here are my Step by Steps for how I created my new little blog button for Make It Myself Mondays:

1. Found a program to work for creating and adjusting images. My Macbook did not have any such program built in, so after some research I downloaded Gimp.

2. I created a 125x125 square in Gimp. From there I found a free image I liked on Stock.Xchnge and copied it to my desktop.

3. Then I pasted the image into the 125x125 square I had opened in Gimp.

4. Next I put a new layer on top of the image background on my 125x125 square. I then made the background on that new layer white, selected font (Chalkboard) and size/color of font and added the main text ("Make It Myself Monday").

5. Next came a third layer, which I situated below the first. I made the background white and selected the size, color and font (Baskerville Italic) for the text and added my blog address. In retrospect I would not have done this because the text is so small you can't even read it.

6. I then saved the image as a JPG to my desktop.

7. I then tried a couple of image sharing sites to upload the image to, in order to find the one I liked best. I settled on Photobucket, and uploaded the JPG image. It worked very nicely for me.

8. I then did some research to find a tutorial about how to add an HTML code box below the blog button so that readers could grab the button to use on their sites as well. I found this post at Blogging with Success to be most helpful. Following the directions, it worked like a charm!

9. I then selected an HTML widget in my Blogger layout, and posted the proper HTML script and hit 'Save'. Checking out my blog showed that the code worked! I double checked it by copying and pasting the code into a blog post...and it worked!

10. Finally I saved the Word document where I had created the HTML code for this button - for easy future reference. Now I'm off to fine tune my skills and create some more buttons for my other blogs!

I created this blog button because starting NEXT MONDAY I will be kicking off a MckLinky on my Make it Myself Monday posts!! That way other readers can link up their posts highlighting the things they have made themselves, tutorials and more! What a great way to find a bunch of creative inspiration all in one place!

If YOU decide to participate in "Make It Myself Mondays", there are a few things to know...

1 - Come back on January 25th to link up your post HERE!

2 - Make sure your post focuses on something you created yourself. This post can be a tutorial on how to make something, but it does not have to be a tutorial. A post about what was created is just fine too.

3 - The post does not have to be written on the same day as the MckLinky, nor does it have to have be written on a Monday at all. It can even come from your archives! Just make sure that your link goes directly to the post, not just to your blog main page.

4 - If you link up, please grab the "Make It Myself Monday" blog button (upper left sidebar) and either post it in your sidebar or create a post that links your readers to Gonna Want This-Handmade.

I look forward learning about what YOU made YOURSELF!

**NOTE**

I am a total newbie to both HTML and the Gimp program. This tutorial isn't intended to be a failsafe method for creating your own blog button and HTML code box. However if you find it helpful, let me know!

Personalized Kids' Shirts GIVEAWAY!

2010-01-16T08:55:00.000-08:00

Frugal Mommy of 2 Girls is hosting a giveaway by handmade artist Barbara from Sew Cute Creations.

The giveaway is for a personalized shirt from Sew Cute Creations and there are a lot to choose from!

CLICK HERE to enter the giveaway. It is open until January 24th.

Make It Myself Monday: Tutorials I Want To Try...

2010-01-11T06:30:00.000-08:00

Getting back into the swing of 'real life' after the holidays and a death in the family was tougher than I thought...so no 'Making It Myself" happened this week (unless you count a few meals or some basic crafts done with the kiddos during homeschool (read more about our homeschool fun HERE)

SO I have instead compiled a link list of several tutorials that show the how-to on a number of crafty projects that I plan to "Make Myself" someday...perhaps in the near future. Here they are in no particular order...

Make Your Own Journal

M ake Your Own Terrarium (may try this one with the kids once it starts to warm up!)

Make a Duvet Cover

Knit Bunnies (of course I'm gonna have to learn how to knit first...)

Reusable Lunch Bag

Patchwork Skirt (incredibly cute...but the tutorial is so long and complex, it scares me!)

Doll Blanket (my little Sassafrass would LOVE a few of these!)

Snuggie for Kids (I got a commercial one for Christmas and now all my kids want one!)

Matching Snuggie for Barbie (OMG! This is too hilarious!)

Summer Event Calendar (you may recall I used another tutorial from this site to make my Crayon Rolls)

I think those links will keep me busy for a while!

What are your "Make It Myself" dreams for 2010? Leave a comment letting me know one project you hope to accomplish this year!!!

Win It Wednesday: All About Love

2010-01-06T13:51:00.000-08:00

The local discount retailers near me actually started stocking a few shelves with Valentines items even before Christmas had arrived! That is a tad early...but now that we are into early January, it is acceptable to begin thinking about the holiday of LOVE coming up in a month and a half!

So to honor the upcoming Valentine's Day holiday, this "Win It Wednesday" will focus on items that remind me of LOVE...here we go!

The Sunshine Studio is hosting a giveaway by Artful Goodies for one pendant of the winners choice...there are several love themed ones...perhaps a great accessory for Valentine's Day! Ends THIS Sunday, 01/10!!

Bridal Gown Blog is hosting a giveway for a vintage-y handpainted "Love Is Sweet" sign made by The Back Porch Shoppe. This giveaway also comes with 100 custom printed/stamped party favor bags...perfect for a candy bar at a wedding or other special event! Ends January 16th.

I have a coffee lover in my house...so anything coffee related always makes a good gift - including Valentine's Day! Here's a couple giveaways that could be paired to make a great coffee gift for yourself or someone you love!

Melissa over at Sew Sweet Stitches is hosting her very first giveaway, for a very cute coffee cozy...beats the cardboard ones you get from the coffee shop - and it is eco-friendly! Ends January 17th.

If you enter for the coffee cozy, also enter at Only The Best of Etsy because they are hosting a giveaway from Java Scents for a set of three coffee scented sachets! Pefect for a caffeine-free pick-you-up in the morning...just sniff and go! Or keep it stored with items that you'd love to smell java good! Ends January 11th.

Have you gone sugar-free as you start 2010 like I have? If so, chocolates for V-day would not be very helpful! But this felt cake (that looks delicious enough to eat!) from Urban Craft would be a perfect sweet treat that won't add any inches to the waist or pounds to the scale...YAY! Ends January 25th.

Leave a comment and let me know if you entered any of the above giveaways OR if you are hosting a giveaway or know of a giveaway that I should check out!

Make It Myself Monday: Preschool Fishies

2009-12-21T15:18:00.001-08:00

I'm a little delayed getting this Make It Myself Monday post out! That is because I've had to take advantage of the naptime today to get more work done on today's project!

One of the Christmas presents our 4 year old will receive is a felt fish set. This set include 10 large felt fish with numbers 1-10 on them and 26 little fishies with each letter of the alphabet on them. We will use these in our homeschool preschool activities...and our little Sassafrass can use them in her day to day play too.

I didn't have a specific pattern or tutorial to use...I made it up myself! I got the idea for the gift and thought...I can do that! So here's how I did it...

SUPPLIES:

Large piece of medium weight felt (sturdy, but yet thin enough to sew through 2 pieces easily)
Set of adhesive backed felt letters and numbers (I found a package of these at Michael's for under $3 full price)
Sewing Machine (or minimally a needle and thread)
Batting (I used the stuffing from an old pillow that I deconstructed...upcycling!)

Step 1: Find a fish shape online, print out a few sizes and decide which sizes to use. I found my fish pattern HERE and after printing out 3 sizes I decided to use the medium size.

Step 2: Glue the shape to a piece of cardboard (I pulled a cereal box out of our recycling and used that for the cardboard...more upcycling!), and then cut it out to have a pattern to work from.

Step 3: Trace around your pattern on your felt as many times as needed. As I mentioned before, I had originally picked the medium sized pattern. After beginning to trace the fish at that size, I realized I would have enough felt to make all the fish I needed to make! So after tracing enough at the medium size to make 10 fish (for numbers 1-10), I switched to the smaller fish pattern (following steps 1 & 2 above to create my pattern to use). Don't forget that each fish will need two sides...so count how many you will need for your project and then double it! (ie - for my project of numbers 1-10 and the entire alphabet, that was 10 + 26 = 36 x 2 = 72 fish to trace and cut-out! Whew!)

Step 4: After tracing all the shapes you will need, use some cut scissors and cut out the fish. I did this while watching a little HGTV and it made cutting out 72 fish go a bit quicker! :)

Step 5: Pair up your fish (pair the sides that show any marker remnant to the inside so it won't be visible) and then run them right side out through the sewing machine, leaving the tail unstitched. I used a zig-zag stitch on my fish for aesthetic appeal (makes them look a little more 'country handmade-ish"...), but a straight stitch would work just as well.

Step 6: Through the open tail, stuff batting to fill up the fish. Make the fish puffy but do not overfill.

Step 7: Return the stuffed fish to the sewing machine to sew the tail closed, using the same style stitch.

Step 8: Choose the adhesive-backed felt sticker that you'd like to use, and press firmly in the center of the fishy. And voila! You are finished! (unless your project has another 35 fish to go!)

Couple things to note:

**I thought it would be a great idea to glue magnets to the inside of the fish (before sewing) so that my Sassafrass could use the fishies on the fridge or on a cookie sheet. However I decided to use some leftover magnet announcements from our wedding. I cut them up and glued them on before testing them out. They weren't strong enough to hold the fish to anything through the medium weight felt. Unfortunately I had already glued the weak magnets onto all fish, so I just sewed them with those magnets inside. If you'd like to use the magnet idea, I'd recommend purchasing some stronger round magnets and testing one before gluing the magnets into all the fish!

**If you don't have a sewing machine, you can still do this project! Use a whip stitch to hand sew the fish pieces together. This will be more time consuming, but the fish will be finished with an equally strong and aesthetically appealing stitch.

Have you made something yourself this week? Let a comment and let me know all about it!

Feature Friday: Vintage Sewn!

2009-12-18T05:42:00.000-08:00

Pinot Grigio. Chardonnay. Merlot. Reisling. Pinot Noir. Savignon Blanc. Cabernet. Zinfandel.

Wine...which is your favorite? Mine is definitely Reisling...or other sweeter variations of wine.

Wine is not only enjoyed with dinner...it is often given as a holiday gift, wedding gift, host/hostess gift, etc. It is quite versatile that way!

And while there are all sorts of paper gift bags designed for wine, how much better would it be to give the gift of wine in a handmade eco-friendly wine bag?!?

Vintage Sewn does just that, making quality, unique and reusable eco-friendly wine bottle bags!

Check out some of the options at Vintage Sewn:

I love these two nature inspired bags...

$8.95

This would make a classy wine gift bag for the holidays...

$7.95

This embroidered felt bag just says 'cozy up with a blanket & glass of good wine...' to me!...

$9.95

There are more options too (19 in all) on Vintage Sewn's Etsy shop...click on over to check out the options for yourself! They are all very reasonably priced, from $7.95 to $9.95.

But that is not all that Vintage Sewn is working on! She recently added a set of nature photo gift cards. The photography is spectacular, and a great feature is that the photos can be removed from their photo corners in order to be added to to a frame or photo display of your own!

$14.95 for a set of 10 cards

Here's what Chantel from Vintage Sewn has to say about herself, her work and how she got started!

How long have you been selling your products?

I started making my wine bottle bags in October, to be ready for a November craft sale. After receiving great feedback, I decided to create an Etsy site.

How did you get into it?

I had a wine bottle bag lying around and when I looked at how it was made and the fabric chosen, I knew I would be able to make them using more trendy fabrics and better made quality wise using more luxurious ribbons. As well, I always kept paper wine bottle bags to use for future presents, but the paper bags always got wrinkled and looked used. Using fabric allows the bag to be reused without looking used, as the fabric can be ironed out if necessary.

Is your Etsy shop your primary shop? Where else could people find your work?

My Etsy shop is my primary online shop, but I have a selection of the wine bottle bags available at Sheppard Wine Works (Yonge and Sheppard intersection in Toronto, ON).

What inspires your creations?

The fabric inspire my creations. Finding interesting fabrics to use is the most fun part, as it is usually a surprise what I will find. I then find ribbons or buttons to match the fabrics.

Do you have an all-time favorite piece? What is it and why?

My favourite so far is the "Reusable Embroidered Felt Wine Bottle Bag w/ Silk Lining". The felt fabric is actually a pillow case, and i think the the vibrant pink lining is unexpected and contrasts perfectly. The bag is accented with a thin black bow which works well as it doesn't try to bring too much attention to itself against the coloured embroidery in the felt.

FREE SHIPPING!!

Vintage Sewn is graciously offering shipping deals to readers of Gonna Want This-Handmade! If you are in Canada, you can receive FREE shipping and all US based orders can receive 1/2 off shipping on their orders! So go now to Vintage Sewn, browse her site and when you are ready to make an order, contact Chantel through a message on her site with the code 'BLOG FREE SHIP' so she can calculate a final price for you and work out an adjusted price.

Thanks Vintage Sewn!

O2 Designs Review: Origami Crane Earrings!

2009-12-17T08:05:00.000-08:00

Blue Beaded Origami Crane Earrings - $12

I am pretty convinced that Shayna from O2 Designs would make a pretty good surgeon if she wasn't busy making jewelry! The attention to detail in her work and the miniscule origami folding in her Crane Earrings set shows her talent!

O2 Designs has recently added a number of items to their Etsy shop. Many are holiday themed items like:

Small Holiday Barrettes - $4

Silver & Gold Post Earrings - $4

Head on over to O2 Designs to get the full scope of the holiday item offerings - there are over 35 and perhaps you could still get in an order in to be fulfilled before Christmas!

However holiday items are not all the O2 Designs have, and new items are being added all the time! Here are some of the newest additions:

Pink Button Necklace - $15

Grey & White Freshwater Pearl Star Necklace - $35

O2 Designs provided me with a pair of blue recycled paper origami crane earrings to review! I received them in a sturdy white cardboard jewelry size box via US Parcel Post. The box was wrapped in white butcher paper, so the items were completely secure and there was no risk of the packaging opening up during transit.

The earrings were nestled in between two large squares of cotton padding. This definitely helped protect these earrings, though as is indicated on this product description in the O2 Designs shop, these earrings are delicate. Shayna, the designer, indicated that they may need some slight reshaping after arrival. They did need a very small bit of reshaping after being jostled in the box during shipping - but the adjustments needed were very minor. However it is recommended that these earrings be kept in a separate box during jewelry storage rather than being thrown together with a bunch of earrings. I believe that would cause these crane earrings to lose their shape.

Upon opening the package with the earrings, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the earrings were much smaller than I had expected from the photo. They were actually the perfect size...large enough to be noticeable, but not so large that they are cumbersome or overbearing. In fact, I felt no weight or pulling when wearing these earrings...they are incredibly light!

I like that O2 Designs uses recycled paper for these products and other products in the O2 Designs line. I love encouraging the use of reuse!

The prices at O2 Designs are very reasonable and the earrings I reviewed retail for just $12 - a great price for a unique design!

These earrings would look great as a feature piece in an understated outfit of black or white top with jeans...or to pair with a coordinating dressier outfit. I think these earrings would be a fun gift to an older child - my daughter is enamored by them!

Customer Service: Good - vendor was able to respond to e-mail requests within 2 days typically.

Packaging and Presentation: Very good - well packaged for travel.

Quality Construction: Excellent - I was amazed by the attention to detail and fine craftsmanship for such tiny little creations!

Quality Items: Very good - These earrings are delicate, but with proper care and storage, they will make a great addition to any jewelry collection.

Thanks Shayna & O2 Designs for the opportunity to review this product!

Win It Wednesday!

2009-12-16T05:59:00.000-08:00

Here's some handmade giveaways expiring SOON...if you win you may still have time to turn your winnings into a wonderful and free gift for someone special!

Here we go!

This Teddy Bear Picnic Quilt is being given away on One Minute's Worth. The giveaway ends 'the morning of the 19th', so head on over and enter (PS - as I write there are only 16 entries so far...good odds!). This would make a super duper cute gift for an infant or preschooler! Ends December 19th.

Did your mom or grandmother ever talk about getting 'all gussied up' to go somewhere? Though we don't use the term much today, it basically meant to get yourself all dressed up, looking fancy. The Etsy shop, Gussy, does the same for everyday items like wallets, cell phone holders, etc. And Etsy It Up is hosting a giveaway for $30 gift certificate to her shop! Cool thing is, if you win, you could give the gift certificate to someone, saving on the creating & shipping time...your gift recipient could choose what they'd like themselves. (but if you are like me, this would be a gift I'd give to myself! Click HERE to head on over and enter! Ends December 21st.

Okay, this baby pacifier clip is seriously so cute! It is handmade by Freakie Toes and the giveaway is hosted by Stuff Parents Need. This flower clip is made with a silk flower, grosgrain ribbon and sweet litle rhinestone detail in the center of the flower for your littlest girly girl. The snap at the end allows for easy switching. The clip ribbon length is in accordance with all major manufacturing of pacifier clips, at 9". Though I don't have any pacifier users at home, I know this would be a great gift for any parent or parent-to-be out there. PS - there are pacifier clip options for boys here too. Ends December 21st.

Finally, there is a HUGE giveaway happening over at VivaBella. Four winners will receive over $700 worth in handmade cosemetics and jewelry! Vendors such as Zuii Organic, Pastel Petals, LA Splash, Just Be Designs, Sweet Treats, LashMantra & Epicare all contributed products to this giveaway. Wonderful! There have been a number of entries, but with four winners, your odds are still good. Head over and enter today! Ends December 19th.

Are you hosting a giveaway for a handmade product/vendor on your site? Let me know about it in a comment and I'll feature it in a future post!

Make It Myself Monday: Crayon Rolls

2009-12-14T04:30:00.000-08:00

My project for this week was to create Crayon Rolls as stocking stuffers for my three kiddos for Christmas presents. I was inspired by THIS tutorial, found at Chocolate on my Cranium.

I had some fabric scraps that would work for part of the 3 Crayon Rolls that I had to make, but I needed to go out and purchase some coordinating odds & ends scraps to be set. Also, as a newbie, I had never worked with fuseable interfacing...so I picked up some of that as well. Finally, even though we have a ton of broken crayons with half-torn-off wrappers; since this was a Christmas gift, I decided to buy some new ones. I found some cute boxes of 32 at Michael's Craft Store for only $1.00 in various character boxes wrappers (I got Cars, Tinkerbell and Disney Princesses).

Supplies Needed:

3 pieces of coordinating 13x5 strips of fabric, cut and pressed
1 piece of 13x5 fuseable interfacing
1 piece of coordinating ribbon (24" long)
Sewing machine
Coordinating Thread
Iron
Scissors
Measuring Tape/Ruler
Marking Pencil

1. Measure and cut out the 3 strips of fabric and the coordinating ribbon. Also measure and cut out the fuseable interfacing. In retrospect it would have been wiser to measure and cut out a cardboard pattern to use for the fabric pieces and interfacing to save time and ensure better accuracy. I plan to do that for the other two rolls I'll finish this week for the girls.

2. Iron all 3 pieces of fabric. Iron the rough side of the fuseable interfacing to the wrong side of the piece of fabric you plan to sew the crayon pocket to. Make sure not to slide the iron, but rather press in sections for 10-15 seconds at a time.

3. Fold the pocket fabric in half and press. Situate the pocket onto the right side of the fabric that has had the interfacing ironed to it so that the folded edge hits the middle of the background fabric and the bottom and sides line up with the bottom and sides of the background fabric.

4. Using the marking pencil (or whatever you use to mark), measure out lines for the crayon slots. The first measurement from one side should be 1 and 1/4 inch. Every measurement thereafter should be 3/4 inch until the final measurement, which would once again be 1 and 1/4 inch. This should leave you with 15 lines (and thus 16 crayon slots).

5. Stitch each line, being sure to backstitch at both the top and bottom of the line The measuring, marking and stitching of these slots are what I found to be the most tedious and time consuming.

6. Once all the lines have been stitched, fold the ribbon in half and stitch it to one side of the roll. Make sure to then fold the ribbon so that it lays against the right side of the background fabric. I did not do this and later stitched the ribbon incorrectly while the fabric was inside out...causing me the need to cut the ribbon and improvise a new placement.

7. Place the right side of the stitched fabric to the right side of the backside fabric so that only the wrong sides are showing. Make sure the ribbon is tucked inside and not showing either (unlike the picture...).

8. Stitch at 1/4 inch all the way around the edges, making sure to the leave the side without the ribbon stitched in it open so that the item can be turned right side out again. When it has been stitched all the way, clip the corners and then turn it right side out again.

9. Press the item again to ensure front, back and pocket are laying straight.

10. Topstitch all around the item again on the right sides of the fabric at 1/8 inch from edge - making sure to cleanly close the still-open side. (note - this is where I place the ribbon that I had messed up earlier, and it worked perfectly).

11. Once it is entirely completed, press it one more time. Then insert crayons, roll up and secure with the ribbon tie.

I feel I was successful at this Make It Myself Monday challenge...however when you look at seams closely it is easy to see that they aren't as straight as they could be, nor was the spacing for the crayon slots completely accurate, which is precisely why this roll can only hold 14 crayons instead of 16!

It took me about an hour and 15 minutes to complete all 10 steps above to complete this project. I was certainly slowed down by the need to check directions frequently. I do anticipate I can do the other two crayon rolls in less time...likely more like 45 minutes. I did find this project more time consuming and slightly more challenging than the pillow challenge from last week. That surprised me! However I enjoyed the challenge and my kiddos won't care much about slightly crooked seams or 14 crayon slots vs. 16 crayon slots. These will make great travel companions along with a fun coloring book!

Stay tuned for Make It Myself Monday next week when my completed project will let you know what I used this shape for:

Did you make something yourself recently? Did you write a blog post about it? Leave a comment with a link to your post - I would LOVE to read about it!

Feature Friday: Child's Play

2009-12-11T04:30:00.000-08:00

Think it is tough to find handmade gifts for kids? Think again! There is a wide variety of child-friendly handmade vendors with more creative products than I could ever dream up. Here is a smattering of a few I have discovered...

Hello Buffalo

This shop is full of the cutest little mini needlefelted and polymer clay animals, like Buffalette, the Baby Owl. Though Hello Buffalo has only been open on Etsy for a couple weeks the store has started out with some early success and great feedback already.

Dad's Wooden Toys

This talented Dad is also a poet (see his shop announcements). I love his focus on toys that encourage imagination and discourage total reliance on modern technology. I know my son would have all sorts of adventures with the African Animals Set and I would love the simple Nativity set. My daughters would be fans of the Magic Kingdom Set. But my faves by far are the wooden iPhone, Cell Phone and Laptop!

Miss Pretty Pretty: Imaginative Play Toys

This vendor creates some awesome heirloom quality table play tents for kids! All are custom made. And made with entirely child friendly materials - eco-friendly too! There are many styles to choose from - Bluebird Cottage, Local Library, Fairy's Tea Party, Animal Sanctuary, Little Mechanic and so many more! She also does custom creations and has a number of other imaginative play toy items. Though the deadline for holiday gifts have passed, there is a great post-holiday sale going on at this shop, so check it out! (PS - This is my favorite tent design...

Sue Dolls

If you have or know of a little princess that loves her Barbies, you'll be able to find something for her at Sue Dolls shop. Chock full of handmade Barbie clothing, Sue Dolls prices are extremely reasonable too! I know that this red & feather boa ball dress would be a MAJOR hit at our house!

(No product or monetary compensation was provided to Gonna Want This-Handmade for the completion of this Feature,

nor were any of the vendor’s products reviewed. This is an artist feature post only.)

Baby Peas & Bees Review!

2009-12-10T04:30:00.000-08:00

You may remember Baby Peas & Bees from the giveaway hosted during Launch Week HERE. Missyt_2000@ was the winner of that one. However Linda at Baby Peas & Bees provided me with a "Rose Cupcakes" product to review!

I was excited to receive the 'cupcakes' in the mail. This is the box I received. It came very promptly! Baby Peas & Bees used reliable Priority Mail for her shipping.

The real treat, however, came when I opened the box. The presentation was wonderful! So great that I would feel completely comfortable ordering a gift item from Baby Peas & Bees for a new mommy friend and have it shipped directly to her if needed. And it was packed solidly with packing peanuts cushioning the interior contents, as well as protective cellophane around the actual box of 'cupcakes'. What a treat for that new mommy to open! Here's some of my first glimpses at the "Rose Cupcakes"...

First Glimpse

What a treat!

Love the colors - the box, ribbon, flower detail & 'cupcakes' inside all coordinated...and gave the feel of a real gourmet cupcake treat!

By this point I was thoroughly pleased with the presentation and was thinking of all of the new mommy-to-be's that I know that live in various places throughout the nation...what a great gift to send directly to a new mommy, especially if you can't travel to be at her baby shower or to visit her and the new one in the hospital after the birth. Baby Peas & Bees offers all of their products in either boy, girl or gender neutral colors.

One of the things I was very interested in reviewing was the quality of the items used in the design of these gifts. The gifts looked great, were creative and thoughtful - with attention to detail - but the real question I had now was how would the items used in the design hold up to regular use?

My apologies - I helped myself to a cupcake before getting a picture of all four in the box. They were irresistible!

Each rose cupcake is created with a baby washcloth and a baby sock. So the box of four 'cupcakes' results in 4 baby washcloths and 2 pairs of baby socks. The baby washcloths included with my baby cupcakes were "Especially for Baby" brand, a brand carried and distributed by Toys R Us. I was pleased to discover that they were brand name items, carried by a major manufacturer and not cheapo knockoffs from the dime store. The washcloths have a soft jersey side to them and a terry cloth side. They are thick enough to hold up to sudsing and using to wash baby, but they are soft and gentle enough for baby's skin. I checked the seams on the washcloths too - quality construction throughout. After a few review (including using for washing, sending through the washing machine and dryer, and full inspection of the item, I can confidently say that these baby washcloths are quality items that not only look good when designed as a baby cupcake, but will be put to good use for baby too.

What about those socks? They were a tiny new baby size...and I was pleased to find out that they weren't all just one color - they had a design to them! They were the thick, cushiony kind - perfect for keeping baby's feet warm and cozy, especially during these cold months! The only seam on these socks was in the toe, and I checked those over thoroughly. The seams were strong and reinforced and would hold up to regular infant wear as well as washing! I put these socks through the washer and dryer a few times and they came out looking bright and fine!

In conclusion, I would highly recommend Baby Peas & Bees as a vendor for all your handmade, unique and baby gift needs! You can purchase her items to use as a display and gift at a baby shower, as a unique gift at any baby occasion, and even to send to a friend or family member across the country with confidence that they will be receiving a wonderfully packaged original gift!

Customer Service: Excellent, timely, easy to get ahold of the vendor

Packaging and Presentation: Excellent - well packaged for travel, used a reliable mailing service, beautiful presentation.

Quality Construction: Excellent - These 'cupcakes' were put together well, with attention to detail.

Quality Items: Excellent - The items used in the construction of these 'cupcakes' were of quality material and are recommended for regular use.

Head on over to Baby Peas & Bees today to get an idea of what you can order for yourself or your favorite new parent/parent-to-be! Here's a few other items from Baby Peas & Bees online shop:

Jungle Theme Diaper Cake - $45

Teapot Bouquet - $45

Pea Pod Washcloths-$10

Thanks Linda at Baby Peas & Bees for the opportunity to do this review!

(For the purpose of this review, I was provided with the product described free of charge to review. However I was not monetarily compensated for this review and all feedback are my own honest opinions.)

Win It Wednesday!

2009-12-09T04:30:00.000-08:00

With many handmade artists busy with creating for the holiday season, giveaways hosted here at Gonna Want This-Handmade will be on hold until after the holidays.

HOWEVER that doesn't stop me from bringing the best of the handmade giveaways in blog-land to you! So read on for some fun giveaways you can enter!

1. Since many readers are handmade artisans themselves...many with a shop on Etsy, I found it important to include THIS giveaway from Green Heath Treasures...an Etsy Advertising Media Mega Pack complete with custom designed banner, avatar vacation banner, etc. Click on over to Green Heath Treasures to enter! Giveaway is open through this Sunday, December 13th.

2. I am a sucker for stamped jewelry (even though I don't actually own any yet! hint hint honey...). THIS is a great giveaway over at Etsy It Up, featuring Charitable Creations. The giveaway is offering a $25 gift certificate to use at Charitable Creations towards any purchase. Prices at Charitable Creations range from $2.50 to $45 with an entire selection of gifts under $20 as well! And as the name suggests, this artisan donates 10% of her earnings to various charities. Click HERE to go over to Etsy It Up to enter! Giveaway open through this Tuesday, December 15th.

3. I heard about HandmadeMN and had to check out their blog...because I live in MN, I love handmade AND I write a blog too...instant things in common! And lo and behold, they have a giveaway going on! Now it ends soon (December 11th) so if you are interested, get over HERE right away to get entered! The giveaway item is a Bellaboogie Spa Pampering Basket with all natural products (including dusting powder, soap, sugar scrub, bath melts, and hair/body mist...all in your choice of essential oils! The giveaway is hosted at HandmadeMN.

4. There is often a new giveaway happening at Audrey's Giveaways and when I went to check out the latest, I found THIS fun and eco-friendly "upcycled" giveaway of an Ocasiocasa custom designed oil lamp! Perfect for deck or bar decor, this one of a kind piece is sure to be a conversation item! The giveaway is open through December 23rd and there are up to 12 extra ways to enter to win! Check it out HERE.

If you are hosting a giveaway of handmade products, leave a comment and I'll feature your giveaway on my site!

Creating A Love for Handmade in Kids

2009-12-08T04:30:00.000-08:00

Have kids? Love handmade? Ever put the two together to begin creating a love for handmade in your kids? Not sure how? Here are a few ideas to get you started:

1 - Encourage their Creativity!
All kids have a natural imagination built into them. Foster that! Provide your kids with many opportunities to cultivate their creativity. For some kids this will result in art project after art project! For others it will be more performance related (think drama, dance, athletics). Others yet will be more logically based such as building with Legos or K'Nex or ttaking apart/putting back together various items (with your permission of course!). If your child has a different style of creativity than you, it will take a bit more work to create opportunities for your child, but it will be worth it!

2 - Give Handmade Gifts!
Your kids might be drawn in by the commercials during cartoons or the huge toy catalogs that come out this time of year and ask for the latest gadget complete with blinking lights and the needs for four size D batteries. Resist the urge to overload their holidays with commercial gifts. Explore sites like Etsy and Artfire and find vendors that create gifts for children. Once the gift is open, talk about the handmade aspect of the creation and elements unique to that gift (ie - eco-friendly, one of a kind, custom made, etc.)

3 - Take Kids to Handmade Fairs/Craft Shows/Etc.
There is a wide variety of fairs and craft shows that you can find around your community (especially around the holidays) that could serve as a creative way to introduce your children to the idea of handmade products and vendors. While there looking at the various products and vendors, talk with your children about all of the positive attributes of handmade products. Have your children identify their favorite handmade products at the show and why. If funds allow, set a budget of $5 or $10 and encourage your children to figure out what they would spend their money on. Or if actual funds can't be used, make it a creative exercise. Give an example like "You have $50 to spend (hypothetically) to buy something for each member of our family. What would you buy and why?"

4 - Scour the Web for Resources
There are a ton of kid friendly resources on the Web that can help you in your endeavors to create a love of handmade in your kids. Here is a not-very-comprehensive list of some resources to get you started!

General:
Handmade News-Kids' Page
SimpleKids Blog

Art Projects:
Crafty Crow Blog (this is one of my personal faves for finding creative kids crafts + helpful tutorials.)
Family Fun Crafts

Craft Shows (find craft shows/art fairs/etc. in your community):
FestivalNet

Craft Site Directory

Handmade Stuff for Kids (Shopping):
HandmadeKids (Australian site)
Etsy Products for Kids (hope you have time to poke around...there are 2230 pages to browse through!)
Artfire Products for Kids (533 pages of handmade products for kids!)

Leave a comment and let me know how you encourage a love of handmade for YOUR kids!

Make It Myself Monday: Decorative Pillow

2009-12-07T04:30:00.000-08:00

I did it! I made a pillow for my little girl for Christmas! I was quite proud of myself...even though this would be considered preschool education amongst sewing scholars. But us newbies gotta start somewhere, right?

I changed my reference tutorial, and utilized the tutorial and style from Angela at Cottage Magpie as my how-to guide. It was well written, had lots of pictures (which us pre-school level novices really like!) and the tutorial worked well for me...thanks Angela!

So here is my how-to guide, based on the guide referenced above, but with pictures from my own experience...

We had a small 14" pillow form around the house that I had gotten from IKEA about 2 years ago for about $2. We don't really use it for anything...in fact it has been in the closet with the blankets for months. So I decided this would be my pillow insert. As indicated in last week's post, the fabric was leftover from the bulletin board project. The only thing I purchased to complete this project was the trim...and I even got that for 50% off.

This was literally one of the first times I've actually used a measuring tape in conjunction with my sewing projects since junior high Home Ec. Granted, my only sewing projects since then have been Halloween costumes for kids and a bed canopy...all of which are very forgiving!

I cut one square shape from the material, measuring it one inch larger than the pillow form (so 15" square). Then I cut two rectangular shapes from the material, each measuring 10x15.

As you can see, the material was pretty wrinkled from being stored for so many months. So I fired up the iron and ironed each piece. This is another step for sewing that I haven't done since Junior High home ec too! Glad I did though - it makes the finished project that much more put together.

After the pieces were ironed, I got my sewing area set up. My sewing area is at the end of our dining room table, which means I can't just leave it set up from day to day. Here shows my very basic entry-level model sewing machine (which works really well for me), and my computer nearby - I referenced that tutorial ever 2 minutes it seemed! :)

Cottage Magpie recommended to use a glass to round the edges of the pillow on the wrong side of the fabric. This was to reduce bulk inside the pillowcase and to make sewing easier overall.

I started out sewing by doing a zig-zag stitch on all sides of each piece (except the straight overlap edges of the rectangular pieces). This was fun - the first time I've ever done a zig-zag stitch that I remember. This step was done to reduce the chance of fraying with the material.

Once the zig-zag stitch was done, I took each of the rectangular pieces and folded over the overlapping edges two times by about 1/8 of an inch each time. I used the side of my chalk pencil to smooth down the fabric so it would stay in place. I then sewed each of these folds with a straight stitch to give it a smooth finish.

Then it was time to pin on the trim. I pinned it on the right side of the square piece of material, with the part of the trim that I wanted to show on the pillow pointing inwards, and the sewing band pointing outside. It was recommended to pin this often, so I did, about every third pom pom!

Next I pinned the two rectangular pieces to the square piece, right side of fabric facing the right side of the square...wrong side facing out. As I pinned these pieces, I removed the pins holding the trim to the square, allowing my new pins to go through all 3 pieces. This way no pins would be lost or hidden within the pillow case...which could potentially cause significant damage to the sewing machine.

Once it was all pinned together, time for the final sewing step! I worked about 2 inches at a time, sewing all the fabric and trim together in a straight stitch, removing 2-3 needles at a time as I worked along. I ran into a snag when my bobbin ran out of thread...so after a quick pitstop to reload it, I was back in the saddle! This step went by quickly. When it was down, I turned the pillow right side out, holding my breath as I did, afraid I may have unwittingly stitched crooked or something like that.

BUT...hallelujah! It was all even and the trim was perfect. YAY! I Made it Myself...a decorative pillow, which will be given to my daughter as one of her Christmas gifts. Here's the final project:

Front

Backside

I was happy with the turnout of my first real Made It Myself Monday. This from Chocolate on My Cranium is what I've got lined up for next week...creating to be a stocking stuffer for each of the three kiddos. So far I've got the fabric for each one cut out and pressed...here's a sneak peek:

PS - Don't forget to leave a comment and a link back to your own made-it-myself creations. I'd love to see them and be inspired!

Feature Friday: John Lewis Blown Glass

2009-12-04T04:30:00.000-08:00

Congrats to Kelly (kellyihovey@) who won the Baby Loungewear Set Giveaway from TToz Designs!

Even the most skilled crafters amongst us have probably never ventured into the art of glassblowing! That was once true for John Lewis, but he has now been creating awesome blown glass sculptures for over 30 years!

Sun Spot Bowl - $249

All of John Lewis’ blown glass sculptures are done free-hand; meaning no molds or patterns are used in their creation...and consequently every creation is one of a kind! All of John Lewis’ sculptures show their authenticity through the artist’s signature on each item.

Straight Walled Vase - $69

Originally John Lewis worked in post production filmmaking in New York. But wearied by the constraints and attitudes he experienced within that field, he enrolled at Boston’s Mass Art to study Sculpture. By happenstance, John was the one available to help a ceramics major in the lab with glassblowing. From that first experience he was hooked! He was able to study the glass medium further at Mass Art and soon thereafter John Lewis opened his own hot shop in Massachusett’s Berkshire mountains. That was in the mid-1970’s. John Lewis has been working with and incorporating blown glass into his art ever since!

Cobalt Sun Ball with White Cane - $35

John gets his inspiration for his art from a variety of organic sources. Life and the things we are brought into contact with every day all are part of the inspiration for John’s work; as is the natural world around us and the functional elements in the world of machines. When asked what his favorite piece in his collection is or has been, John replied “For me, creation is a journey and my favorite work is always the latest successful one. BUT, I'm never finished; there is always something to be improved no matter how much I enjoy the finished work.”

Wedding Platter - $179

John’s work is available for sale online at his Etsy shop, John Lewis Blown Glass. He has a personal website under construction right now - the main page is up and you can see more of John’s awesome creations there...go to JohnLewisLights.com and bookmark the site so you can come back and explore more once the site is complete!
At the John Lewis Blown Glass Etsy shop you can find decorative globes, vases of all shapes and sizes, goblets, lights, bowls and plates. The colors are magnificent! John’s creations range in price from $35 to $249.

Wavy Bowl - $69

For Gonna Want This-Handmade! readers ONLY, John is offering a great deal over the weekend! If you make an order from John’s Etsy site between December 4-6, you will receive FREE SHIPPING! When making your order, follow these instructions:

Enter the code “FeatureFridays” in the ‘Notes to Seller’ on your order
If you pay by check, this will be the only adjustment you will need to do to your order - just send your check made out for the adjusted price.
If you are paying via PayPal, do the following steps to your order to ensure you receive the adjusted FREE SHIPPING price:
1 - add items to your ETSY shopping cart & start the checkout process
2 - Enter the code (“FeatureFridays”) in the notes to seller AND an e-mail address where the revised invoice should be sent.
3 - Complete the order but DO NOT go to PayPal to pay.
4 - Instead wait for the revised invoice to come via e-mail and use the link to be able to complete payment online.

Table Lamp - $249

(No product or monetary compensation was provided to Gonna Want This-Handmade for the completion of this Feature, nor were any of the vendor’s products reviewed. This is an artist feature post only.)

Mailbox Bliss Review (and Winner #3!)

2009-12-03T06:53:00.000-08:00

We have a winner on the O2 Designs Beaded Origami Earrings Giveaway! Congratulations Karol (turtle710@), you have won these beautiful handmade earrings!
Respond to the e-mail I sent to you and we can get your prize on its way to you!

THERE IS STILL TIME TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY FOR TTOZ BABY LOUNGEWEAR SET! CLICK HERE TO ENTER (giveaway closes at 11:00 PM CST TONIGHT!)

Marcy from Mailbox Bliss understands the importance of communicating with loved ones across the miles. This is why she began creating digital cards, annoucements, scrapbook pages and more - to chronicle the life of her family AND to be able to keep in touch with loved ones far away. She found that her creations were not only personal and original, but also cost-effective!

So Marcy began Mailbox Bliss to share her creations with the masses! And what wonderful creations they are! Mailbox Bliss shop has only been open on Etsy for a few months, but she already has a very wide selection of options! And the beauty about each option is that every one is customizable. Customers can change the text, colors and other elements on nearly all digital card designs. She also has a design-your-own option for an entirely custom created announcement.

Right now Mailbox Bliss is stocked with a ton of holiday themed digital cards (all of the examples shown in this post are some of her newest designs). However digital cards from Mailbox Bliss can be used for several different occasions, including graduation, wedding save-the-dates, baby announcements, party invitations and more. Mailbox Bliss has a wide variety of styles as well - from the fun and offbeat to classic and traditional. You are sure to find one that catches your eye!

I had the opportunity to check out one of Mailbox Bliss designs for the purpose of reviewing the product and the customer service.

The Product:

For review I chose “Paper Holiday Ornaments” design in a 4x6 size. I provided photos to be used in the photo slots and gave my requested text. I was very pleased with the product. I had no trouble opening it, nor did my e-mail have any trouble receiving the digital file. I decided to check out printing it at a few different locations. So I uploaded the file to KodakGallery.com, and the online photo sites for Wal-Mart and CVS. Again there was absolutely no problem uploading the picture on any of the sites. And true to the order, all sites said that a 4x6 size will print the very best resolution, but only gave cautions on printing sizes 8x10 or greater. Mailbox Bliss does offer her digital files in 5x7 sizes as well. I had a couple prints done at each of the above places and chose both matte and shiny to see what I preferred. The digital photo card printed beautifully at all 3 locations, though I discovered my preference for the card was the shiny finish.

The cost was wonderful - printing at each of the 3 places varied from .09 cents (Wal-Mart) to .15 cents (CVS) per print. This means that if you chose to print 100 cards to send for holiday greetings, your printing cost would be $15.00 max. Mailbox Bliss Designs range from $6.00 to $16.00 in cost, depending on design. This means that a total holiday card order for 100 cards could cost $21 to $31 depending on design selection. Wal-Mart is currently advertising their photo design holiday cards for .40 cents a piece...which means an order of 100 cards would set you back $40! And that wouldn’t include the total originality you would receive with one of Mailbox Bliss digital cards! EVEN BETTER...many photo sharing sites offer free printing deals for new users. I’ve already used this offer, but it appears to still be available...100 FREE 4x6 prints from SeeHere.com. If you used this offer in conjunction with your Mailbox Bliss order, you could have wonderfully original and unique photo cards for less than $20 total! (I’ve used the SeeHere.com deal referenced above - unfortunately I used it before I learned about Mailbox Bliss! But the pictures printed great and I received my pictures only about 3 days after my order...so I can recommend using that offer!)

Customer Service

I can confidently say that the customer service I received from Mailbox Bliss was outstanding. Miss Mailbox Bliss says “No creation is final until you give me your stamp of approval” and she means it! My first draft came through looking great, but I decided to add punctuation in my text that I didn’t include before. So I sent back those minor change requests. And I got a new proof just hours later! When first making my customization requests, I indicated that I wanted my children’s names and ages to be included below the main “Merry Christmas from the Dressels!” text. But I wasn’t sure what font, size or color to request for that text. So I asked Marcy to use her designer discretion with that and I love what she did with it! I wouldn’t have thought of centering the text above each picture, but that works perfectly (see above)! The time from customization request to first proof was less than 24 hours. This time frame may vary slightly depending on when the order is made, but Mailbox Bliss has a great turnaround time...you will not be left waiting for your proof.

If you haven’t decided on holiday cards for this year yet, there is still time! And I highly encourage you to choose one of Mailbox Bliss designs. You can have a wonderful, original, unique and fun holiday card and pay less than the leading discount stores on photo cards. Have your cake and eat it too!

Head on over to Mailbox Bliss and get your order started today!

Win It Wednesday!

2009-12-02T04:30:00.000-08:00

We have another winner! missyt_2000@ is the lucky giveaway winner of a "Baby in a Basket" from Baby Peas & Bees! Missyt_2000 will be able to let Linda at Baby Peas & Bees know if she'd like a girl, boy or gender neutral baby in a basket! What a fun win! Congrats Missyt_2000!

Watch for a review of Baby Peas & Bees products here on Thursday, December 10th!

Win It Wednesday will be a weekly feature here at Gonna Want This-Handmade! Most Wednesdays I will have a giveaway that I will be hosting on my blog. But since that won't be able to happen every week, on those weeks when I do not have a giveaway to host and feature here, I will bring the best of the handmade giveaways to you! I will scour the web to find some great giveaways featuring handmade artists and I will bring them here for YOU to find and enter!

Here are some of the best handmade giveaways of the web this week (in my humble opinion)...

I think these are AWESOME and totally ingenius! They are lockets made from repurposed auto parts, believe it or not. YAY RECYCLED! The options at the Polarity Etsy shop are endless...though my fave is above ("Family"). The Sunshine Studio is hosting a giveaway for a locket of the winners choice! Head on over by clicking HERE to enter the giveaway! It is only open until Dec. 6th, so don't waste any time. Good luck!

PS - The lockets are very reasonably priced at about $18-$21 each...so if you want to skip taking your chances on the giveaway, you can buy right away at Polarity!

(thanks Polarity & Sunshine Studio!)

These lanterns seem very classic and refined, yet completely unexpected! I think one hanging solo on a porch or from a front tree would be lovely, but just as lovely would be an entire gathering of them. Beautiful and original Christmas lighting! I also think these would be beautiful for an outdoor wedding or dinner party! These lanterns are "upcycled" (YAY RECYCLING AGAIN!) and can be found at Going Green Lanterns online shop. However, the GIVEAWAY can be found on Evergreen Moms. Enter by clicking HERE and following instructions. Giveaway is open for entries until December 10th. May the ~~best~~ luckiest (wo)man win!
PS - If you want to start your shopping now, $20 will buy you your favorite lantern design!

(thanks Evergreen Moms & Going Green Lanterns!)

We have a spot on our living room wall that we have decided is destined for a wall sticker! We haven't found the just right one yet, so we continue to look. One place I will be looking is Expressing You, a handmade artisan creating all sorts of wall decals - big and small. She can customize the size and style of any decal option - and I believe she even has an entire custom create option for those of you who have an idea in your head that you don't see in your store. Etsy It Up is hosting a Giveaway for a Swirly Bird Wall Decal (winner chooses color/letter combination). Click HERE to enter the giveaway! Taking entries through December 9th.
(Thanks Etsy It Up and Expressing You!)

Where to Find Handmade Products? (Plus A WINNER!)

2009-12-01T04:30:00.000-08:00

Hooray & Congrats to ksizemore@ - the WINNER of our 1st Giveaway - ksizemore you have won a digital card of your choice! Please reply to the e-mail sent to you in order to get the ball rolling on receiving your giveaway prize! (winning number selected by www.random.org)

WATCH FOR A REVIEW POST ABOUT MAILBOX BLISS COMING

UP ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3RD!

If you are new to buying handmade...or even just exploring handmade, you may be wondering where you can even begin the venture of buying handmade. No longer is buying handmade relegated to church basement craft shows. It has gone high class and high tech!

ETSY
You may have heard of Etsy before - this is probably the most widely recognized online collection of web stores for handmade artisans. Click HERE to go to Etsy and begin to browse online stores - or utilize the search function to look for specific items. The rules of Etsy are that in order for an item to be sold online, it must be handmade directly by the seller, be art supplies OR be vintage items that are at least 20 years old or more.

ARTFIRE
Artfire is an equally popular and growing consortium of handmade vendors available online. Artfire is very similar to Etsy in its focus on handmade products. Categories for sales on Artfire include: handmade, art, vintage, media & craft supplies. Click HERE to go to Artfire and explore!

Since beginning Gonna Want This-Handmade! I've learned about several other online venues for buying and selling handmade products. I am not as familiar with them yet, but they seem to be some more great resources for both buyers and sellers of handmade! They include:

CRAFTSTER
Craftster is an artisan showcase website that has been around since 2003. Here is how Craftster describes themselves: "Craftster is an online community where people share hip, off-beat, crafty diy (do it yourself) projects. The term "Craftster" means "crafty hipster" and is also meant to be an homage to the pioneer peer-to-peer sites Napster and Friendster. Craftster is the largest online community for what is now commonly known as "indie crafts." ("Indie" stands for independent as in indie music, indie art, indie film, etc.) Craftster is regarded by many as one of the cornerstones of the recent renaissance in crafting known as the "indie craft movement." Click HERE to go to Craftster's Online Store. However this appears to be more of an informative website for handmade vendors than a shopping venue. I do love the tutorials and suggested DIY projects for crafty wannabes like me (I'm thinking "Make It Myself Monday"!).

INDIEPUBLIC
A social networking site for indie ("independent") artists, vendors, bloggers, etc. There is a marketplace link and tons of advertisements that can take you to indie vendor websites. However Indie Public is more Facebook style networking than a exclusive shopping venue. Definitely worth checking out - and if you sign up, look up Gonna Want This-Handmade!

I SHOP INDIE
I Shop Indie is an online consortium of indie designers, artists and vendors desiring to promote their shops and products. The site seems pretty easily navigable, and will take interested buyers to the direct websites of the featured indie vendors.

DON'T FORGET!

Click HERE to enter the Baby Peas & Bees "Baby in a Basket" Giveaway! (Ends at 11:00 PM CST TONIGHT!)

Click HERE to enter the O2 Designs "Beaded Origami Earrings" Giveaway (Ends at 11:00 PM CST on 12/2/09)

Click HERE to enter the TToz Designs "Baby Loungewear Set" Giveaway (Ends at 11:00 PM CST on 12/3/09)

Make It Myself Monday: Bulletin Board

2009-11-30T04:30:00.000-08:00

NOTE: Cyber Monday! Giveaway for Mailbox Bliss Custom Design Digital Card ends TONIGHT at 11:00 pm CST. Click HERE to enter!

I'm going to kick off 'Make It Myself Monday' with a tutorial (and confessional!) on a project I did with/for my daughter Lu Lu Berry last May. She had been asking for a bulletin board for her to put up all her 'stuff' on, and I couldn't bring myself to nail up a standard drab brown bulletin board in her room.

So we made it fun and went to a store together to pick out a fabric we loved and that matched her room...and then we got ribbons and buttons and hot glue gun sticks and...well...you get the idea. We went the frugal/conservationist route and used a frame that we already had, but weren't using around the house. I think the glass had already broken out of it, which made it all the better of a choice!

To customize the cork board size, I found cork tiles at Michael's Craft Store and was able to cut and hot glue gun them to size on the particle board that fit into the frame, so it would be a perfect fit. That worked well, but I didn't think in advance about how the method that I used to hot glue gun the cork tiles on would affect my ability to neatly wrap the fabric around the particle board. To get the fabric to fit tight on the cork in the front, I had to pull the fabric in awkward directions, cut it in strange ways to get it to fit into the frame (I also hadn't planned for those little metal clips that go into the frame to make it hold tight) and so I hot glue gunned the heck out of it to make it stay.

Thankfully the only one seeing the back of the frame is the wall...and now all of you!!!

After the fabric was ~~properly~~ affixed, I created a criss-cross pattern across the fabric with the ribbon. Again, I didn't plan this out entirely, nor did I use rulers or chalk lines to make sure it all work. I just guessed and eyeballed it (which is why if you look closely you'll see a few lines that are a teensy bit crooked. Once the ribbon was on (hot glued, of course), I hot glued a button in each of the spots the ribbon crossed and made an 'x'.

In the end the bulletin board turned out GREAT, and has served a wonderful function for Lu Lu Berry. She switches out the pictures and mementos on it every other week it seems...it is like a visual diary for her...and so far all that hot glue gun work on the back has held up well!

Now for my NEXT "Make It Myself Monday", I would like to use the extra fabric from making the bulletin board to make a pillow for Lu Lu Berry's bed that matches the bulletin board.

I'd like to do a pillow like THIS ONE at Tiny Decor blog. I've selected that one because it is simple and doesn't look too intimidating to me! Plus, my tendency (as you discovered with the bulletin board) is to often forge ahead with a craft idea without planning it out. Then I find myself without the right supplies (or enough of them), or with an unexpected 'snag' (like forgetting to leave room for frame clips on the bulletin board project!). Tiny Decor gives a pretty simple but understandable tutorial...I'm excited to give it a try!

I will take pictures and will recap the entire project on the 7th (assuming I finish it by then!).
Shhh...if you know her, don't tell Lu Lu Berry...this is going to be one of her Christmas presents!

NOW...I would LOVE IT if you are a blogger and a crafty pants (or wannabe crafty pants) and want to join in with my "Make It Myself Monday" posts. Within a few weeks we'll get a MckLinky going for it, but for now, if you write a "Make It Myself Monday" post, leave a comment with a link to your blog - I'd like to highlight it!

Handmade Open House: 14 Giveaways in One Spot!

2009-11-29T12:04:00.000-08:00

Audrey over at Audrey's Country Crafts is hosting a Christmas Open House, featuring 14 handmade artisans and their products - great for holiday gifts - there is a giveaway for each store!

There are multiple ways to enter...but the giveaway closes on TUESDAY, December 1st, so get on over THERE and get yourself signed up for a giveaway or two...you may just WIN some great gifts for you or someone else!

Don't forget the 4 giveaways going on RIGHT NOW, right here at Gonna Want This - Handmade!

Click HERE for Mailbox Bliss Digital Card Giveaway (ENDS TOMORROW!)

Click HERE for Baby Peas & Bees "Baby in a Basket" Giveaway (Ends Tuesday!)

Click HERE for O2 Designs Beaded Origami Crane Earrings Giveaway (Ends Wednesday!)

Click HERE for TToz Designs Baby Loungewear Set Giveaway (Ends Thursday!)