SassmowthDesigns - Adventures in Crafting Land!

Where's my spell check?!

2010-04-16T22:06:00.000-04:00

It is so strange looking at a picture of what i'm looking at. But I just wanted to prove one of 2 things. Either that A) There is no spell check, or B) I'm completely blind and very stupid. lol.

My last post (Where the heck have I been?) I mentioned that I was kinda glad to move my blog to my Website because Blogger doesn't have spell check. Leslie aka CrookedStamper said that it comes standard and there's no way that I don't actually have a spell check. Now, I *used* to have a spell check! But one day, blogger asked me if I wanted to switch formats. I said "OK!". I've never been able to go back, and I don't know where my spell check went. Now, I have to admit, inserting pictures and linking is 10,000 percent easier, which is why I didnt try that hard to go back to the other format. But ya, having to copy and paste my entire post into word and check for spelling mistakes? Gah, that just took forever.

One thing I am oh so happy about, is the fact that because of trying to show Leslie that I actually had no spell check (or to prove that I'm completely stupid, we'll soon see), I actually learned how to take a screen shot. It is SO EASY! Yet I could never freakin' figure it out! So thank you Leslie! I learned something because of you! :)

Now, am I stupid?
;)

And just as a friendly reminder, I now have my own website! Visit me at SassmowthDesigns.ca I just made a few changes to make it easier to navigate and I'd love some feedback :)

Kat

Where the heck have I been!?

2010-04-13T13:30:00.000-04:00

lol, that reminds me of a Family Guy episode with Chris.. "I DON'T EVEN KNOW!" lol. Anyways!

So, some of you may have completely forgotton who I even am! I sure have! I feel horrible for not keeping up with the blog, and with my lovelies. I've even neglected my EtsyBloggers, so I'm going to have to beg for forgiveness (when I find the time! lol yeesh)

So what have I been doing? Well, it started when I got a custom order that took up so much of my time I was throwing up my pizza. Yes, I was stressed. The custom order SO wasn't worth it, but atleast I learned from it, right? At the same time of this custom order, I got an email from a store asking if I would be interested on selling my cards there! How exciting! So, took the trip to Toronto, reserved my space, and I had to make a ton of inventory! But I was still doing my custom order! Oh right, and I had a magazine article due the same time. It was a bad 3 weeks. Because just when I thought I was getting ahead, my custom order guy said "oh hey, can I get 20 more cards?" There went my inventory for the store! And I had to make even more. That's what started it all. BUT, 58 cards and a magazine "Clay Pot Wind Chime How-to" later, I was able to rest. And by rest I mean pass out for a few days. Well, a tad more than a few days ;)

Since then what have I been doing? Reorganizing. Planning. Cleaning. Fine tuning. Working on a logo/brand. Registered my business. (yay me!). Registered my domain name, and started up my own website. (Yay me even more!)

So my friends, this means my blog is changing locations! I may write on here every once in a while just for shits and giggles, but my official blog/website is now:

http://www.sassmowthdesigns.ca

Woohoo!! So clicky on there and RSS me! Cause I dont have a follow box :( BUT I have many cool things like a Gallery, Links (where I link you to all the cool peeps!) my shop pages, and so many more things that I haven't figured out how to use yet! :)

I will miss my usual blogger bloggyness, but I won't miss the no spell check on here. Seriously. Who thinks I can spell?!

I hope you all enjoy my new adventure on my own website!! Please leave me comments over there - I have no clue if it's good at all lol. I'm desperate for some feedback! :)

See you soon my lovelies!

Getting back to weird

2010-02-16T13:07:00.000-05:00

*gasp* I lost 2 blog followers today LOL.. Hmm.. d'ya think they followed during OWOH and now that's its over and they saw my post and they didn't win that they stopped following? There's an idea! Although, I guess it's a legitimate thing to do! So I can't be too upset about it.

While I LOVE the concept of One World One Heart I'm afraid a few of the players were only in it for the giveaways. While we all love winning things (I won nothing.. *le sigh*) the chance to be introduced to people all over the world is far more exciting. Some people say that's because I'm nosey. I reply by asking them what my name is. Ya that's right. And curiosity hasn't killed me yet :)

Later on today I will be trekking down to the post office to send off the photographs for my 3 lovely winners, Top floor T, The Paper Princess, and PEA! I love PEA's name cause it's fun to yell hee hee.

I've really gotta make more time to blog these days, because I'm driving my hubs crazy. As soon as I pick him up for work I turn into Chatty Kathy and he's looking for my string so he can rip it out. Okay off topic, what I have to do within the next 10 minutes: print off business cards (YES I make my own, and the peeps that throw out homemade business cards can kiss my ass) get rid of my collection of Tim Hortons cups so I can stop knocking them over, and clean up my desk so I can actually work on it later on today. Okay good, I've written it down so now I HAVE to do it.

Oh, and just so everyone's clear, my blog title isn't saying "Getting back to NORMAL" because I never have been :)

Alright my lovelies! This week I hope to do some much needed catching up on my wonderful EtsyBloggers, amazing MCC features and the rants you all so love. I have a lot of them by the way. Tons. Loads! But, as it always goes, I have all these issues I wanna get off my chest, but as soon as I open the blog window my mind goes blank. So I'll try to write them down, and *then* open blogger. That might help. (Y'know what would also help?? Psychiatric evaluation!) -Although if I do get onna those, my biggest fear might actually come to fruition. Being thrown into a mental ward!

OH! I just remembered one of the reasons I wanted to write a blog *snort* that's good. Something in there is working. Okay I was featured on a blog today! It was an absolutely fantastic surprise!! I recently met Monica through MyCraftCorner (like, this morning recently!) and she creates amazing jewellery and I hafta say, I love the way she photographs some of her jewellery! Anyhoodle, she had written a MCC blog post about her new blog, I went over to check it out and I loved it. She talks about not only her jewellery, but her personal life, and a post which broke my heart was this one: A Dictator's Horror.

Okay I'm off. Lots to do today and don't want the hubs to tsk tsk when he sees my lack of finished product lol. Alright he doesn't really do that, but thinking that keeps me motivated!

Have a fantasticular day my lovelies!

ps I need to get a paying job! And I realized today that I needed to do laundry because I was completely out of underwear.

OWOH has come to a close!

2010-02-15T18:04:00.001-05:00

And I've learned a lot. Since this was my first time ever participating in OWOH, I really didn't know what to expect!

But I absolutely loved it! I've met so many fabulous people from around the world, and since I didn't get a chance to visit every blog (it's been onna those months!) I'll definitely keep the list bookmarked so I can continue meeting all you wonderful peeps!

I got an astounding 117 comments on my blog. I'm floored. I've lost about 6 pounds. hee hee. (As it says above the comment box, I dance a jig everytime someone comments!) I do wish I remembered to enter when it started on January 25th, as opposed to like, the last freakin' day, because they I would have had much more time to meet everyone! Ah well, now I know to keep a look out for next year!

And what did I really learn? Well.. I've learned that in order to do a giveaway of 3 pictures in which I ask people to let me know which one is their fave and then at the end I'd do a draw for each picture, I *should* have come up with a better plan to keep track of these comments LOL. Because today, I had to go through every comment, mark down who wanted which picture, and for those who didn't choose I had to randomly put them into one of the 3 catagories, and then I could finally do the random.org thing on each column. Do you know how long that took!?

And just so you know, all the winners were comments numbers 71, 104 and 12, but when they got split into the 3 groups, the ended up being numbers 13, 35 and 7. I would have taken the screen shots of the random number box thingy, but ya, I have no clue how to do that!

So, do you all want to know who got the pics?!

Clematis 8x10 goes to...

The Paper Princess!!!

Rose of Sharon 8x10 goes to...

Top Floor T!!!

Smurf Village 8x10 goes to...

PEA!!!!

Congrats to the 3 winners!! I'll be writing/contacting you all shortly!! If I don't get a response with your addresses within one week, I'll pick a new winner! Thank you all so much for visiting my blog, I really hoped you enjoyed what you saw, and you'll come again :)

And here's hoping all my lovelies are having a relaxing Family Day. :)

One World One Heart

2010-02-14T06:37:00.002-05:00

Finally! Hello my lovelies, I've been meaning to write this particular blog for about a month now. This post will continue to remain at the top of my blog until February 14th, which is the end of this wonderful Blog Exchange! Let me explain.

One World One Heart is a giveaway event to bring bloggers together from around the world who may ordinarily never meet. It closes the gap of the blog community and enables us to interact, discover new and wonderful people, and in the process, possibly win a prize along the way!

For the full story of OWOH please visit A Whimsical Bohemian

Technically this event started January 25th, so I'm really behind! I was informed of it by Theresa because she thought this was something I'd love to do - And she was right! Yet January 25th came and went and with me having so many different projects on the go, I completely forgot about it. I was SO upset. Then wonderful Stanza asked me if I had heard about it and told me that the date had been extended to add your blog! So of course, that cut-off day was today. Loverly. hehe. Again, been so busy. I'll be writing more blogs about what I've been doing shortly!

But, to get back to OWOH - This event is amazing and I'm so excited that I'm able to participate in it despite being incredibly late! I love finding new blogs to read, meeting new people, and discovering the trials and tribulations others go through in our crazy journeys through life.

So Welcome to my blog! I hope all my new visitors enjoy my odd sense of humour and updates on the projects I work on!

And you're probably all wondering what in the world I'm giving away? Well, the theme of this year's event is "Magic Carpet Ride". I have absolutely nothing that goes along with that lol, but hey, while you're on a "Magic Carpet Ride" you'll be sure to see some pretty flowers, no?

So I'll be giving away 3- 8x10 photos :)

Photo 1 - Clematis

Photo 2 - Rose of Sharon

Photo 3 - Smurf Village

And how do you win these photos? By commenting on this blog post in this format:

Comment about how much you love my blog (LOL - okay fine, that one is optional!)
Your photo choice (Photo 1, 2, or 3)
Your name, blog link and email address.

One comment per person. All comments must be in by 11:59pm EST February 14th.

The 3 winners will be chosen by Random.org on February 15th.

Thank you all so much for stopping by my blog, and I hope you stick around and read awhile :)

EB January Feature - Nico Designs

2010-01-31T18:36:00.000-05:00

Hello all my lovelies! I hope you're all having a wonderful Sunday night. I for one just want to go to bed. BUT since it's the last day of January, and I have yet to write my EtsyBloggers blog feature (I am SO behind this month!) I'm not yet going to bed. Which is probably a good idea, since it's not even 6pm.

So, I'd like everyone to meet Erika!!

Erika runs NicoDesigns on Etsy and has been a member since December 2008. Erika sews for sanity due to all the years being a Behaviour Specialist and Special Education Teacher! She makes darling dolls, adorable pin cushions, fashionable diaper bags and wonderful totes!

At Nico Designs, every product is created with design, style and functionality in mind! They strive to make products that are eco-friendly by utilizing a combination of new, repurposed, recycled or upcycled materials.

You can find Erika's wonderful blog at DesignsByNico and fan her fabulous Facebook FanPage!

With every purchase, Nico Designs donates a portion to her local Ronald McDonald house, and to the MD Anderson Cancer Hospital in Houston in memory of Chloe. Chloe, the daughter of Erika's close neighbours, died at the age of 7 due to cancer.

I hope everyone enjoyed seeing all the amazing products by NicoDesigns! Congrats Erika for being EtsyBloggers January Feature!

Do you ever get the feeling...

2010-01-30T20:59:00.001-05:00

That you're being watched??

The wonderful thing about snowflakes

2010-01-29T20:32:00.000-05:00

Is that no 2 are the same.

But really, who's to know that? Is there someone checking every single snowflake? I think not :) Even snowflakes can have a doppelganger!

So I'm finally resurfacing!! Isn't that amazing? hehe. I've been neglecting ze poor blog. But, luckily EtsyBloggers Blog Carnival is due tonite! And of course, I'm leaving it for the last minute hehe. And if you haven't guessed already, one of the questions pertains Snowflakes!

The question posed by Aliciamae is "Snowflakes - your favourite way to make them, or your favourite item on Etsy featuring them".

Since I don't exactly make snowflakes (unless it's a rude snowflake), I'm choosing to show my absolutely favourite snowflake items on etsy!! Are you ready?!

I couldn't choose. But they're all from the same artist, Urska aka Urssika. Urska and I met when she posted a question in the forums, although I have no clue what the forum was about! But I went to her shop and saw she was from Ljubljana, Slovenia!! My homeland! Well, not technically mine I suppose, since I wasn't born there, but most of my family was! We started talking immediately after that, and already have plans for her to be my Slovenian tour guide when I go visit my parents this summer! :)

So yes, Urska makes my absolutely favourite snowflake items on Etsy! All of her jewellery is gorgeous!

Finally I'm back again! lol

2010-01-13T07:00:00.001-05:00

Finally, I'm back again lol. I've been quite busy lately, but have had the itch to blog. It's amazing how I can fall out of the routine of blogging once I've had a break. So now I have to force myself to blog before too much time passes and I forget about it all together!

I knew I've needed to blog... Poor Reggie (President of My Craft Corner).. I've been helping out a bit with the site and to keep eachother updated on what I've been doing and should be doing, we send short little emails back and forth. Well, hers are short little emails. Mine turn into 2 page mystery novels apparently. And why the mystery? Well, how in the world do I tangent from twitter to poop is beyond me. I must have some wicked talent. Too bad I can't get paid for that.

So to save her from reading through running paragraph after running paragraph just to find out if I did what I was supposed to, I thought hey, maybe it's time to blog again! I mean, I have enough to update about now! Yeesh. Sorry Reggie!

And what am I updating?? I've actually *listed something* in my Etsy! I still had the Christmas cards up for quite some time, but thought huh.. Maybe it's time to take those down! So all I had left in there was a couple of swiffer cloths, dusting mitts and a sad ol' bathmitt lol. I have so many projects on the go, yet nothing is complete, and I really gotta get off my ass and complete atleast ONE thing. I decided to do something relatively quick, just to put my shop back on the market. At Reggie's suggestion, I made Mothers Day cards! Yes, you may feel like that's a bit early, but hey, retail stores do it dammit! But then again, where the crap are my Valentines and St. Patty's Day and Easter Cards? Hmm.. Haven't drawn those up yet!

These Mother's Day cards don't have a bit of "Sass" in them, but hey, I can't be sassy to the Moms! Well, I could hehe.. But I won't! I also listed one other card just to hop on the "Owl" trend train, although who knows if there's still an owl trend??

And what else have I been working on? My next magazine spread! Which reminds me, I still have to show my first one! Okay I just took pics of the pages - keep in mind they're not the greatest images! I'm taking pics of the magazine on the floor with no flash. Ya, I think I need a scanner! Plus well, it's before 6am - I've been up since 315am and am currently on my second extra large Tim Hortons coffee, and well, I'm ready to go back to bed. So please forgive the photography.. I'll start out with the cover that I'm mentioned on! "Kat's Krafts - Holiday Gift bags - Page 39" Woohoo!

First page. You may have to zoom in to actually read it!

Second page! I even have a bio! It's being slightly adjusted for this issue coming out. But I mentioned Etsy!

This magazine is brand spanking new, and its website is girlworks.ca. It's geared towards young girls ages 10-16. The next issue coming out is a January/February issues, and the craft I do is Valentine's Day Frames! Very exciting!

Holy crap I forgot I was writing a blog. Geez, I've lost my mind again! Check one site and all of a sudden I'm checking them all, uploading photos, tweeting, Facebooking, looking through Etsy, looking through MCC, going back to twaitter and getting mad cause it's not tweeting any of the messages, go back to etsy, fan some people on Facebook, then I'm like, oh, blogger's open.. Oh RIGHT I was actually writing something!

How I get anything done is beyond me. Really.

Okay well since I just took a 45 minute break into LaLa Land, I've run out of steam for blogging! Alright all my lovelies, I hope you all have a fantastic Wednesday! (I just discovered it was Wednesday actually. I thought it was still Tuesday!) And I promise to keep you updated more often this week! Although it's already Wednesday lol. I'm going to try my best to be back here tomorrow! But don't quote me on that. Hey, maybe all my lovelies can have a "Kat pool" as to whether I actually come back when I say I do! lol. Could be a good way for some of you to make some extra cash!

Bye for now! Off to drink more coffee and probably talk about poop!

Wanna see where I work?!

2010-01-04T09:14:00.001-05:00

Good morning all my lovelies!

I'm BACK! Hopefully on a regular basis! It's been hurtin' me not writing my blog for so long, but most days I didn't have the time to even turn on my computer. So I have a lot of catching up to do! But I was completely stuck for what I wanted this post to be about, so I figured since I have so many new additions to my crafting room, and I always wanted to show what my room looks like, I'll do that today!

Oh, but one thing I've been doing regularily is carrying around this little "Great Ideas" booklet everywhere I go and it's quickly filling up! Woohoo! I'm going to have a lot of new things to be listing in my etsy shop soon. Very Excited!

But if I'm going to show you all my workspace, maybe I should take some pics of it? Hmm.. maybe I'll do that now, and then get back to typing! Good idea? Good idea!!

Here we start off with my laptop. And on the screen is this very blog stopped at the point where I said I'd take pictures :) Off to the left is a radio - and I say radio because the cd player skips like crazy and drives me batty and always gets me very upset. So it's a radio. Off to the right is a printer. A stupid printer, but atleast it prints. Most of the time.

Now this is to the left of my radio. You can see a lot of.. crap? around, but hey, we all need to be surrounded by our inspirations, no? And are you wondering what may be in that white cabinet sitting on the desk? Well then, let's take a closer look, shall we?!

It's a photo printer! A stupid photo printer, but it prints. Most of the time. Problem is, at some point it decided to no longer connect to my laptop. It's plugged in at the hub like everything else, but it wants to be difficult. So if I want to actually print something from it, I have to first put the pics on a stick, plug in the stick, and print from there. But the funny thing is, and I say funny sarcastically of course, when I plug the stick into the photo printer, a message pops up on my computer saying "how would I like to view these photos". Hmm.. So the photo printer is just teasing me really. So we'll call it a bastard. On the left side of the bastard are all my camera supplies and attachements. I didn't take a close up of those because I don't want people thinking they need to come over and rob me.

And here's the other side of the white cabinet! Not as exciting as there are no bastards in here, but it does house all my photography books, paper and manuals. Plus my filing system thingy there, everything's colour coded! Now if I could just remember that it's in there, I'd put things in a lot more often instead of stuffing them in my drawer. Hmm..

I've always been in love with Tom and Jerry (or Jasper and Jerry like it originally was - for all us old folks out there who remember that!) And yes, I hate the newer ones where Tom and Jerry just do funny things to eachother as opposed to beating the crap out of eachother. I never once tried to smash my sister with a hammer because of Tom and Jerry thank you very much. So I fully agree with cartoon violence :) I also found these vintage Tom and Jerry cups at one of my favourite places to shop - the antique market! There are quite a few in this general area!

Some more inspiration! Where the Wild things are was one of my all time favourite books as a kid, and no I didn't run out and get these as soon as I heard the movie was coming out! I've had them for years. Although they stopped making them, and I don't have the full set, so now that the movie's out, maybe I can complete it?

I've been in love with Edward Gorey since I can remember, first reading his "Amphigorey" at my aunts house as soon as I learned to read. His GashlyCrumb Tinies were my favourite... so I guess you could call me a bit of a morbid weird kid?? With poems like "A is for Amy who fell down the stairs, B is for Basil assaulted by bears, C is for Clara who wasted away, D is for Desmond thrown out of a sleigh" Brilliant I say! Brilliant!! I'm a huge fan, but I'm sure that was obvious at this point.

This is one of my newest editions to my room. I bought it from Zeropumpkin! I originally bought it for someone else as a Christmas present, but I'm sorry, there's no way I can give up 2 tiny heads in a tiny bottle.

One day I was sick and tired of constantly forgetting which drawer I was storing which supplies, so I wasted some time doing little lables tied on with hemp with little beads. We have "Beads, Stamps, Puppet Supplies, Old art" in the far corner, "Air Brush, Misc. Crafts" in the top left drawer, "Craft Paint" in the middle, "Cork, Magnets, Wood Supplies" in the bottom drawer. Next row we have (I'm sure your incredibly interested with this) "Pens, Pencils, Paper" in that top drawer, "Cross stitch, Crochet" supplies in the middle, and the bottom isn't labeled because it has a record player in it.

Here's the right side of the desk, which you can have a clear view of the stupid printer. Anyhoo, on this side I have "Pencil Crayons, Markers" in the top drawer, "Oil, Acrylics, Watercolour" in the middle drawer, and that bottom drawer isn't labelled either because it has framed pictures of my sisters because she has her junk stored all over the house, even in my closet. Nice. The end cabinet has "Canvas, SketchBooks" and a new addition which I haven't made a new label for, is Printed Photographs!

We're finally off the freakin' desk! Okay so this is to the left of me. I've got the good ol' drafting table with my large canvas at the side, and a shelving unit filled with more beading supplies and more inspiration! The large tote under my drafting table houses all my finished crochet projects, and the laundry basket above it is filled with canvas bags and in each canvas bag is a crochet work in progress! There's a good 15 bags in there right about now. Oy.

So here we are moving across the room. You can see my new lightbox! Weeeee! And all those totes under the table and off to the side? Ya, that's all my yarn. Do ya think I need to stop buying it and maybe start using what I already have? Now there's an idea. In the far corner you can kind of see my soup nazi hee hee, and underneath the table you can also kinda see my frames.. there's a pile standing up between the totes - those are the really large ones, and underneath some totes you can see another pile. (they're all in the white thin boxes). And of course, my newest furniture addition which I was extremely excited for, the desk!! Woohoo! Work space!

And this is what is on the desk - my sewing machine! So very excited. I thought I needed to buy a bunch of basic supplies first, which is why I haven't sewn anything yet, and since my mom was home (who's a sewer herself) I thought we'd go out together and she can show me everything I needed. But did you know that when you open the little compartment in the sewing machine, that it has all your basic supplies?! Whoops. I could have started sewing one heck of a long time ago!

I was practicing my stitches!! That fabric you see will soon be coasters! oooooooaaaaooooo exciting!

Finally we're on the forth wall! That brings me to a question, why is the number 4 spelled four but when it's 4th it's forth? Where does the u bugger off to? Anyhoo, that shelving unit is filled with my reference books at the top, plus all my art folders where I keep all my finished designs in them. Then you'll see my CRICUT machine (love my hubby) with of course, the Edward Gorey cat sitting on it. I also have all my paper, my clear craft keepers with my card supplies in there, and my little sizzix texture boutique thingy (love my hubby even more!) Off to the side there, I've got my tackle box of art supplies, my ribbons, my paper cutter, and underneath those are my irons. Yes, I have 2. My mom left them here for me. One of them I don't know how to use. A little too high tech with all those settings. I don't iron much.

And here I've got my most used supplies - all my glues, stamps, what have you! It seems a bit jumbled, but I swear it makes sense to me. :)

I had to put a close up of this guy who sits on the top of this shelving unit. It's the happiest turtle in the world! He was one of my first puppets years ago. Hee hee. He makes me laugh everytime I look at him!

Alright, so there you have my basic craft room! This is where I spend 80% of my time. The most work I've ever done, with the worst pay I've ever had. But I love it! There are going to be tons of new projects and new ideas going into place really soon, and now that my craft room is organized and set up the way I want it, hopefully I'll be able to accomplish all of that!

I hope you all enjoyed viewing my work room! How does yours compare to mine? Is yours cluttered with inspiration, or incredibly simple and clean?!

Ponder&Stitch! Ponder&Stitch!

2009-12-28T07:25:00.000-05:00

Okay my lovelies, I'm back! So much has gone on in the last little while, some days I was so busy I didn't have time to turn on the freakin' computer :) Of course I wasn't busy selling things LOL, all I currently have up is Christmas cards still. Oy. And I haven't spent much time on the photography shop, but atleast I took some more pics of my photos in frames, so I can add those to the listings. I know how much it helps sell photos when people can see what the photo will look like framed and up on a wall!

So it'll take a while to update you all fully, but I do apologize as I whole heartedly meant to continue with the blogging over the Christmas season! But with the parents coming home, and the family get togethers, and my husband's over night shifts, and the crocheting all night (which reminds me, I have to get some pics of what I made for the fam! Yikes... Forgot to do that!) I just didn't have the time to sit down :)

Now you may all be wondering why I'm screaming Ponder&Stitch in my blog title this morning!! Well!! Let's just say that I LOOOVE my husband. Ponder&Stitch has always been one of my absolute favourite etsy sellers. Not only does she have incredible products (All of which I want!), but she's so incredibly sweet!! She had made this one tote bag that I fell in love with, but just couldn't afford. And one day, I clicked on her etsy shop to gaze at the bag longingly, and alas, it was sold. Come to find out, it was sold to MY HUSBAND!! Yeeee!! AND I got a quadruple strand grey cuff! Thank you SO much Amy! - My hubby gave me the note along with my presents! :) Lemme tell ya, I haven't taken off this cuff. Well, I don't shower with it on, but it's my absolute favourite accessory! I will try to get some photos soon with me donning my new accessories!! :) I'm just so excited that I own Ponder&Stitch products, I've been showing everyone! And now I'm showing all of you, because all of the photos in todays blog are all from Amy's shop. Just note that the yellow vintage fabric bag will not be linked to it's listing, because it's MINE. :)

I got so many great gifts this Christmas - my hubby pretty much stocked me up with sooo many crafting supplies that I desperately needed, and I just can't wait to get started again! Plus, he got me a light box!! I am ecstatic! I will definitely be spending lots of time retaking photos!

Plus, I have new additions to my craft room, so I spent all day yesterday organizing it all over again. I'll definitely take pics of that too, just incase anyone's curious of where I spend most of my time :) My parents had this old antique gigantic desk in the office, but when they were moving to The Netherlands (but they now currently reside in Vienna) it was too big and heavy to ship, and it was way too big to stay in the room it was in. Their office became my husband's office, but my husband's office consists of his computer, a gigantic comic book collection, a star wars collection, and he sounds like a big geek, but I promise he's not! hehe. So it just wouldn't fit. Well, my cousins were starting up a business down the street and were looking for a desk for the staff room, and it was a perfect fit! But recently they've decided to close the shop, and asked us to take the desk back, or they'd just throw it out. Hmm.. My parents didn't like the idea of throwing out an antique desk! So since my sister FINALLY got rid of the couch she got at the reuse center for her 80's party last July and it was still sitting in my dad's garage, my dad replaced the space the couch was in with this desk. But upon hearing my husband's complaints that I don't actually *use* my craft room to craft since I have no tabletop space to do it, so I bunk out in the diningroom for weeks on end, my daddoo got a great idea! So, I now have the desk in my craft room! Yeah me!

Once I take pics I can explain where I do all my crafts :) I'd say that will be soon, but today my ma'am wants to shop, then my hubby's off early, then we're going to Ikea to buy a bed since my hubby and I both wake up every morning without the ability to walk, then we're cleaning up a bit tonight, since we're having another family get together tomorrow which means I'm spending a large portion of tomorrow baking and cooking chili! Woohoo chili! And I know there's going to be lots of things in store for the following days, so I'm not going to make any promises!

Okay, this is actually all I have time for lol. Hope everyone had an absolutely fantastic Christmas!! And dammit, Theresa, I just remembered I still haven't given you the stir-me-not recipe! lol. Yeesh. Hopefully I'll find it today!

Have a great day my lovelies!!

EB Blog Carnival

2009-12-18T20:54:00.000-05:00

Good Friday Night Everyone!

Okay so, I'm really cutting it close for my EtsyBloggers Blog Carnival! It's been an extremely busy week! So, this blog carnival will be mighty short! (and yes, it will *actually* be short!)

This weeks Blog Carnival is hosted by the fabulous LindaB

The question I chose was:

What are you favourite colour combinations? What do you create using these colours?

I have to say, my fave colours change quite often. For example, I hated the colour pink for most of my life, but right now? I can't get enough of it! Hmm.. Also turquoise now that I think of it lol. But I wouldn't say putting those together would be my fave.

My fave colour combo these past few years have been a light aqua blue with brown! I adore it. So much so that these were the colours for my wedding :) I incorporated them pretty much everywhere (with the exception of me). But I can't say that I actually have created anything as of yet with these 2 colours in it! So I have nothing to show that I'm creating and selling with it. BUT since I created all of my centerpieces and decorations, I suppose that's something I created, yes??

Since I wanted these vases with blue filler, and the blue rocks would have cost me an arm and a leg, I used jelly beans! They came in very handy when the kids needed some snack foods other then the bacon wrapped scallops that were served before the reception!

I know I will be creating crochet pieces in the near future with these colours, so I guess you can say, stay tuned! :)

I know this is a really sucky blog carnival, I'd love to go on forever! BUT hubby is already in bed (we were up at 3am this morning because he had to work the early shift) and I spent the day cleaning and wrapping before my parents flew in, and we were at our best friends house for christmas dinner and just got home an hour ago. So we're exhausted, my parents are exhausted, even the dog is exhausted. So off to bed I go. I promise my next carnival entry will totally make up for this one :)

Good night!

My MCC Peeps!

2009-12-16T08:44:00.003-05:00

Good morning all my lovelies!! I hope everyone is having a fantastic Wednesday! I for one am *trying* to get in a better mood, it's been an extremely taxing few days. Life is getting in the way of my crafting. *sigh*. So, in order to really cheer myself up, I've decided to do a bit of a feature! There are so many talented and friendly people who are currently joined up on MyCraftCorner, and I can't resist showing you all the amazing works of my fellow MCCers. I'll be doing quite a few of these posts (our community is growing every day!) so be sure to follow "ze blog" to keep up to date on all this talent :) And just as a reminder, all pics are linked to their listings!

Flauxers

Faux + Flowers = Flauxers! (Pronounced Flowers)

I'm sure you've all heard me talk about Tanya before, she's been an Esty friend of mine for quite a while, and I've previously done a full feature on her shop! She recently decided to join up on MCC to see what the heck I was raving about all the time, and already has her MCC page fully gussied up!

Tanya currently resides in State College PA, and her niche is creating amazing works with artificial flowers, but she also dabbles in knitting, crochet and jewellery making. She has an official Flauxers Website, an Etsy Shop, and an ArtFire shop where she sells all of her fun creations - flower jewellery, headbands, magnets, and my new personal fave - ornaments!

Currently you'll find a 2009 YEAR END SALE!!! Just enter 'YearEndSale' in the message to seller, and you'll receive a 25% refund via Paypal! Plus, as an added bonus, this sale coincides with Flauxers December Monthly Blooms. Are you wondering what Monthly Blooms are!? Every month, Tanya chooses a certain flower theme, and marks those items down by 10%. This month's 'Blooms' are on all items containing Poinsettias or Holly! To keep track of all the great things Tanya is up to, sales she's having, or even just to read up on her regular 'Friday Flower Facts', make sure to follow Tanya's Blog.

Where else can you find Tanya? Lots of places!
Flauxers on MCC
Flauxers on Facebook
Flauxers on Twitter

MagPieNight

Maggie currently resides in Columbia, SC, and is one of my newer buddies - we seem to be joining up on all the same sites! She's also a proud member of EtsyBloggers, and of course now she's on MCC as well! Her Etsy Shop is full of everything cross stitch, from patterns to finished works!

Along with cross stitching, Maggie loves embroidery, needlework, knitting, sewing, papercrafts, felting and designing cross stitch and embroidery patterns!

I highly recommend checking out Magpie's Blogspot; it not only has her upcoming products, but wonderful tips and recipes too! I'm loving "Maggie's Fabulicious Sweet Potato Casserole"!!!

Where are all the places Maggie's at?!

Magpie on MCC
Magpie on Facebook
Magpie on Twitter

FaerieMoonCreations

Theresa has been such a joy to know! I met her when I joined up on MCC and she was one of my first friends. Since then I've been a regular follower of Theresa's Blog and Facebook, and even won her November Chill Giveaway! Yesterday I received my prize, wonderful fingerless mitts, a pendant with matching earrings, and she even added in a cute Christmas canvas bag and a werthers original candy - my fave! :)

Theresa resides in Meriden CT, and is a creator of many things - from jewellery to knitted pretties - you're sure to find something you love at her Etsy Shop! Beyond what she sells, she also enjoys candle making, drawing, decorative painting, gourd-art, papercrafts and photography.

Her current sales include: FREE SHIPPING through Friday December 18th, plus, she's having a Buy one get one 50% off on all her individually sold jewellery pieces! Just enter the code BOGO50 in message to seller.

Where else can you find Faerie Moon??

FaerieMoon on MCC
FaerieMoon on Facebook
FaerieMoon on Twitter

HeavenlyHomes

Maile is another new friend of mine whom I met on MCC! She currently resides in Manchester NH, and is a creator of gorgeous painted works! Along with making dull things pretty, she also creates beautiful jewellery pieces and fun ornaments! Make sure to check out HeavenlyHomes on MCC, as she has pictures up of a handpainted fan that I'm absolutely in love with.

Along with her many talents, Maile also enjoys fabric-art, knitting, metal-crafts, mosaics, polymer clay, scrapbooking, sewing and woodworking! She has a wide range of various craft types on her Etsy Shop, you're sure to find something that you'll love to see in your home!

Where else can you find HeavenlyHomes?
HeavenlyHomes on MCC
HeavenlyHomes Blog
HeavenlyHomes on Twitter

Urssika

Urska is one of the sweetest people I've ever met! We actually first met in the forums of Etsy, and I noticed that she's from Ljubljana, Slovenia! My family's homeland!! We started convo'ing back and forth and a friendship sprouted! I'm sure to make a trip out to meet her when I go visit my parents in Vienna :)

Urska just recently joined up on MCC, and she makes incredibly gorgeous jewellery! She mixes an elegant choice of beads with her handmade polymer creations to make these one of a kind pieces absolutely beautiful! Definitely check out her Etsy Shop to see her incredible talent!

Where else can you find Urska?
Urssika on MCC
Urssika on Facebook

BriCheese

I discovered BriAnna one day while searching through our many wonderful and talented MCC members, and fell in love with her creations! I was also quite excited to see that she resides in Nova Scotia, my dad's homeland!! Bri does absolutely wonderful work in turning driftwood into jewellery holders - I had my eye on one, and whilst I was checking my Paypal balance to see if I could swing it, someone else bought it! You gotta be quick! I can just imagine one of these "DriftyGems" on my wall here in the craft room. I'll just have to imagine one there for awhile until I can afford it :)

Along with turning driftwood into art, Bri also enjoys drawing, jewellery making, metal-crafts, scrapbooking, and obviously woodworking!

Definitely take a moment to check out Bri:
BriCheese on MCC
BriCheese on Etsy

Herbolution

Veronika is a brand spanking new member on MCC! I fell in love with her shop - not only is everything Organic, she's eco-conscious and honest! As she states in her Etsy Shop announcement "Herbolution is not only a personal care product manufacturer but also pursues a mission to educate average consumer about healthy body, healthy communities and healthy Planet. We try to recall ancient knowledge and co-build sustainable future."

Plus, her product pictures are fabulous!!

Veronika resides in Harrison NJ, and also enjoys candle making, papercrafts and sewing! Be sure to visit Herbolution on Etsy for amazing organic products for your whole family!

Where else can you find Herbolution?
Herbolution on MCC
Herbolution on Facebook
Herbolution on Twitter

Alright kids, I hope you enjoyed my features today! We have so many talented folks over on MCC; I could go on and on! But don't worry, I'll be back on a regular basis to introduce all my lovelies to this wonderful community!

And if you happen to already be part of this community could you do me a favour and join my new group, Canucks?! Lol.. I have 2 fabulous members already, but I'd love to see many more! You don't have to be Canadian to join! As I say in the description:

"Being Canadians and selling online in U.S. based venues, we often find hurdles that are sometimes difficult to overcome! This group is a place to discuss and help eachother out, and it's not only for those living in the North! Everyone is welcome!"

Plus I have up 3 great discussions that I'd love some feedback on:
Shipping to and from Canada
Supplies
Humour, Humor? Favorite, Favourite? Tagging away your items!

And on a side note regarding the tagging - I'd like to add that all MCCers are welcome to tag their etsy, (or artfire, or 1000markets, what have you) items with MCC! Let's support our community, and find eachother so much easier on our selling venues. A few of our members on etsy have already started tagging with MCC, so go ahead and type in MCC in the search bar, and find some amazing crafts :)

Have a happy Wednesday! :)

EB December Feature - CalKat!

2009-12-14T08:37:00.001-05:00

Good Monday morning everyone! I must say, I had a veeerry interesting weekend hehe. I won't discuss it as of yet, because the "drama" may continue. I'm just laughing my butt off at it all really, because who exactly has this much time set aside for drama!!??

I for one don't have time for drama, because it's time for me to write my EtsyBloggers Feature this month on CalKat! CalKat is a shop run by 2 young women, Carrie and Kathy. And we're in for a treat, because they don't just have one shop! These 2 are quite ambitious and have a grand total of 4!! So sit back and relax this wonderful Monday morning, and feast your eyes on the incredible talents of Carrie and Kathy! All pictures are linked directly to their listings!

Carrie and Kathy currently reside in Las Vegas, NV, and have been making and designing OOAK pieces of jewellery for over 5 years. They both love making beautiful things that are shiny and complimentary! They use only quality sterling silver, gemstones, and Swarovski crystals in their designs. Each piece is handmade with love and extreme care! So check out their jewellery designs at CalKat!

Their second shop, Ametista's, is filled with ultra cute MonsterBoxes, bookmarks, bottles and polymer clay! They both share a passion for creating custom keepsakes - they love to discuss ideas with their customers, and just run with them! (Sometimes with scissors!) So for anything cute, and sometimes creepy-cute, head on over to Ametistas!!

Have you ever wanted to make your own clay creations?! Well, with the help of Carrie and Kathy you can! Their 3rd shop, TheClayShoppe, you can find all your supplies! There are loads of molds to choose from at very affordable prices, tools, clay, and tons of inks and pigments to gussy up your own creations! And as an added bonus, they're currently offering FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING now through New Year's Eve!

Do you Yoga? Love fairies? I know I do, and in Carrie and Kathy's 4th shop, that's exactly what you'll find! So check out these fairies doing all those poses you either love or hate at YogaFairies. And again, FREE Worldwide shipping now through New Year's Eve!

I hope you all enjoyed what you see, and make sure you check out each shop to see all the wonderful items I didn't have room to put pics of on ze blog! :) If you'd like to keep up to date on what these 2 are creating next, visit and follow their blog: CalKat The Jewelry Junkie.

What is your greatest fear?

2009-12-10T07:52:00.000-05:00

My fears have changed over the years, and I guess they should, really. And I'm not talking about the fears like being afraid of the dark - as a kid I was somewhat afraid of the dark (mainly for the reasons of demons - not monsters- under my bed) but in another sense, I was happy for it. I remember those nights where my sister was babysitting me and as per usual she'd be up in her room with the door shut, on the phone with her friends. So to entertain myself (or prepare myself) I'd shut all the lights off in the whole place, close all the blinds, and sneak around in the dark. Why did I do this you may ask? Well, just incase one of my greatest fears as a young child would come to fruition. Intruders. I figured if I could get around the house in the dark quickly and quietly, I'd have an advantage. If it wasn't dark enough, I'd even close my eyes. That actually has helped me out, because I can do anything in the dark now, or with my eyes shut! Well, with exception of walking down the stairs without tumbling down them and hurting my tailbone, yet again.

I'm also not talking about fears of certain things, like sharks. I have a horrible fear of them, yet a total fascination all at the same time. I have every documentary ever done on them, I have a sharks tooth hanging in my car, I have tons of shark stuffed animals, puzzles, and figures. Although maybe watching all those documentaries has fueled my fear instead of helped it! But, atleast now I know that if I was ever in the water with these Great White's, I might have a surviving chance by hitting it on the nose and biting it's dorsal fin! My fear of sharks isn't so bad that I can't take a bath (like I've heard of other people) but I won't step foot in the ocean. (Even when in Puerto Rico for a 'once in a lifetime experience' going out in the dusk - best time for a shark attack by the way - in a tiny boat - ya cause that's not gonna save you - then swimming in the freaking water in the dark to experience the 'phosphorescent bay'. Ya, I'm not jumping in. I'll just splash this water in the bucket that the nice guide man scooped up for me thanks.) And I won't go very far out in fresh water lakes (back in 1984 they actually found a shark in fresh water - granted it only lived for 2 weeks once it got in there, but hell! That could be the first sign that these suckers are evolving! Once they become resistant to the 'fresh water osmosis' the next step will obviously be them sprouting damn legs and chasing me on the shore!) And I also won't go swimming in a pool at night if there's a deep end. Hey, you never know. The people who's pool you're so willingly swimming in could be the sinister type. They could very well have a cage that opens up when it's dark, and the sharks come swimming out!

After I had gotten over my intruder fear (well, not technically - it's still something I worry about - but atleast I'm not pulling James Bond heists all over my house to prepare for that inevitable day) it changed to something completely different. Mental wards. Not that I ever went to them, but I knew for a fact that if I ever visited someone in a mental hospital, and once the staff had one look at me, they'd lock me up and I'd never be able to leave.

Now that I'm older (and not thinking I'm so mentally unstable, apparently) I have new fears. I had a great talk with a friend of mine one day about starting a business. I've wanted to have my own business for absolutely ever, constantly coming up with ideas, designs, plans, what have you. Finally when I worked at a craft store, a really great idea started to hatch. I constantly had complaints from customers about not having certain themes and designs for scrapbooking pages and stickers. And after hearing those complaints for 2 years I thought, wait a minute! I can draw! I'll do it!

That was 6 years ago.

I always thought the reason I hadn't started it was because of the lack of money for the start up fees. Having a long run of die cut (kiss cut) stickers would cost about $500-$700 for initial start up including first run of 1000 pieces. And I have so many designs that I'd have to do atleast 5 sheets to start, so even using the lower end cost, that's $2500 and having enough room to house 5000 sticker sheets. Not to mention the tax on top of the cost, and start up costs for a venue to sell them. I never wanted to sell them to a large corporation, as I worked for one and know how they work. (Buying a sticker for .10 cents and selling it for $4.99) I'd prefer to make the $4.99 myself thanks! If I did allow stores to sell them, it would be small independent and Canadian scrapbooking stores. But what I really wanted was to sell them myself. Have my own store. Be my own boss. Be happy doing what I love.

Since I don't have anywhere close to a spare $3,000 some odd dollars, I've had to put that plan on the backburner. A friend of mine told me about Etsy, and I quickly thought up things I could list and sell. I started up the shop in March, and never put anything in it until much later. Something was stopping me. I thought it was my fear of failure. But it's much more than that.

Fear of success.

In the back of my mind I kept thinking "What if?" What if my products actually sell? Then what? Will I be able to handle the work load of success? Once they're mailed out and someone receives it, what if it falls apart? What if they don't like it? What if I really can't handle my own business? What if I let my usual habits of procrastination rise up its ugly head and I can't get the orders done? What if I get a request and I can't do it?

It's not the fear of failure like I originally thought. Right now I'd consider myself a bit of a failure, because I've had 9 sales (and thank you SO much for those!) yet I promote myself like crazy. Yes I have lots of hearts, and I've heard so many times "I'm so buying your cards!" but it doesn't happen. I do get down about it, quite often, but I still go at it every day. I do a happy dance everytime I get a sale, but right after it comes the anxiety attack. What if it doesn't work out, gets lost in the mail, or the customer ends up hating it?

Basically it comes down to this. I have no confidence in myself. I know I can handle the pressure and the stress that comes with being successful with your products. But there's that stupid little ball of doubt nagging at me, telling me to just quit before I do become successful because I won't be able to do it.

That ball of doubt thinks it knows me better than I do. I KNOW I can do it. I just need to stop being so damn afraid.

How do you kill that little ball of doubt?

Completely confused

2009-12-09T08:12:00.000-05:00

Okay so I'm still unsure of what direction I want my blog to go in. I was discussing my blog with Reggie from MyCraftCorner and she posed a very thought provoking question. What do I hope to accomplish with my blog? Basically, what is the point of it?

*Snort* What IS the point of it? What do I want it to do? What is it currently doing for me?

I guess I've been thinking a LOT about this lately because I finally watched Julie and Julia (although I have to watch it again, because I watched it with my mother-in-law and we ended up talking through most of it about Christmas plans!) But after watching it, I got kinda down. Julie's blog was followed, read, and loved. That's exactly what I want from my own.

I've always wanted to be a writer (I've always wanted to be a lot of things!) but in highschool, I was always told by my teachers I'd never go anywhere, because I write the way I talk. In my creative writing course, I'd get bad marks not because of spelling or grammar or subject, but because they personally didn't like my "style". So I pretty much gave up those dreams, and pursued other venues that I really deep down didn't want to do! (HA! Alliteration! I learned *something*!)

And then I see authors like Jen Lancaster (Who I have such an incredible girl crush on), love her books to pieces and low and behold! *GASP* what is this?! She writes the way she talks?! AND she's a successful author!? Makes me wanna go back to highschool and bitch slap a few people LOL. But then again, it was MY choice to listen to them. So if I'm gonna do some bitch slapping, it's gotta be to myself.

I never actually wanted to have a blog, as I've probably mentioned the only reason I started one in the first place was to keep my folks updated to the "goings on" whilst they lived overseas. (Of course I wouldn't mention when we wrecked something in their house... HA! I'm kidding Dad, really!) And I wasn't a regular writer. When I was younger (and by younger I mean in my 20's. *sigh*) writing was such a release for me, anytime that I was upset, I would write, and I'd instantly feel better. I wrote on Live Journal and Blather. And I won't be posting links to those, because it got *really* personal! lol. But I loved it. And I still love it. And this blog has gotten me back on track with wanting so desperately to write that book I always dreamed about. But who wants to read about my life?

I think I've had an interesting life. Not exciting by any means, but I've been through a lot of tough times, and have gotten through them. I'm still standing! But I'm still struggling, as with so many others out there. So really, what would make my story different from anyone else's?

But okay I've already gotten off topic! (Now there's a surprise! Pffft!) Back to ze blog!

What do I want to accomplish with this blog?

1. Promoting my business
2. Helping others
3. Giving people a laugh

Am I accomplishing that? That's what I'm unsure of, and that's what I'm currently trying to figure out. How should I use it to promote, how am I helping others, and how do I make it enjoyable all at the same time?

You may notice my blog going all over the freakin' place in the next few weeks. Some aspects I've been doing have just not been working, and other aspects I haven't been working hard enough on! Maybe a new look will help to start things off.

So my lovelies, what do YOU hope to accomplish with your blog? And, are you doing it?

Have a great Wednesday! (I'm confident I have the right day this time!)

To spell check or not to spell check...

2009-12-08T08:10:00.000-05:00

... that shouldn't be the question...

Good morning everyone! Okay, I'm already confused as to what day this is. I saw a blog post today that had "Wednesday" in the title, and I'm like "IT'S WEDNESDAY?!" If it is, I totally missed an entire day.

Another quick one (well, quick to my standards that is!)

Still working feverishly on quite a lot of projects I have on the go. But I wanted to touch on a subject. Okay it's a rant. And it's about the forums. Now, I haven't been participating much in the forums because of what happened a few times, and I never commented on this one. But I still wanted to put in my dirty 2 cents.

Yesterday someone started a thread that was basically saying that if you have spelling mistakes in your descriptions and announcement, they wouldn't buy from that seller.

First off, bad spelling doesn't necessarily mean bad product. You don't need to spell to draw, or cut things out or glue things together. If it's a mistake here and there, ya it annoys me that they didn't triple check it, but I'm not going to disregard a seller for poor grammar.

On the other hand, I'm a stickler for attention to detail. And if someone's not putting much thought into checking their errors, how much thought are they putting into their product to ensure quality?

It's a fine line my friends!

I did say in a previous post that if English isn't your first language, then you should have someone check over your announcements and descriptions. I'm only saying this because the English language is backwards to all the other languages, and sometimes in translation, it just doesn't work. For a short little example, while English speaking peeps would say "The Red House", the Frenchies would say "La Maison Rouge". We're the backwards ones, not them. Because every language says it that way, and English is the only one that reverses it. Plus, we have words that are the same pronunciation and have one letter different, but have completely different meanings. We have silent letters, letters that are "hard" but then are "soft" if a different letter is placed beside it. G's become F's, C's become S's, I's have rules of where they should freakin' go (which, by the way, is a stupid rule because it's SO not true in every case!). So do I understand that there are a lot of grammatically incorrect descriptions out there? Of course! If English wasn't my first language, I woulda told it to screw off long ago!

BUT, it doesn't hurt asking a fellow seller/buyer to double check your shop for errors, correct? Or just a friend or fam, or anyone, just to make sure it all makes sense. Although things would be a bit easier if Etsy had a spell and grammar check like in Word! lol.

So my lovelies, what are your views on spelling and grammar? Would you disregard a seller for spelling? Is there a fine line for you?

Have an incredible Tuesday everyone! ... It is Tuesday, right??

Is my blog interesting?! lol

2009-12-07T12:25:00.001-05:00

I'll be making just a short little post here! So much to do today! So I apologize to all of you hoping for my rants.. I don't have time to make them hehe...

Which brings me to a question for all of you lovely readers! Fellow MyCraftCorner members along with myself, were discussing what makes a great blog. And one of those members, JennieWaterous, said that a very reputable blogging website said that blog posts should be kept short and sweet to keep the attention of the reader. With so many people in the world having busy schedules, multi-tasking and of course having ADHD, if they're more than a few paragraphs, people lose interest and move on.

Then I gasped! Even my short blogs aren't that short! LOL... So my dear readers, do I cut down on the ranting? Should I break those gigantic blogs up so that I'm writing a few a day, or spreading it out throughout the week? DO I write blogs that are much too long?!

I realize my middle name is Tangent, so I automatically have issues with short blog posts (I used to say my middle name was Procrastination, but it was too long for my birth certificate, so my Mom just put "Anne" instead - but lately I've been getting better with the procrastination! Well.. Maybe I just got sick of rushing all the time! I've been doing it all my life, so that I only had 2 speeds, lazing around and feverishly finishing a project. I used to say in highschool that it works much better for me and I'm beginning to really realize how much I freakin' tangent.)

Maybe that's what I got to stop doing!

But isn't that fun!? I thought it was fun! hehe

So please dear readers, I ask you all. Keep 'em long and crazy, or cut 'em down and keep the eccentric kerfuffle to a minimum? Or should I desperately try for a happy medium?! And while I'm at it, is there something I can do to make this blog more interesting for you all?

It's such a hard thing really, keeping your blog interesting, because so many interests vary. Some people say "I hate it when business blogs blog about their dogs! It's a business blog, keep it business!" and others say "I hate it when business blogs don't blog about personal things! Like, let me know a bit about you, do you have a dog?!" Well I definitely have a dog. And his poo makes me wanna wretch!

But yes, busy busy day today! I've been working on getting to know all of you wonderful people who signed up for My Craft Corner, reconnecting with members that have been on for awhile, joining up with more groups, and chatting up a storm! On the non business side, I'm cleaning, organizing all the freakin' Christmas presents, trying to make my own cards to send out, organize my craft room because it's driving me crazy and working on the presents I'm making for some fam! And I already feel like I wanna pass out!

Just for a heads up - I will be taking a one week hiatus from the features this week! I know, I'm horrible! I love to bring you more features and meeting all these great people! BUT I'm still celebrating. And I will still be featuring this week, yet it will be on members of MCC! I'm going to introduce all of you to a crafting extravaganza if you will, a whole lot of artists whose works I love and I want to share :) PLUS I want to rework my feature questions, I'm getting kinda bored typing the same ones over twice a week. Once I'm back on track, I'll let you all know!

Oh, and I also wanna change my whole blog appearance yet again. Why do I keep adding more projects onto my already hectic schedule?! Thank God I don't have a day job to get in my way :)

Okay, so, this to me is short. But it's still too long isn't it?!!? LOL

Have a great day everyone!!

Feature Friday! - WhiteFlagDesigns

2009-12-04T06:29:00.002-05:00

Good morning all my beautiful readers!! I hope you're all having a fantastic Friday! I'm hoping mine will turn out to be one, but it's only 5am at the moment, so who knows how the day will go, lol. I also hope you're all ready for a great feature on one of my very first "etsy friends" WhiteFlagDesign! One guess where we met... Yup, Etsy Chat! She's a great girlie, an incredible etsian, and has absolutely fantastic products! (I've ordered from her before, can't wait to try the lip balm! I'd say what else I got from her, but they were stocking stuffers for my mom and sis!) The two of us are also in a bit of a "competition" to see who can get to 200 blog followers first, which started because she was having a giveaway where once she reached 100, she'd draw a name and send them a huge box of everything cool. And even though she was the one having the giveaway, both of our followers kept rising at the same rate lol. We reached 100 one day apart from eachother. So now the race is on to 200! Although I've stalled 108, and I haven't checked where she is lately! It may be a *very* long competition hehe.

SO sit back and relax kids and meet the fantabulous WhiteFlagDesign!! All pics are linked directly to their listings, so click away kids! Click away!

1. Let us know a bit about you!

Oh good - we're starting with the easy stuff! :) My name is Becca, and I live in Connecticut, with my lovely family. We're currently looking to relocate to another state, though right now, we're only talking about it. Got any recommendations?

2. When did you start crafting? Do you do different crafts then what you sell on Etsy?

I've been making stuff since forever, though I have over the years taken periodic breaks from any kind of artistic endeavors, for various reasons. The first thing I ever wanted to be was a photographer, and while that didn't necessarily pan out, I'm now able to use my love for photography in my daily Etsy activities. I do lots of things in my spare time, though lately that line is becoming more and more blurred; free time and work time are pretty much the same thing. Lucky for me, I love doing what I'm doing! uhm, things I do that you don't see on Etsy: painting, drawing, graphic design/playing with Photoshop, hand carving stamps, screenprinting, baking, and I'm trying to make some time to learn how to sew. I bought a machine... I have no idea how to use it though lol.

3. What was the sole purpose of opening your shop?

It was mostly to alleviate boredom and see if I could make some money doing something that I loved, for once! I was laid off in January, and haven't been called back to work yet (nor do I expect to be, anymore) so I decided to return to Etsy. I had sold previously on Etsy, under the name "YourMomInAVolvo". I sold moustache necklaces (lol) before they were everywhere, and they sold well, so I figured I'd give that another go. But this time around, I wanted another name, something a *little* more professional than YMIAV!!

4. How did you decide on a shop name?

White Flag Designs was something my husband and I had tossed around when we were planning on opening a screenprinting business. Unfortunately, that got put on hold as both of our day jobs placed increasing demands on our time (and energy!). I wanted to do something with the name one day though, so when I decided it was time to come back to selling on Etsy, that was the name I went with. It was ambiguous enough that I could sell pretty much anything with it, so I figured it would be great to use while I re-found my place in the world of Etsy.

5. What is your favourite item to create, and why?

That depends on the day. Really. Some days I love creating steampunk jewellery pieces, others it's wire-wrapping jewels, and still others it's brewing up some handmade bath and body goods - for every one of those products you see in my shop, there's like 5 or 6 more I made that didn't quite make it in either because I didn't get around to it, or because I decided it wasn't awesome enough.

6. What venues do you use to promote your shop?

I use a LOT of different venues to promote my work; the big 3 are Myspace, Twitter, and Etsy Chat. I have a Blog and a Facebook, but they don't seem to do much for me in the way of sales. They are good ways for me to keep my following updated though, and that's never a bad thing to do, regardless of how many sales they bring in.

7. Where do you see yourself in 5 years concerning your crafting business?

I would love to still be doing what I'm doing, but on a much grander scale, and maybe even with (gasp!) an employee or two. You know, interns. Part-time or something. I'm keeping my dreams small for now, but I'd love to see this business grow :)

8. Is there any other information you'd like to share with us?

Well, I just finished my Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale, and while I haven't ironed out anything yet, I'm hoping to be able to set up another sale sometime before the New Year.

9. Name a few of your favourite things!

Oh geez, LOL. I like strawberry flavoured things, machinery, silver, skeleton keys, and the scent of amber. Though I could totally fill a novel with all of my favourite things... I'll spare you and everyone reading this the yawn-fest!

10. If you had a super power, what would it be and why?

That's easy! I've always wanted to be able to fly. Ever since I was little. How cool would that be?! :P

I hope you all enjoyed this Friday Feature!! Be sure to check out Becca's Facebook, Twitter, Blog, and especially Etsy Shops! You may have noticed clicking on the pics you weren't always taken to "WhiteFlagDesigns", because she has 3!! 1HandWashesTheOther carries her 'Mutually Beneficial Soaps and Skincare', YourMomInAVolvo carries 'Supplies and stuff', and of course, WhiteFlagDesigns is currently a mix of 'Eccentric Accessories for Unconventional People!'

Happy Friday!

Best week EVER!!!! Let's celebrate!!

2009-12-03T08:41:00.002-05:00

I am SO excited!

Okay, so I've had an absolutely incredible week! On Monday, I found a lovely little convo informing me that I was in a Treasury!! My very first one!! It was done by BStudio, a wonderful fellow Canadian crafter I met on EtsyCanada!! She featured all Canadian crafts, and my "Joyeux Noel" made the cut! That really boosted my mood.

A little later on in the day, I found out I was featured on a blog! CJGrand wrote about my set of reusable swiffer cloths on her blog "The Handmade Tweet", where she regularly features products. CJGrand is a teammate of mine on EtsyBloggers! The best team around :)

And then more great news... Theresa from FaerieMoonCreations informed me that I had WON her November Chill Giveaway!!! I've never won a giveaway before, and I enter pretty much all of them! lol. I was so incredibly excited, I love everything Theresa makes - and where did I meet Theresa??? MyCraftCorner of course!!!

So that was my Monday! A much much MUCH happier Monday then any I have been experiencing these past few months, that's for sure. Then on Tuesday, I woke up in a really great mood. This only got better because I noticed that Ana from Ana's House Dressing had purchased a set of my Christmas cards! I had a sale! For a grand total of 9. Woot Woot!

Then later on *that* day, I was informed by Jaime from ArtsyFartsy that I was featured in her "This artists observations of the day" on her blog, and close to the same time, sweet little CountryCharms convo'd me to say she featured my card Merry KissMyA$$ on her Facebook because she loved it so much!

Next came Wednesday. Whilst chatting in the usual place, the "Welcome Wednesday" chat on MyCraftCorner, I was sent a lovely email from Reggie, the founder of MyCraftCorner, to ask if I'd like to join the "MyCraftCorner Crafters Crew" *GASP*!!! Of COURSE I would love to! I actually got up and danced down the stairs to my husband where he was on his computer, and I was telling him my exciting news and without even glancing up said "That's nice dear." lol.

I know for a fact that you've all probably noticed I have this tendency to ramble on about how great MyCraftCorner is. And I'm always encouraging you to join :) Because you should hehe. See, here's the thing!
The reason I love MyCraftCorner so much is because I had tried all those promotional/networking sites. While yes, a lot of them were easy to use, some even brought in quite a few views for awhile, but for the most part, they annoyed me, all the flashing ads made me seizure, they frustrated me, they felt really... cold? Does that make any kind of sense to anyone but me?! There was no sense of community. I like community! And I've found great ones on Etsy of course, and EtsyCanada, and (woohoo!) EtsyBloggers!

MyCraftCorner is extremely easy to use, you set up your own page, you can add your photos, your websites, your blogs, general information. You can add friends, join in discussions, join groups. The very first thing I saw after I joined, was a comment on my page from Reggie, welcoming me to the site, thanking me for joining, and commenting on specific products in my etsy shop. Y'know how some businesses treat you like a number, and not as a person? That's what the other sites feel like to me! I'm a number! (a Karma number apparently, and I *still* don't know what the heck that means! lol)

Because of MyCraftCorner, the fellow members, and Reggie herself along with her daughter Amanda, I've gotten incredible advice, ideas, and a huge amount of views on etsy! They're my sounding board when I'm frustrated, my jokes when I'm down. They promote my shop in chats and on twitter- by linking my listings, MCC page and even my blog giveaways. What other networking site has done that for you?

And now I'm part of the crew! I'm very excited about that, because honestly, I love helping other crafters! I love giving advice, helping with ideas, and basically having projects! I love to be busy, and now being a part of the crew, I'm sure I will be! Again, I will point out that okay, only had 9 sales, but I am good with the advice I swear! (Atleast I think I am!) And when I give advice, sometimes I actually listen to myself and do it too! lol.

Now I don't want to sound like a door to door salesman, pressuring everyone to look at his wares lol, so I'll stop now. (well, almost now) It's not like I'm getting commission by recruiting people or something! (oooh I wish!) Just know I love MCC and think it's an integral networking site in the crafting adventure, and want to share it with all of you!

And to celebrate my a) incredible week I've been having with sales and treasuries and features and winnings, b) my incredible followers who are always so kind and understanding, and c) the fact that I now feel important by being on the MCC Crew, I'm offering you all a special deal!!

Anyone who signs up with MyCraftCorner because of me lol, requests to be my friend with the message "I joined thanks to you! Gimme my discount code!!" - Well, you could be a lot less demanding then me hehe, and I will send you a;

30% off discount code

for either of my shops which will be refunded via paypal!

SassmowthDesigns

SassKatPhotography

These codes will be good for your entire purchase, they are eligible to be used on any sale or reduced items, they can be used on custom orders, and they can be used during "Free Shipping" deals! (The only thing not allowed is they can't be used in conjunction with any discount codes you currently have via my other venues!)

Just as a friendly reminder, I swear I'm not gettin' anything out of having people join! LOL. I just love this place that much! I just want to help the community grow, help as many of you out as possible in your own "Adventures in CraftingLand", to be successful, and to be happy!! As a side note, if you had previously joined because of my ramblings lol, and you're not yet my friend (or even if you are!) just message me anyways and demand your code! :)

Alright, off to do some more crafts... I hope you all have a wonderful day!!

Getting to know you Tuesdays - Ana's House Dressing

2009-12-01T07:46:00.000-05:00

Good wonderful Tuesday morning everyone!! I personally have been having a GREAT 2 days, and I even woke up this morning to find I had made a sale! Thank you SO much Ana! And guess what? Ana just happens to be my feature for today!

I met Ana when she fanned my facebook fan page a while ago. I had asked her to be a feature way back then, but she never answered :( Apparently it was because she wasn't familiar with the "fan filter" on her fan page, and didn't see it! (That's why I don't have the fan filter option on! I'd always forget to look at it!!) So instead of a feature 3 or so weeks ago, it comes to you today! I really hope you enjoy meeting Ana; she's a wonderful lady who's incredibly talented! All pictures are linked to their listings unless otherwise stated, so click away my friends!

1. Let us know a bit about you!

My name is Ana Brennan, and I live in Broken Arrow, OK. I am a mom of 4 boys, and a daughter in Heaven. I am currently in recovery from an eating disorder taking one day at a time. I am married and I work full time outside the home with the hopes of one day working from home as an artisan exclusively. I am an imperfect human who loves a perfect Lord. He has been in my life since my daughter was diagnosed with cancer right before her 2nd birthday. This is a subject I am very open about.

2. When did you start crafting? What/who inspired you to become an artist? Do you do different crafts than just what you sell on Etsy?

My father was an artist and so therefore I grew up with art being a very integral part of our lives. I think I'm more surprised by my siblings who don't express themselves artistically! Oh well, que sera! I have been drawing as far back as I can remember. In fact, the earliest memory I have were of me tracing all the Snoopy characters on my bedsheets with my finger as a child, then going to school the next day and drawing them all for the other children. I was in first grade at the time.

I started sewing, as all good girls do, in Jr high, and fell in love with fabrics and creating with this new medium. When I stumbled upon tassels, it was like a match made in heaven. I could hand paint and even create some sort of toppers, then incorporate different trims and ribbons onto them for a complete tassel. As for other crafts I make, yes there are these handy dandy coasters that I have made for family and friends, and the number one way I have always expressed what's REALLY going on with me, is sketching.

Pictures c/o AnasHouseDressing Works in Progress

3. What was the sole purpose of opening your shop?

To hopefully replace my income with this, a craft booth, and a shop in town. Not to mention my house was filling up with tassels and decorative pillows!

4. How did you decide on a shop name?

The shop name was easy, I just combined two great loves in my life, food and home decorating, and voila! Just a simple play on words, really.

5. What is your favourite item to create, and why?

It would be a tossup between tassels and sketching. Tassels on one hand are delightfully fun to shop for, to make, and to see each completed piece. Sketching on the other hand, is way way more intimate. I feel totally naked when I let someone see my art work.

6. What venues do you use to promote your work?

I have it all; a Facebook Fan page, a Blog, and Twitter.

I think they all work OK for me... I love to blog of course!

Pictures c/o AnasHouseDressing Works in Progress

7. Where do you see yourself in 5 years concerning your crafting business?

Definitely doing this full time and living the dream. I pray that is just continues to grow steadily, so I can one day quit my day job.

8. Is there any other information you'd like to share with us?

There is a giveaway for anyone of the tassels in my shop that ends at midnight on December 1st (Today!) All you need to do is leave a comment and a way to reach you at TheShabbyChicCottage-AnasHouseDressing.

As for any newbies, I think my best advice would be to find the thing that you would be doing regardless if anyone is buying or not. It's what has gotten me through the rough times.

9. Name a few of your favourite things!

A child's laugh, butterflies, my Bible, and my family.

10. If you had a super power, what would it be, and why?

To heal children, so there would never be a need for St. Jude's, or any children's hospitals anymore.

I hope you all enjoyed today's feature! I sure did - Ana, thank you so much for sharing with us, you're a true inspiration. See, this is why I absolutely love doing features, because I love finding out how much I have in common with my fellow etsians! Maybe I'm just nosey, who knows! Curiosity hasn't killed me yet :) Make sure you heart Ana's Etsy Shop, follow her on Twitter and her Blog, and of course, fan her Facebook so you can keep up to date as to what this crafter is up to! And of course, leave some comments as all etsians love feedback!

Have a GREAT Tuesday everyone!!

Think FIRST - Good rule to live by!

2009-11-30T09:30:00.001-05:00

Yes, people SHOULD really think before posting in the forums. Okay, so I've probably been guilty of it too - thinking that what I was writing couldn't be turned on me, but it's happened anyways. But there's no way in hell I'm STARTING a thread with something that obviously is going to get some retaliation.

I also can't believe people think they can back peddle after they've said what they've said. For example... Now, this thread is closed for good reason, but it makes for a really good read!

PETITION to remove highly offensive religious items - Christians please help!

Okay so I realize that there are a lot of Christians on Etsy. That's obvious. I myself am Catholic, but I have a sense of humour about Catholicism. Do some listings offend me? Well, no, they don't. Do they repulse me a little? Yup. Would I ever buy those items? Of course not. I find humour in every aspect of my life, religion included. This particular thread dealt with a tshirt (which has now been sold!) and y'know what, I can kinda see the witty humour in it, but at the same time it's a little far, even for my tastes. Do I make fun of my religion? Yes, definitely - for example, Do you hear what I hear? And by the way, I had a TON of card ideas for other Catholic Christmas songs, but never got a chance to finish the designing (But don't worry kids, next year I'm going to have SO many more choices!! Hee hee!)

I believe there are certain subjects that shouldn't really be made fun of (i.e. abortion, rape, etcetera, etcetera) but there are others who find the humour in it, so go ahead and list it. I have the choice of not buying it, right? Exactly.

Basically, the first post by this person, went like this:

While Christmas shopping yesterday, looking for gifts related to "Christ" I came across this disgusting, and offensive imagery on Etsy. It brought me to tears to think that such an item would be permitted to be sold here.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=33711490
I believe that no matter what religion you are, you should be entitled to browse Etsy without having to view such perverse and disgusting merchandise. This item is highly offensive to devout Christians. I don't believe any religion should have to tolerate such sacrilege.
Please band together in the hope that Etsy can be a place of respect and tolerance for all religious beliefs, and put an end to such offensive items being advertised here.

Right. So, the first few posts were all "Oh my gosh, that is disgusting and should be taken down, I reported it!" but then the others started flocking, like myself. Posts like "well how about you just don't LOOK at it?!" and "God is bigger than a t-shirt!" One thing I agreed with, was yes, the first picture should have been replaced with a "Mature audiences only" because my main thing is, there could be kids looking on this site. I don't care about the Christians seeing it, they're adults are they not? They can choose not to look at it. But my issues were, kids could see it. So yes, I agreed that the first picture be replaced. But do I agree with censorship? GOD NO!

If everyone was allowed to report everything that they deemed as "offensive", Etsy would be empty. Maybe I'm offended by Christian items. Should I flag all those?! Like I noted, there are certain books I'm not interested in reading because of the content, but do I burn it? No. I just don't read it. I have a choice. Just like everyone else. Just because you don't agree with someone's sense of humour, tastes, or moral values, doesn't mean you're right.

There were other comments like "I'm sick and tired of being seen as intolerant just because I'm Christian!" Well, where do you think that stereotype came from in the first place? Because of things like this! Because you can't handle anyone making fun of your religion, or saying bad things about your religion, so you sit up on your pedestal and call all your other Christian people to band together and fight! Most wars are caused by religion. There's a reason for that. The Church TEACHES you that they are the only religion. That your religion is the RIGHT religion, and anyone worshiping another God will pretty much burn in hell. No WONDER so many Christians/Catholics are intolerant. Intolerance is beaten into them since baptism.

The funniest part of this whole thread, is when the OP basically states that she didn't bring religion into this, that it's solely about how offensive it is. Seriously? Did you not notice the TITLE of the forum you decided to post? If that's not bringing religion into it, then you need to tie me down and spit on my face, because I'm obviously not getting it.

Then of course, people started bashing eachother. (Well I'm never clicking on your shop, because your avatar offends me! - WHAT?!) Typical religious argument if you ask me. I loved one persons post of "No one should take the Lord's name in vain!" Oh I'm sorry, I didn't realize he was everyone's Lord. Whoops. Maybe I was a little harsh when I responded: He's not everyones Lord! Maybe my Lord is Ronald McDonald! And I'll get all up in your ass if you use his name in vain!

I don't understand people, really I don't. And no, I'm not trying to offend any of you church goers out there. I love you all. But I think what the world needs is a lot more tolerance. A lot more "Thinking outside of the box". And one heck of a lot more understanding. There wouldn't be half as many arguments if everyone just sat back, took a deep breath, and let it go. Yes, there are people out there who don't share your beliefs. There are people out there that don't share your moral values. But who are you to control what people believe? What makes you better than anyone else? No one religion is better than the other. All that matters is, we believe in something. We believe in something that makes us a better person. And if every single one of us were the exact same, the world would be a pretty boring place, would it not?

So stop judging others, and concern yourself with YOU. Who cares what everyone else is doing, or listing, or making. If they're blatantly breaking the precious "Etsy Rules", fine, tag it, whatever you want to do. But don't think that just because you don't agree, you have a RIGHT to get shops closed down.

Unbelievable! Ya, so I have this list on excel of "People who I'll never buy from".. Anyone else have one of those? A lot of names from that thread went on that list :) Anyone who I personally find intolerant, rude, judgmental, and blatant rule breaking - like spamming the forums. The people who run in to my freakin' thread with all "Oh I'm having a sale this is it and here are all my listings!" Gee thanks. Don't respond to anything I'm writing, just post your own sales. Aren't you lovely. Based on the words from onna my fave tv show characters, "NO KAT FOR YOU!" Ya that's right. Not gonna get my business honey.

It's also funny how people tend to forget that everything you write in the forums is on the internet. Hmm.. Really? Why in the world would things I write in the forums show up on the INTERNET!? Gee, I dunno, maybe because the forums are kinda ON the internet?? People freak out! All these posts of "What?! Potential buyers can see that I just wrote about my lewd sex life in Etc?!?!?!" Idiots!

Another thing that makes me laugh? All the "Oh pity me, I'm not getting any sales" threads. One person even wrote "Can someone promote for me because people aren't seeing my shop". Hmm, okay, let me take time away from my own shops and do all your work for you. People who think they're going to open a shop and sell out without doing any leg work? Really need a reality check. I get SO angry when I read posts of these sob stories that start with "I've been on etsy for 2 weeks and haven't even made a sale!" Excuse me? 2 WEEKS!? Did you think you were magical!? Your products would be viewed before everyone elses and they're so magnificent that you'd sell out in the first week?! C'MON!! You want some tips on what you need to do? (and YES I realize I'm not a big seller, shut up!)

1. Have more items in your shop then just 8.
2. Don't have a shop announcement like this "Thanks for loking you live my stuff i don't wear it brand knew I love things that are new buy my stuf beter theen other peepoles"
(Please please please if you're not familiar with either a) the english language, or b) spelling, have someone check over your listings for you.)
3. Have some information filled out! If you don't say a damn thing about your shipping policies or return policies, I'm never going to click on the "add to cart"
4. Get some freakin' feedback! Yes, YOU HAVE TO BUY SOMETHING to get feedback. Buy a bunch of little things here and there, let people know you're trustworthy by having feedback. (speaking of which, off to purchase something using my second shop... do dee do dee dooo..)
5. The description of the item, should actually DESCRIBE the item. Have your basic boring old "size, colour, blah blah blah" then go into a fun and memorable description. But please God, it's *really* not cute when you write 4 paragraphs about how your cat accidentally got out while you were listing this item, and about how you tried to catch him for 20 minutes and then after your huge spiel about your freakin cat say "anyways, what I was saying was, this item.." That's not funny. That's a freakin' waste of my time! Not to mention annoying.
6. Don't have the first picture that is a) not even close to the item for sale, or b) a picture you ripped out from a magazine (and then in the listing say "I'll make this exactly!" sure you will. Denise's designer shirt she made for Theo will show up at your door)
7. Speaking of pictures, if you can see that it's blurry, so can we! Not expecting professional photography here, but I'd like to be able to make out what it is.
8. Do some flippin' research. Read through the do's and don'ts, attend a virtual lab, read the forums (and please God search a freakin' topic before you post it for the 287th time!) Check out sites that help you with things like tagging, and what's getting viewed the most, like Craftweasel, Craftcult, Craftopolis and Etsy Tag Fractal.
9. Join a team! Make friends! I finally got onto a team - EtsyBloggers! I was so excited. Teams are a great way to get feedback on your items and shop, moral support when you're feeling disheartened, and just there for you in general. If you're not on a team, then make friends! Find people who post in the forums often with advice and who have been doing this a lot longer than you. Most people on etsy love helping out others, and your fellow sellers are the best at giving advice. Especially when it's on a topic you can't post in the forums i.e. specific transactions.
10. Don't get so concerned about what OTHERS are doing or selling. I fell into this trap when I first opened my shop (before I listed). I wanted to see what kinds of things sold on Etsy, so I was having a look around. I couldn't believe all the things that were selling! Really, photoshopping a picture to give you "Bella" twilight eyes?! Putting a sticker on a magnet? And people were buying this? But then my hubby reminded me of something. Was I mad because they're selling crap, or was I mad because they were SELLING? Concentrate on your product, and congratulate those that are selling theirs. Don't compare your shop or items with others, because you'll drive yourself crazy.
11. Promotion is the key. Don't sit on your ass and whine when you haven't done a damn thing to get your name out there. Again, you're not magical! Join up with some of these sites!
Blogger
Facebook
Twitter
My Craft Corner
CraftJuice
Find it Handmade
Craftgawker
Byhand.me
Yaami
Craftstylish
Vote Hand made

Search for all sites that allows you to enter your etsy site, and list away! Most are very easy to use, and have gotten lots of views! (oh look, I rhyme!) For a downlow on which sites I've used and liked, check out this Blog Post. But really, I'm no expert (so yes, you don't have to point out that I've only had 8 sales, thank you very much!) But atleast I'm doing all of these things. And it's starting to work! The person I run to for any advice is JewelryByTara, and thanks to her, a lot of my problems have been rectified, and I've learned so much about promoting. She just recently posted a blog about her Etsy Guide to selling, and you ALL need to check it out.

Oh, and one more thing. Stop blaming Etsy for you not being an instant success, for you not getting views, or for you no longer getting lots of sales. You are fully responsible for how well or poorly your shop does. So stop bitching already and do something about it :) And don't forget, advertising locally helps your business too y'know! Just remember, it could take a year or more for your shop and product to get out there. While I would love to be one of those people whose products took off, I'm not planning on it. What I am planning for, is next year. Everything I'm doing right now, is researching and learning what works for me, and what doesn't.
And yes, we ALL get down every now and again (I just finally got outta onna those weeks), but the best thing to do, is take a break! Get yourself away from your crafts and the computer for a day or two if you can. Then when you've calmed down a bit, look at your shop and your crafts and re-evaluate everything. What's working, what's not, what haven't you tried? It'll do a world of wonder.

Alright, that's enough from me today. I have so much to do it's not even funny. Have a great Cyber Monday all you Etsy Peeps!

Feature Friday! - MiMi's Babies

2009-11-27T06:32:00.001-05:00

**Before I officially begin, I just wanted to thank you all for the kind words of encouragement! It meant the world to me :) Because of you, I'm getting back on track with my emotions (I'm no longer on that derailing rollercoaster!!) and I've even got a fire lit under my ass with my projects! I kinda stayed as far away from the computer yesterday as much as possible and just worked instead. I really can't thank you guys enough! Much love, Kat

I'm so excited to be doing today's feature! I've been following MiMi's Babies for a long while now on Facebook, and I'm in love with all the products. And jealous at the same time, I wish I had their talent!! I have such issues with crocheting flowers it's not even funny. All I can do is a simple daisy, but you can probably all tell that, since it's the only flower on any of my crochet projects lol. So sit back and relax this Friday (which all the Americans should be doing since they just had their Thanksgiving!! Hope it was a great one filled with family, friends and amazing food!) All pictures are linked directly to their listings on Etsy, so click away kids!

1. Let us know a bit about you!

MiMi's Babies is a team shop with me, Charissa, and my sweet mother in law, Debbie. We live in North Alabama and have both grown up in the area.

2. When did you start crafting? Do you do different crafts then just what you sell on etsy?

I started crocheting when I was 8 years old. To begin, I made bun covers for all my friends at ballet class. They were so much fun to make and I enjoyed crocheting around in circles. Knitting was something that I always wanted to learn how to do, and finally I got really determined and sat down and taught myself from videos on knittinghelp. I do sew some, but not much. Knitting and crocheting are very portable, so I tend to stick with those.

Debbie, my mother in law, began her sewing career in high school. Since she began sewing, she has learned how to make some amazing products, and even began monogramming and appliqueing. Her work is impeccable and locally she is known for her amazing talents!

3. What was the sole purpose of opening your shop?

We opened our shop to have a venue to showcase what we can make, and have made. We wanted our customers to have an online storefront they could visit.

4. How did you decide on a shop name?

All of my mother in law's grandkids call her MiMi. So far, she has four grandsons and loves every one of them to pieces. They will always be her babies, so we thought the name MiMi's Babies would be appropriate.

5. What is your favourite item to create and why?

My favourite item to create would probably be dishcloths. They are so addictive and I love the sense of accomplishment when I finish one. I also love that they are so useful. Everyone can use a dishcloth and hand knit dishcloths are amazing. My family requests them all the time.

Debbie loves to monogram and applique. Two of my favorite items that she makes is the Christmas ornament bib and the Christmas ornament onesie.

6. What venues do you use to promote your work?

The online world has so much to offer and we enjoy using social media sites to promote our handmade items. Some of our favourites include the following:

Facebook
Twitter
Etsy D List Team

Twitter is one of my favourites because I love that I can chat with new people and then begin chatting with the people they know. I also enjoy that Facebook allows me to share pictures with people who know me. One of the hardest parts of having a craft business is getting the word out about what you make.

7. Where do you see yourself in 5 years concerning your crafting business?

Five years from now, I hope that we are well known in the online world for a quality handmade product at affordable prices. I also hope that we are able to be a blessing to those crafters trying to make it and sell their products online.

8. Is there any other information you'd like to share with us?

Advice for newbie's - Don't get discouraged! If you have a great product with good pictures, get your name out there. Start a blog. Reach out to other sellers and ask for advice. Find Etsy teams that have active members to join. If you have questions, feel free to send us a convo, we would be happy to help you in any way that we can.

9. Name a few of your favourite things!

Yarn, yarn, yarn and did I mention yarn? I also love the Scrabble Pendants at Story Bird Designs. They are so cute!

10. If you had a super power, what would it be and why?

Well, my middle son always tells me that he is a super hero and that his super power is running really fast. But for me, I think that my super power would be moving things with my mind. Then I could just think of the dishes getting into the dishwasher, the laundry folding itself, and the toys picking themselves up. Then I would sit down and crochet!

I hope you all enjoyed this Friday Feature!! I absolutely love everything that MiMi's Babies sell, and love seeing all their new creations. I highly suggest following them on Facebook, fanning their Twitter, and of course, checking out all the other work listed on MiMi's Babies on Etsy - you won't be disappointed! And of course, feel free to comment as all Etsians love feedback!

Why do I feature???

2009-11-25T07:11:00.001-05:00

Okay so, apparently I can't get my point across well enough.

I was blasted in the forums recently by 2 people I don't care to name, because they took what I said all wrong. They judged me on my intentions, when all I wanted to say was "It would be nice, it's what I'd do, but that's me. And it's not necessary!" But then again, this is why I hate having heated discussions in places like forums, because sometimes what you write can be taken completely the wrong way. Hopefully it doesn't happen again with this blog!

I'm really hating the forums right now lol. And I really need to stay away from them. I just want to rant, and to clarify for all my lovelies that I've featured so far. Maybe I wasn't clear enough in the forums, and don't in any way want to offend any of you that I've featured thus far. I was really tired last night when I wrote, so perhaps I just worded it wrong?? Maybe I said something I wasn't meaning to say?? So if any of you caught the forum, I really hope you weren't offended, because that wasn't my intention. And in my somewhat defense, if it did come off the wrong way, I've been *extremely* disheartened lately! Stupid little things are feeling like big things, I had a few REALLY rough days emotionally (and to think my emotional roller coaster was caused by taking my dog to see Santa!) and have wanted to just go out and get a real job so I can stop worrying about bills, how I'm going to afford Christmas presents, and just give up all together. Close up both shops, put all my crafts away, and continue living life being unhappy working for other people. So that's the way I've been feeling this past week especially. So if I did offend anyone, I didn't mean it, I promise, and I apologize profusely! I've been extremely down in the dumps. :) But, none of that is an excuse. I take full responsibility for anyone who was offended, and will deeply apologize.

So, why do I feature? Well, I started featuring because I was curious.

What makes you all tick? What inspires you? What crafts have you learned and loved, and what are your goals? Personally, I find a lot of inspiration in all of you. When I see the drive you have to do what you do, how much you've accomplished, how far you've come, it gives me hope, it gives me drive, it gives me confidence. Basically, I love to find out the person behind the craft. So I started with a feature, and loved it. Yes, it takes me a long time to do lol. Usually about 2 hours or so, sometimes longer depending on how many interruptions I have. I take tons of pics, often of my favourite things, from your etsy shops, and link them all to their listings, and now I've started making banners for each individual feature with a pic of your product with your shop names. I link all the promotional venues, I fan and follow each one you send, and I have a great time doing it.

Doing a feature really makes me look through your shops with a fine toothed comb, seeing things I may have missed otherwise. Doing a feature gives me insight on how much work you put into your craft, makes me appreciate what you do even more. I've even learned from all of you, met a lot of you through these features, became friends with some of you, and even opened my eyes to new possibilities.

Yes, my only stipulation is that you need to be a follower of my blog. And why is that? Because then I have a set number of people to choose from, can keep track of who I've chosen, and well, I think that's a pretty fair trade, no?

Is it great when a person I feature let's everyone know and helps direct traffic to my blog? Of course it is! Is it necessary? No, it's not. If what I wanted out of featuring all of you was more blog followers, first of all, I'd only ever feature people that have 200+ blog followers, been on etsy for a long time with hundreds of sales and I'd say "Now in order to feature you, I'm going to need you to promote it on twitter, facebook and write your own blog with a link back to mine!" Do I do that? Nope.

Yes, featuring people opens up the possibilities of getting more blog followers. Their followers could possibly become your followers. But what's the point of blog followers when they don't ever bother reading your blog? Okay, okay, okay, so I've promoted my blog in hopes of getting more followers, which could lead to readers, which in turn could bring me potential sales. So sue me. Isn't that what we all do?

What I had said in the forums, was it's sometimes disheartening when the person you've featured doesn't even acknowledge it. Yes, you've all thanked me when you've sent the questions back. A few of you even tweeted or blogged or facebooked that you've been featured by me. I thought that was great! The features are there to promote you, to show your work, not promote me, or show my work. So you telling people that I featured you, is first and foremost good for you. Yes, it could lead to followers of my blog, which isn't a horrible thing! But my features are all about you.

I guess what I was trying to say was, it sometimes seems like it's not appreciated. Like some of you seem so excited to be featured, but once it's done, you don't respond. You don't make comments on your own feature, or you don't respond on facebook or twitter when I've told you your feature is done. I'm not in any way expecting anyone to throw a freakin' party here. But when I say "Hey! Your feature is ready! Check it out here and let me know what you think!" and get NO response to that what so ever? It hurts! I'll admit it! LOL. Most of you have done the "Thanks so much it looks great!" on twitter or facebook or via a comment on the blog. That's really all I want. Some sense that you've actually seen the feature, and appreciate that I've just spent hours on something just for you.

I don't expect anyone to promote their own feature, that's my job. I tweet it, facebook it, and whenever there's a "Show me what you blogged today!" post in the forums, I put it in. If someone out there that I've asked to feature *really* isn't all that excited about being featured? I won't be offended! lol. Just say, "No thanks! Your blog doesn't get much traffic anyways, so don't waste your time!" That statement would be true, really lol. Yes, I currently have over 100 followers, but how many of them read it? 2 comments on a blog post, and I'm dancing a jig! Cause then I know at least 2 people read it! I love comments and feedback! Good AND bad! So in doing a feature, I certainly in no way guarantee a gigantic response! But I love doing them.

What I said in the forums made someone comment that I have a skewed sense of promotion, and basically called my features "Spam". I was accused of only doing features for my own self promotion, and I was accused of being pissed at whoever I featured because they didn't scream it out to the world that I featured them. These two fellow etsians made me feel like complete shit, and okay, maybe it was deserved. Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned it at all. Maybe I should have just kept my mouth shut, because I knew full well that the real reason behind me feeling bad about not much response, is because of how I feel about my piss poor sales. And even though I littered my post with "I'm not mad at ANY of my features" and "it just would be nice! It makes me feel appreciated for the work I've just done" and "It's not necessary whatsoever! If it was, I would put that as a stipulation of doing a feature on them!" wasn't clear enough.

So features, I am sorry. If you're pissed at me, fine, I deserve it. If you find me as horrible of a person like these 2 people did, go ahead and un-follow my blog, I completely understand. I fucked up. I should have left it alone, and not felt sorry for myself, and shouldn't have mentioned that I sometimes feel unappreciated. What I'm feeling is no one else's problems but my own.

I will continue doing features, and I hope to God that none of my features from this day on think they need to promote me or my blog. You want to thank me after the feature is done, perfect! That's all I really want. Do I expect you to promote it, no, of course not. I never have, and I never will.

Alright, let the hate mail ensue :)

Getting to know you Tuesdays - TheFramedFrog

2009-11-24T07:01:00.001-05:00

Good morning to you all! Today's feature is The Framed Frog, a fantastic etsian whom I met on Twitter!! She has a lot of really great products, most of which are geared towards children. I highly recommend checking out her shop for some incredible merchandise for any kids in your life (and perhaps for yourself as well!) So sit back and relax this Tuesday morning and get to know the talented, the wonderful, The Framed Frog! All pictures are linked directly to their listings on Etsy.

1. Let us know a bit about you!

Well, my name is Jeanette Foster (Frogster to my students) and I am an Oregon transplant. I moved here five years ago with my husband from Massachusetts. I taught junior high and elementary school for a few years before I had my children, who make sure on a daily basis that my life is full of chaos and adventure. The Drama Queen is almost four, the Beast is two and a half, and the Spud is one.

2. When did you start crafting? Do you do different crafts then what you sell on Etsy?

I have been crafting for as long as I can remember. Every year, my parents got me craft kits and books, and I remember making homemade soap, candles, yarn dolls, clothes for my Barbie doll etc. My parents recognized my drawing talent and bought me many drawing books and art kits as well. I practiced all the time! Most of what I sell on Etsy is my paintings, but I still scrapbook and crochet and do crafts with my kids. (In my spare time, ha ha! Whatever that is!)

3. What was the sole purpose of opening your shop?

I had been painting custom nursery artwork for friends as baby shower gifts for years, and they kept telling me that I should make it a business and sell them. I finally followed through when a friend told me about Etsy. My husband also really encouraged me to do something that was separate from being a mom to three crazy little ones.

4. How did you decide on a shop name?

As I mentioned before, my students called me "Mrs. Frogster" because I am slightly obsessed with the adorable little creatures. I have frogs everywhere in my house, and it's probably no surprise that my kiddies' room is completely decorated in a frog pond theme! I wanted my name and logo to stand out and to be easily identified with me. I decided on "The Framed Frog" and drew my logo to match what I was envisioning in my head. In case you're wondering, we still have no idea who framed the frog!

5. What is your favourite item to create and why?

Almost all my work is custom - and I love being able to create exactly what a customer wants and can't find anywhere else. Besides painting, I do enjoy creating my custom French memo boards. It's fun to blend colours and patterns and work with a different medium - fabric.

6. What venues to you use to promote your work?

I am learning to promote, promote, promote! I have two blogs: JFrogster and ScrappyFrog. I have somewhat fallen off the bandwagon with the second blog since it's the one I feature how-to's for crafts, and I just don't have the time to make all those crafts anymore. I have a Facebook Fan Page "The Framed Frog", and of course, I Tweet under "ScrappyFrog". I love blogging, but so far twittering has been the most beneficial to my shop. I just opened my facebook fan page, so we'll have to see how it goes. Please join up and become a Froggy Fan for Framed Frog news and exclusive deals!

7. Where do you see yourself in 5 years concerning your business?

When I first started The Framed Frog, I treated it as a hobby. When it took me almost two months to get a sale, I seriously considered giving up on the whole venture. Then sales started to really take off over the summer, and I began to expand locally as well. I am planning on making The Framed Frog a serious source of revenue for our family. I read books and research information on making small businesses successful, and my husband is becoming more involved in the shop as well. I need his nerdy skills to do the business side that I don't enjoy doing myself! I hope that in five years, I will be making a sale or more a day. I will have more time then to devote to the business because all my little darlings will be in school.

8. Is there any other information you'd like to share with us?

My advice for newbies is to keep at it! Just because you don't immediately see sales from twitter or blogging doesn't mean that they won't result in EVENTUAL sales. Also, customer service is key! I wrap my items in pretty paper and tie them with ribbon and give my customers a promo code to get a discount off their next order. It has brought me many repeat customers!

The Framed Frog is excited to participate in the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale on etsy this year! Almost all of the items in my shop will be discounted or have free shipping on those days! (And if you become a Froggy Fan on Facebook, you will get a special promote code to use on those days for extra discounts!)

9. Name a few of your favourite things!

I already mentioned my love for all things froggy! (I just counted and we have 20 different ornaments to put on our Christmas tree that are froggy!) I also love cake decorating, playing basketball and soccer, and being silly with my kids. I do enjoy reading, but have little time for it anymore: so most of my reading is saved for my Bible and my favourite blogs. Weird fact - I also occasionally play the accordion.

10. If you had a super power, what would it be and why?

My super power would be the ability to clean my house in an instant! I am so not domestic, and have trouble fitting in the bathroom cleaning and laundry in between my shop responsibilities, and my kids. If I never obtain that superpower, I will hope for the next best thing - enough income from The Framed Frog to hire a housecleaner!

Alright everyone, I really hope you enjoyed getting to know Jeanette! I'm very excited that I've met her, and been able to do this feature, as I love getting to know the person behind the craft! Make sure you visit The Framed Frog on Etsy for some amazing and cute products! And of course, follow on Twitter, her Blogs "The Framed Frog" and "ScrappyFrog", and of course fan her Facebook for exclusive deals!

Feel free to comment on this feature - all etsians love feedback!!

Have a great Tuesday everyone! Happy sales!