New Creations!

Ah, another EARLY Sunday morning (it just turned midnight), and what to do? All the chores are done, every thing is put away where it belongs, I've already eaten dinner (we took advantage of the Papa Johns $10 dollar pizza deal!) The baby is asleep-

and my loving husband is watching some zombie flick on his laptop...

... so I take the opportunity, and take photos of my latest creations!

Here we have a collection of barrettes that I've been working on, and I'm happy to say that I really like the way they are turning out.

This pink one below is for Valentine's Day... but I'm not done yet. In fact, after I took this picture, I affixed a glittering gem that used to be an earring stud to the center button, creating a more classy look. I still have to let it set, then coat it with a protectant, but it should be good to go up on my Etsy by tomorrow.

This one is made with bits of blown glass- dark purple pieces. I like it because it has a more sophisticated look to it.

Here is another shot of it, from another angle.

OK- last but not least, my favorite! one so far... I'm not sure what I'm going to call this one, but I'm thinking something "Stone"... it gives off the feeling of stones to me. I really, really love this one... I hope every one else will, too. :)

And as a side note, my hubby bought me a cup of coffee the other day from a train stop while we were at the Dr. office, and look! What a wonderful lighthouse there is on it. I kept it simply for the lighthouse... maybe I'll make something out of it!

Thursday Creative Traffic!

Well... we all "surf" the web, do we not? And people refer to lots of visitors to a site as "traffic"... so here we go for Thursday, Thursday Traffic!

I recently was surfing on Etsy, checking out the forums, and I found two absolutely wonderful sellers that I've made personal friends with. Their items are not only unique, but absolutely worth sharing!

First we have Extravagantlove! Her cards are really, really well put-together. You can visibly see the time and effort she puts into each. And her prices are VERY reasonable... I think she charges too little! I got this card for my husband for V Day... shhhhh! :)

You should definitely take some time and go look at her shop. She is definitely worth getting to know. I love this card so very much, and I know my husband will too.

The second seller I found that I fell in love with (I mean whose WORK I fell in love with! ha ha ha) is Joel Quiggle! He is a member of the CAST- Christian Artists Street Team and his work is positively amazing. There is so much meaning, depth, and detail that goes into his work. Just look at this one... it made me cry when I first saw it.

I sincerely hope you get the opportunity to check both of these wonderful artists out. I am very, very glad that I did!!!

Day-Themed Blogs?

So, I've seen a couple of blogs lately that have "Day Themes"... for example, today being Wednesday, there is a "Wednesday Wants", where the author posts about something the particularly want, bringing attention to both the item and the seller.

That being said, I think it is a cool idea to have theme days, as long as it doesn't become so regimented that you can't think of what to write anymore. Another one I know does a day with a doodle, I believe it is a Friday. Every Friday, she just posts a new doodle.

The only problem is, there is so much out there to write about, even within the confines of the crafting/art world, that I wouldn't know where to begin with coming up with themes for different days. Anyone have any ideas? Help me out. :) If I like yours, I'll use it, and of course, give you the proper credit!

Keepin' it Green... :)

OK, so even if you're not a full-blown conservationist, every one recycles, at least somewhat, these days. And that's a good thing... even a little bit helps!

That being said, I decided to share one way crafters can recycle, no matter what it is you make/send to customers. Of course, this works better if you HAVE customers, but most people who sell on Etsy have some kind of customer base, so this applies. :)

When you buy something on Etsy, most people will send some kind of a card with it, whether it simply be a Thank You card, or just a little nice note to say thanks, tell you about the item, or to offer their web url for futre transactions.
(A card I received with a bought item recently)


I generally keep these cards, and when it is time for me to send something to someone else, I simply recycle the card for my own purpose. I will cut and paste a paper block on the inside of the card and write my own message on it,


add a little design,


and maybe even a sticker to make it more "mine".

And there you have it... a card all your own, but recycled! There are tons of little ways to "Keep it Green"... all it takes is a little thinking, a little creativity, and some time, and you've done your part! :)

I read the blogs. I update my Facebook Fan Page (when I feel there is something noteworthy). I even... dare I say it? I even Twitter... once in a while. I post in the Etsy forums. I update my blog (although, I try to keep it craft-related).

With all that, I often feel somewhat lost... or left out, as it were. Because I haven't created anything new. I mean, I'll make an ACEO, and I'll love it. I'll put it up on Etsy, blog about it, fan and tweet about it. And then what? I guess it's hard to have something to talk about when it's already done. So I have to open my eyes and mind to new adventures, therefor, I will have more crafts to make.

Coming Soon! I will be having a give away, most likely in Febuary, by the fantastic Luvewwknits! Stay tuned for that!

Trial and Error- It Happens To Us All!

So, I've seen lots of awesome blogs out there, with people posting their wonderful creations, sales, process, etc. They all have a great designed background (template), and are dotted with lovely pictures. They are all fantastic!

But... people *do* make mistakes sometimes... we're all human, after all. And I know I make a lot! So here, for your viewing pleasure, is something I tried, and found that it didn't work. Oh well, it was a cute idea, anyway.

I took a bland barrette and began decorating the entire thing with silver-edged heart stickers. By the time I covered it, it looked really cool. I figured I'd add some Mod Podge sealer, then some gems or something to finish it up. Alas, when I applied the Mod Podge (Puzzle Saver, in this case), all it did was make the stickers peel up off the barrette! What a dissapointment.

Well, like I said, it was a cute idea. Back to the proverbial drawing board! :)

Make YOUR Photos More Interesting!

Hello every one, and happy Friday! I'm sitting here on the top bunk (there are bunk beds in our room here at the shelter) because I've managed to get the best internet connection up here. So here I am, eating Gummi Bears, while my beautiful baby sleeps and my husband watches anime on his own pc on the bunk below. I don't sleep up here, just come up here to use the computer.

So I've been thinking lately about how to make my Etsy listings more interesting, and the photos have a lot to do with that! So I thought of a few ways to make whatever it is your selling stand out just a little more.

One thing I've found that I like to do with my ACEOs (Art Cards, Editions, and Originals) when I photograph them is place them on corresponding colored paper with fancy designs. It adds a bit of class to the background, rather than simply placing the item on a flat, non-colorful surface.

Another cool way to do it is to have two papers underneath, like one a designed one, and the other, a pure white. Experiment and try out different papers, textures, and designs to see what compliments what YOU'RE selling!

When you put some time and thought into how you want to present your item(s) to your audience, then it always comes out better! There is nothing that says you have to be traditional and just take a picture. Check out these other ideas...

Stand your item up next to a fancy cup, saucer, or some ribbon. See what you have lying around that could accentuate what you're selling!

You can even be fun and daring! Look at these two shots... they are definitely not "typical", yet I bet they'd get the viewer to look more closely!

The main idea is to have fun with what you do. Sure, it's nice to get a sale, but it's also nice to have a product (and photo!) that you are pleased with. Nothing can ever beat that! Happy picture taking!!!

Love Blooms (even in the cold)

I love my husband. He is a wonderful man. I try and involve him in my ACEO making as much as possible. Hence, he had an idea for a set of 3 Valentine ACEO cards.

He said I should make two lighthouses whose beams of light met in the middle, forming a heart, where two people would be on an island, together. So sweet!

Well, from theory to concept to execution, the idea evolved a little bit. The people on the island became two fish floating in the heart (it was easier)- but the idea of true love is still the same.

Please let me know what you think of the finished product. LOL- my dashboard says that I have 39 followers... surely some of you have opinions! :) Thanks!!!