Happy New Year

Last Christmas....

This Christmas...



And the past year...

Award Time

What a great way to end the year. I was awarded the Spreader of Love award by ManaMoon. She left this for me on my post featuring Giggling Goldfish :

"I wanted to let you know I've left an award for you on my blog. With your spirit of giving and sharing Etsy artisans this year with family and friends I just had to include you. All the best ~"

I ran across her etsy shop some time back and had put some of her items on my Christmas wish list. My sister-in-law was the sweetie who got me the bracelet from her shop - Tickle Me Pink. She was so impressed by the package she received from Mana Moon that she showed it around before I even got it. see...isn't it great!


A personal note was sent to my sis thanking her for shopping handmade this season, something ManaMoon had done herself this year. Did you remember to support handmade this year? It's never too late...Valentine's Day is coming up. This is another fave from manaMoon's shop:

Ok - onto the award rules:
1-Post a copy of the award on your blog post
2-Mention who gave you the award
3-Pass the award on to 6 others
4-Leave a message on their blog letting them know the honor has been bestowed upon them

My 6 ... very hard to choose - there are so many out there, but I will pick from my newest team: Pluggers United.... still lots to choose from...

1 - Huckleberry Arts (and by extension, Blockhead Rod) - the King and Queen of Artisans...and kinda a 1a: AGoodWitchToo: the 3rd of the trio, the Queenette


2 - Deb's Primitive Country Kitchen ... she even has all us Pluggers at the bottom of her blog!


3 - Roseworks Jewelry - my buddy and partner in crime...er...blog series, but crime sound more cool and mysterious, albeit evil and wrong :P


4 - Terronda / UniqueCommodities - lovely lady, lovely blogs, lovely artisan supporter :)


5 - Dee from All Wired Up Too... my buddy who is always looking out for me :)


6 - Lily from Tulips Talking ... always makes us laugh & always there to help promote us.

Featuring Giggling Goldfish

Looking for fun learning and fashion for kids? look no further. Meet Giggling Goldfish...

1 - Where can we find you on the web?
flickr
Twitter
Plumdrop

2 - Where do you sell your items (online and off)?
Art Fire
etsy
1000 Markets
setting up shop on lollishops
Also sell my goodies here locally.

3 – What is the story behind your shop/business name?
I love telling this one. When my daughter was younger she would always say her goldfish were smiling at her, so it just seemed appropriate since we often create together to name our company Giggling Goldfish.

4 - When and How did you get started in this line of crafting?
I come from a family of artists and crafters and have been creating ever since I can remember and love to learn new techniques. I feel like I am constantly on a creative journey.

5 - What inspires you?
My kids totally inspire me and the things I create! And I absolutely love color.

6 - When did you decide to go into business for yourself? Was it gradual? Or did you jump in with both feet?
Hehehe, I think it all started when I created my first lemonade stand when I was very young! I have been selling things I create literally ever since I can remember.

7 - How do you promote your items?
Word of mouth, I carry biz cards everywhere I go, I along with my kids carry around and use the things I create, twitter, flickr, forums, any way I can.

8 - What is one non-craft hobby or pastime that you enjoy & would like to share with us?
I love to canoe, kayak, and hanging out with my family and friends.

Selling Venues Series

Well, it's time to start another series...this time with an friend - Ruthie from Roseworks Jewelry. We will be looking into all the different sites out there that Indie/Handmade artisans can sell their wares.

We are both on etsy right now and I have just started at Art Fire. I will be opening shop at a few more venues during January to get a first hand look at the whole experience. Wink Elf, Shop Handmade and 1000 Markets will be at the top of the list. There are many more, but I can't do them all. This is where you come in.

You can help us start out by answering a few questions about your experiences with different sell sites. Check out Rosework's blog for more. And you can also find her thread on etsy where you can respond also. Thanks everyone!

If you would be willing to answer some more in depth questions, please let me know in a comment here (don't forget to include a way to contact you).

OK - time to show off what I got....

This gorgeous Handspun Neopolitan Chunky Scarf was from my mom: made by Annie Kints...

This Tickle Me Pink Bracelet was from my sister-in-law's family: made by ManaMoon ...

Books galore from my children....

and last, but most certainly not least... Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog...gotta love the Joss!!

Handmade Gifts by Me

This is the box I made from a collection of goodies I got from Creative Seconds. It was for my 7 year old niece...couldn't tell if she liked it, but I sure had a blast making it. And I think it turned out pretty good :)




OK - technically this one was not a gift. My mother-in-law had ordered an evening bag in this style and fabric...I just included it here since it was finished at the same time as the rest and gave it to her on Christmas while they were back in town.






I made this Mocha Blue Ribbon Wrapped handbag for my sister-in-law who had pointed out which bags and fabrics of mine were her faves...since I don't make the same bag/fabric combo more than once, I had to give her a variation on the color scheme of the fabric.




I made this apron for my 1 1/2 year old niece who just got her own kitchen playset from her grandparents. I know you can't see the whole thing, but she's just too cute to exclude :)

Buffyfest Ornaments

Here are the Buffyfest ornaments I received....
left to right: Merry Christmas Tykes, ... chicken feet, screen printed stake, blood drop with wings, and a sparkly stakecicle with cross dangly...



Anyone who is a Buffy fan must go check out Buffyfest's Christmas wish list...

Glass Fusion Fun

I finally went and picked up my glass fusion creations...a pendant and a slumped 6" square plate thingy. I had a blast making these & hope to do more pieces soon. Since this was my first time, I didn't go in with any plan - just worked with whatever I grabbed. Next time I may go in with ideas.

Happy Post Holiday

Art a'la 3 Year old

My walls are getting overcrowded with preschooler art. I have decided to scan as much into the computer as I can & photo the rest. This should seriously help storage issues as I will only keep samplings of the actual work. Here are the first few scanned in...