Surprise, Prize and Gifts to Myself

First off, I need to show off the surprise I found in my mail. I squeed so loud the dog looked scared, lol :P I am part of a Craft it Forward and this beauty was what I got from Ruthie of Roseworks Jewelry...isn't it awesome!!!!


And the prize. I won this cool polymer clay pen from Mel's Clay.

And also from her was this cute little tin I got for myself....

And last, but not least, I got this bracelet from Mystic Wynd. This gift to myself actually led to prizes from the Etsybloggers Mega Giveaway - which I will show you after they are received & photo'd :)

Etsyblogger Carnival: Back to School

What does back to school mean to me? Time. And sewing.

Last year my youngest had started preschool. It is only 4 hours long, but wow, what a difference that 4 hours makes! All summer I felt like I was getting nothing done. But starting September 21st...that to-do list shall start to whittle!!! That is still so far away...they start the little guys a few weeks after the "older" ones - you know, the Kindergartners :P

I will be a sewing maniac those first couple weeks, maybe. I am still a master procrastinator, so who knows. But I am really hoping to change things up enough to stay focused.

Oh, and blogging and Excel and Quicken...that's what else school means to me. From that time aspect anyway.

I am doing A Craft A Day next month, just in time for back to school. It will be easy to check up on me to see if I am actually accomplishing anything. Here's to hoping that the extra school time will be what I am hoping for *cheers*

BlogFire Carnival: Favorite Craft

What is my favorite craft or technique? Do I have to pick one? Not sure if I could. My mood dictates what my favorite of anything is, whether it be clothes, food, books, movies or crafts.

I would say that the craft I do most often is sewing, by far. But is that only because I (try to) sell what I make? Or is it because I love it so much? I think the best answer is Yes...to both. I do enjoy taking a flat piece of fabric and manipulating it into something totally different. Bags are what I make the most, but I really like to make clothes, stuffies, pillows, placemats & table runners, wallets, aprons and other house & holiday type things...I think that covers just about, well, anything ☺

Technique-wise, I wouldn't know if there even is a "technique"...other than hand versus machine. And I like both. I am self taught so when it comes to the technicalities, I am not so much for the knowing. And yes, I know, horrible sentence, but I tend to write how I talk. Like my technical terms...they tend to be rather, um, imaginative. I now know of gussets and plackets and french seams. But I still tend to refer to techniques more like "that foldy in seam" or " that squooshed together and sewn across texture" or "when you sew long and pull to get it scrunchy". I know what I mean and since I work alone, it's fine.

What other crafts do I like? All. I suppose there are some out there that may not float my boat, but so far I have not met a craft I did not like. I do need to work more in too. And next month is going to be the perfect opportunity. I am going to be doing A Craft A Day...so painting, clay, paper and everything else - look out because here I come!

Wordless Wednesday

Manic Monday Post

I am so so SO behind. I was only not feeling well for like a week and that was a month ago, but it threw me off. There were so many great bloggers and artisans I wanted to introduce you to. I wanted to give each of them their own post, but I decided if I wait for that, it'll take too long. SO here they are....

MezziG is from Australia and she has a blog called Creative Outlet. She makes some really cool braided items that she shows off wonderfully in this post. I just love this blue beaded and braided button bracelet she made (say that 5 times fast!)



Next up is Chichiboulie...what a fun name ☺ Gretchen's blog is the Boulie Blog - more name fun. If you are French, check out her French blog...or if you just read French it'd work - don't want to get exclusive, lol!
Her family recently embarked on a journey - a puppy journey. One read of this post will get you hooked on her blog - but beware of ensuing giggles - they could cause whatever you are drinking to get sputtered out.....my coffee almost wound up on my computer when I read some of the other animal options and their uses.
Along with her 3 creative kids and new puppy, she is a designer/illustrator. I love her work - it is very fun and upbeat. This is one of my faves: Isn't he cute?


And get this, she teamed up with a stamp maker! So if you like her style, you can head over to Stampingbella for some stamp fun!

Kelly from Macaroni & Glue always makes me smile with her posts. Her kids are a wonderful source of hilarity and so often remind me of my own & their adventures...and comments only a kid can make. She posts "Dear Kid" letters on her blog that sum up their weeks so well. This is her latest here.
Her shop is currently on vacation, but I can't go without showing off some of her awesome Retrocrafted Paper Goods. This Ring Me card is a great example of her "retro" portion of her work...



And the last one for today is Hilary from '57 Design Studio. You can find her over at her Designing Hilary blog or her shop. But I'm going right to her shop...because, well, more awesome jewelry! It's funny, I adore jewelry (bracelets & necklaces mostly), but do not wear it all the time. Maybe I just need to go out more. And if I do, I could wear this...


Okay - I feel so much better now. There are more to come...aren't there always. It's a good addiction though, right? Showing off other people's creativity...what could be better. Well, owning some of it I suppose. I'm working on it, slowly. If I ever won the lottery - Etsy & Artfire may get drained, LOL :P

Notes and Thank Yous

I like to put in a little note with every order I send out. I found lots of great (inexpensive) stuff on Vista Print - everything from business cards to pamphlets to banners - but I wanted to add a more personal touch. So I turned to what I know and love the best...handmade. I went to people I "knew" from my Etsyblogger team, Twitter and Plurk.

Edi from Memories for Life is on my Etsyblogger team (she's even our featured blogger this month!)...plus, I have ordered some great albums through her before. She whipped up these great Thank You cards for me the other week to match my business cards. I used one the same day I got them :)



She's Batty is a Plurk buddy who makes wonderfully fun cards - my fave are her Halloween related items. I got a mix of blank cards from her to cover all different occasions. There is even a batch of mini cards.



Love to Stamp is on Plurk and ArtFire. I have run across her stuff many times over. While I was shopping for cards I knew I had to pick up a fabric flower one that has been on my Hotlist forever...along with the bookmark...and mini cards. I am thinking about framing the fabric flower card though, it so rocks!



My last stop on my card tour was at Mercyming. I ran across her shop very early on in my Etsy adventures. I bought 2 special photo cards that I have always loved. Odds are these will be for personal use though...unless I frame them with the fabric flower ☺



So if you happen to buy any bags from me in the near future, expect one of these lovelies to come along for the ride.

Wordless Wednesday

Elf Ears

I love winning stuff! It's even better when my kids love it. I got this cutie from Merigreenleaf

...the ears, not the kid :P

Dream Cruise Energy is Picking Up

Anyone living near metro Detroit knows what I am talking about when I mention The Dream Cruise. Heck, some people in Europe even know what it is. We get people, car lovers, from all over the world migrating into our towns for this event.

from Detroit News

I was driving around yesterday and there were parking areas already taped off. And by parking area, I am referring to the areas between the sidewalk and roads. Chairs were already set up and waiting. By the end of the work day the chairs were being filled and classic cars started filling the roads. And the official cruise isn't even until Saturday.

from TroyProperty.com

There are many people who hate the cruise for the inconvenience it causes, personally, I think it's great. Yeah, I can't just go anywhere I want easily because of the traffic, but big whoop...it's only one weekend. There are places that have traffic like this all the time...but without the party atmosphere.

from Urbane Apts

I really wish I had some of my own pics now, but I will snag some this weekend to share next week. For now, I found these pics on Google images (click on any of them to go to their source where you can read more on the cruise).

I leave you with this mental image - the one I had on my way to the craft store last night: Lined up at a stop light - all looking like they just rolled out of the factory - mint condition - but from different eras...30s, 50s, 60s and 70s...all in a row - it was beautiful. If only my cell phone had a camera.

Wordless Wednesday

Etsybloggers Mega Giveaway

2 dozen prizes - many ways to enter - don't wait - Giveaway ends Friday Aug 14th!

Check out all the details on our website.

And visit our forum thread over on Etsy.

Want to see our members newest creations? Visit the Flickr group.

Band Camp Has Begun

It is that time of year again. My oldest has headed up to Interlochen with the marching band. I know some parents get all teary eyed when their kids go away for a bit, but we don't. Not that we won't miss him, but it is part of growing up. I am all for him growing up...I can't wait to see what kind of man he will be. Actually, I already can see a bit of the man he is becoming. Kind. Caring. Gentle. Intelligent. Talented. And a bit goofy - always a good thing.

This will be his second year up there. Last year he was a pre-fresh, now he is an actual freshman. He was so much more prepared this time around. He knew exactly what to bring and even decided to join in the talent show. So his bass guitar traveled with him. I hope someone takes a video of the performance. He & a friend will be playing something by Hendrix.

And as long as he doesn't come back with stories that start "This one time...at band camp?", he'll have a few more years of band camp to look forward to.

Friday Features

Today is a show off day. But not my stuff (if you want to see my new monsters, go here and here...or here to see some bags). Nope, today is to show off things I received recently....don't get too jealous, lol :)

First off...my custom order from Kindred Spirit Treasures:


And some cell phone charms from Kindred Spirit Treasures as well...I may use them as zipper pulls for more special purses...

Then I popped over to Elegance by Mode for these lovelies...

And last, but not least, my beaded lacey necklace from Roseworks Jewelry. It may be a necklace, but I have also been worn wrapped around my wrist a few times as a bracelet. Plus, it goes with everything!

Wordless Wednesday

Where Have I Been?

Back on the 19th I went up north to Frankfort with my family...which included my hubby's parents, sis & her hubby plus kids. We stayed at a nice resort on the Lake which my youngest dubbed "The Palace". We had a different Fun Czar assigned to each day's activities.

The first night is the easiest - let the kids run down at the beach & play in the sand and water...clothes & all. It got rather amusing since my youngest still had a pull up on from the trip. Let's just just say they did their job & absorbed liquids well...they were halfway down his rear in no time! So cute :)

I was concerned about my shops since the Christmas in July sale was going on. There was wi-fi up there & I planned on using my son's iTouch. Luckily, my bro-in-law had a laptop that I could use to check on the shops once or twice a day. See...my sis-in-law snapped a shot of me working.

My youngest really wanted to see a lighthouse - and while there was one right out the front of the resort at the end of a pier...he wanted a big one he could go in. So we went to Point Betsie...which was closed. At least I got some cool pics. The Mackinaw - Chicago race was also going by in the distance - very cool. (Too far out for good pics though). But they had a great time skipping rocks. Young and old alike...

Wyatt and Daddy

Wyatt and big bro

From there we went on in to Traverse City. I could spend all day there! But, since I was the only one, we just did a quick browse through. I did find some great buttons & ribbon (pics to come later). We got some cool hats (I was wearing mine in the computer pic above). Wyatt's was adorable, but he took it off & ran laughing everytime I tried to snap a pic...correction - I just noticed that he was wearing it in the picnic pic.

Tuesday was set aside for the Dune Climb and canoeing. I think we may be bit off our rockers to do both on the same day. If you have never done a dune climb - I highly recommend it....but start early in the day when the sand isn't too hot. And bring lots of water. We climbed for 1 1/2 hours...much easier going down. The MIL and FIL opted out of the canoeing (they hung back & relaxed during the climb too), but we all enjoyed a scenic picnic between the two.


The evenings were spent playing games...Phase 10, Uno, Garbage & Sequence. This is my oldest & my SIL's oldest playing Garbage...reminds me of the 3 Bears - one chair too big, table too small...

The last full day there was the individual Family Day. Before we all went our own ways, my SIL & MIL went with me to a craft show nearby. It was rather large & if I had more cash - I would easily have spent it all. Got some good craft show prop ideas too.
My son had his eye on an antique bugle back in Traverse City and since I never got to do my day of shopping...we went back into town. I just love those places. Yes, lots of tourist shops, but even more small boutiques...and a fabulous yarn shop. I need to learn to knit.

We took the scenic route down through the forest on the way home Thursday. I spent Friday shopping for craft show props & getting all my stuff together.
Saturday & Sunday were the big days - my first 2 day craft show. You can read more about it here.

The big day of my MIA'ness was those spent in the hospital. Yes, I said hospital. Without going into too much detail - my body betrayed me for a bit but all the big bads came back negative...no heart attack, no stroke, no brain hemorrhage, no sign of MS...I feel much better now, but still not myself. So I may still be sparse with my online time. I'll keep you updated.

I aRt Festival July 25th & 26th

This is where I am going to be next weekend. It will be my first two day show. Plus, it will be the first time I am gone for a week and only home for one day before a show. Hmmm....that may also be a last - we'll see.

I am hoping to get 8 more bags done...4 of two different styles. I want to have fewer styles on display, but with at least 4 versions of each. I will also have a clearance table - but I may not break that out right away - not sure yet.

Anyway - wish me luck. From here on out (for the next week or so anyway) my posting will be few and scheduled. Hope to see you when I return - with a post about the show I hope...or if I am too tired, a quick run down until a real post is doable.

Packaging, Shipping and Handling

Everyone knows shipping costs money. Most people groan when they see the charges for shipping and wonder why it seems so high, especially if the item does not cost much. I am sure the majority of people realize the the price of what you buy in no way determines what USPS or UPS or whatever charges to ship the package. Although, how great would that be!

So what goes into the cost?
Well, other than paying the shipping company, the packaging isn't free. Well, if you ship USPS Priority it is...the container anyway. But what about what wraps up your item on the inside? There may be bubble wrap to keep things from getting squooshed and smashed. Plastic bags to keep things dry. And if you are buying from a cookie cutter big company store, that is probably all there is. But if you are like me & prefer Indie and/or handmade...there is most likely more to it.

Susy from the blog Earth Expression has a great write up about this issue - great tips for the sellers. As an Indie seller myself, I know that I want my customers to feel appreciated, and packaging can go a long way towards that. I am still trying to find packaging I like best...my bags can be quite large and tissue paper wrapped around it to look pretty won't always fit.

The little touches that so many sellers add to their creations, which already have so much love put into them, does not come cheap. But neither do most of them charge for it. Yup, you heard me right.
I got a package from Rockerchic the other week...the bracelet came in a fabric bag with a surprise gift inside, you may have seen it in this post. It's great example of of a goodie package.
But the package I remember the most, so much that I took a pic of it, was from Mana Moon Treasures. I just loved the pruple & it had some foil confetti strips...very striking. Plus, a coupon... gotta love that.



Most sellers I know do not tack on more than maybe 25 or 50 cents to the shipping charges, if even that. So those charges that get you moaning may be no more than the same charges that get sellers moaning...the charges from the shipping companies. And when you stop to think about it...$4.95 to send a package across the states...not so bad. That same $4.95 will only get my car, what, 30 or so miles away from my house?

So what great things have sellers put in your packages?
What do you like to do with the packages you send out to your customers?

Christmas in July

I have decided to go ahead with my Christmas in July sale....but because of a family vacation & craft show - it will be the 10 days instead of the 12 days of Christmas :)
I am offering 15% off all non-clearance items in both my ArtFire and Etsy shops.

The family vacation is in just a few days and my teenage son has graciously offered up his iTouch for me to use to check in on the shop. You know you are getting old when you need to get "permission" from your kid to use their stuff...because it is his...he saved up & bought it himself. I am proud of him for that. He has saved up for a Wii in the past too. I wonder what's next? And don't say car...I'm not ready to hear it yet :)

Our vacation is going to be with my husband's parents & sister (plus her hubby & kids of course). Our youngest kids are very close in age & will have a blast. The older ones will have fun - but with one being a teen & the other nearly a tween with a teen attitude, we will never know.

So I probably won't be back here for possibly over a week...instead I shall be Up North...with no real computer...or sewing machine...eegads! What am I going to do? Hand embroidery, phew! I knew there had to be something! LOL!

Catch you later this month!

Photobucket Slideshow Fun

I have been uploading my photos to Photobucket recently. I have a Flickr also, but Photobucket allows links for selling purposes, which is, of course, an advantage for me.

Today I made my first slideshow...I have a feeling there will be more :)

Gifts Given and Treasury Found

I finally get to show off the scrapbooks I got from Memories For Life Scrapbooks for my brother's little girl and new baby boy. I had to wait until, 1 - Jackson was born, and 2 - he received them. These pictures do not do them justice - peek around her shop & you'll see I mean it :)

I never know what to get someone for that second kid...especially when they live in a different state. And since I love handmade (as you know if you've ever visited before), I looked around Etsy and ArtFire for the gifts.




The also got this cool frame made By Quirky Dolls...


I came home yesterday to find my Pebbles Mollie style clutch in a treasury...and guess who made the treasury? Memories :) Woo Hoo! Thanks

(that's me in the bottom left)

Memories has even more styles of scrapbooks...check out these cool new flip flop albums...