Sunday, January 30, 2011

Treasury Challenge!

Hello Teamies!
After 43 votes we have the winners of the
"Fresh New Year"
Challenge!


I'm Looking at The Fresh New Year!
DBSJ



Fresh As A Daisy In This Fresh New Year
SimplySuzula



Make Colorful Memories In a Fresh New Year
GinnyHuber


Congrats to our Winners!
Everyone did a beautiful job.
Thank you so much to all who participated!

Remember, our winners get to use their treasury making
talents to judge our next challenge and Stevie from DBSJ will be giving us our next theme!
Stay tuned and stay creative!
xoxo,
Erica

Friday, January 28, 2011

Member Interview

Introducing...


I live in Glen Burnie, MD. My shop is Fierce Angel's Fantastical Finds; when I was in high school I had a dear friend who gave me the nickname "fierce angel" one day randomly and even though we grew apart and the friendship faded, the nickname became an important part of who I am. I always dreamed of using it as the name for an off-the-wall boardwalk shop where I would sell unique treasures. So when I decided to try selling jewelry on etsy, it only made sense to incorporate it in my shop name. I sell bracelets, anklets, and necklaces made out of hemp with different kinds of charms, beads, and metal clasps.

I learned about Etsy Project Embrace while I was searching around on etsy. I had wanted to join a team on etsy for awhile, but some of them are real selective about when they allow members to join. In the past year I've gotten involved in some of the American Cancer Society's events, like Relay For Life, and I've been selling some of my jewelry as a fundraiser for those events. So when I found EPE, and learned how the team started and what their mission was, it seemed like a good fit. I was accepted to join the team right away and I'm excited to be networked with other crafters who are helping make the world a better place.

It was hard to pick a favorite out of my jewelry, but my favorite right now is the Lilac Hope Awareness Ribbon bracelet (shown below), and that's because it combines my favorite color, purple, with my favorite metal spacer beads that I've found so far, and my favorite charm, the Awareness Ribbon with HOPE engraved on it. The charm is made by Blue Moon Beads and it's perfect for raising awareness and funds for a great cause.


It's tough to pick a favorite possession, but I think it would have to be the baby blanket my Grandma made for me. There's something special about an item that someone took the time to make by hand especially for you, and that blanket went everywhere with me when I was younger. I've had to put away in a storage bag because the yarn has started to unravel in several spots and especially after losing my Grandma this past year, I would hate to have anything happen to the blanket.

I collect Nightmare Before Christmas stuff. I love anything by Tim Burton, and this was the first movie I saw with my fiance when they re-released it in 3D. (Below are pictures of one of my NBC snow globes and one of my cat, Jasper wearing a Jack Skellington hat).





I do have a blog written under a pseudonym, ccatbqfm.blogspot.com/

In 10 years time, I hope to be successful enough that I can afford to spend lots of quality time with those that I love. Artistically, I hope that I can find ways to continue to fund-raise for the American Cancer Society and other causes by creating things that I enjoy making. Crafting is in my blood, and even if I can never make a successful business, I'll be happy as long as I'm still creating.

(Below is a picture of myself and two friends at the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk, I'm the one in the KISS T-shirt, KISS drummer Peter Criss is a breast cancer survivor)

Thank you so much for sharing!!!
xoxo

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Finds 'n' Fancies

Afternoon, teammates! My quasi-inner goth is crying out again!

 Spring Barns in Hamburg etching by ThePolkaDotMagpie

Garden Detail by 88editions

1853 Morris Butterfly print from slinkymalinkicat


 
 Here's more from our team if you have a need to indulge your inner--or outer--goth!

--Katie :D

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Weekly Challenge

Hello lovelies!
It's time to announce our Weekly Challenge winner!
This week's theme was "fortune"

Our winner is Melinda from Crabapple Vintage
with her
shabby chic vintage tin.

Andrea (who choose our winner this week) said, "Wow, this is a tough decision! I think I'm going to have to go with Melinda's tin, though, because I love her description of fortune having an air of not only mystery, but of possibility as well. I think her tin captures that mystique perfectly.”

Congratulations Melinda!

A huge, hugtastic thank you to our only other participant:
Erica from Mazzy Jewelry Designs

You can check out her fabulous entry
on our Weekly Challenge page.

Melinda's choice
for this week's theme:
"rejuvenation"

To participate in the fun:
1) Start creating!
2) List the item in your Etsy shop.
3) Contact me with a link to your entry by next Monday (January 31st) at 12 midnight EST.

**I want to remind all of our teammates
who sell vintage or supplies that you can enter too!**


I also want to make sure that everyone knows you don't have to create something brand spanking new for the Weekly Challenge. If there's something in your shop that fits the theme, enter it!

I will post all of the lovely entries on our Weekly Challenge page as they come in. The new winner will be posted here next Wednesday. The winner then gets to choose the following week's theme, and of course, it's winner!

Happy creating!
xo, Jen

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Fresh New Year Treasury Challenge

After some very serious deliberation...
Here are our 9 finalists!



Once Upon Another Fresh New Year...

Make Colorful Memories in a Fresh New Year
Fresh New Year in Color


I'm Looking At The Fresh New Year!

Fresh As A Daisy In This Fresh New Year


A Fresh New Year- Crisp Greens...

A fresh new year...be cool,calm, and creative!

Breathe the Fresh Air of a Fresh New Year!

The Gift of a Fresh New Year


Thank you so much to all who participated in our first challenge of the New Year!

Voting will end Sunday, January 30th at Noon so lets get voting!!




Which is the Freshest of the New Year??
Once Upon Another Fresh New Year
Make Colorful Memories in a Fresh New Year
Fresh New Year in Color
I'm Looking at a Fresh New Year
Fresh As A Daisy In This Fresh New Year
Fresh New Year- Crisp Greens
A Fresh New Year- be cool, calm and creative
Breath the Fresh Air of a Fresh New Year
The Gift of a Fresh New Year
pollcode.com free polls

Friday, January 21, 2011

Member Interview

Introducing...

Hi, my name is Patty Woodside and the name of my shop is Patidecaz. My shop name is a mixture of my name, my birthday is in December, and I live in Arizona. I'm married to an adoring and loving husband, we've been together for just over 25 years. We raised a blended family together (1 daughter, 3 sons), we have eight grandkids (4 girls, 4 boys). We enjoy boating on the lakes, camping, and hiking. We love to travel.


I joined Etsy in June of last year to sell my pink bracelets I made to help a friend raise money for the Komen 3-Day Walk. It was held in Phoenix, Arizona in November.
I have had breast cancer twice in two years, and then had breast reconstruction with tissue expanders (for seven months). My last surgery was in September, 2010.
In the past, I have participated in several cancer walks - but last year, I just helped with fundraising.
I had read about Etsy Project Embrace on the Storque blog. I knew then that EPE was the team I needed to be involved with.



I'll tell you a secret - My entire Etsy shop is kept inside a brown leather ottoman in my livingroom.
I sell many different things in my shop. I have pink bracelets, small quilted items, jewelry that I made, vintage jewelry, linens and other vintage items, craft supplies, pincushions, little girl's dresses, and a Pay it Forward section.
Lately, I've been working on several things made from Pendleton wool.
I try to make something everyday (often, several things). It's a great motivation for creativity, and I am never bored. There's a quote by Picasso that says: "Inspiration exists, but it has to find us working"
I sew, make quilts, make jewelry, knit socks, crochet, cross stitch, embroider, make cards, scrapbooks, and I am writing a book with my granddaughters.




I would have to say that my favorite creations are the quilts that I make. My family is very important to me - they are the recipiants of most of my quilts.
I am also a member of Project Linus - a national organization that provides all kinds of blankets to children in need. The blankets are distributed to hospitals, police and fire stations, and disaster aid services. It's important to me to do something that matters.

I have a blog. You can find me here at
patidecaz.blogspot.com





My favorite possession would have to be my sewing machine - and my craft room. I am happiest when I can assemble some supplies and put them together to make something wonderful. It's very rewarding to me.

Besides collecting craft supplies, I am a collector of Postcards, Huckleberry Hound, and Sock Monkey.





What are my goals as to where I'd like to be with my artistic talents in 10 years?

I enjoy challenges and always love to try something new. I strive to do things that will make a difference in someone else's life.

As our technology keeps evolving, Who knows? Maybe one day I'll be cyber-crafting with aliens from another universe! Wouldn't that be wild?!

In the meantime, I'll just keep on living life to the fullest and staying cancer-free!




Thank you so much for sharing!!!
xoxo

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Finds 'n' Fancies

Good morning, team! The following color scheme of teal & mustard mixed with earth tones has been chasing me around the web the past couple weeks, but I've corralled it long enough to share it with you all today. Enjoy!

Hooded Infinity Scarf by NorthChild


Library of Camo nail polish from StrangeBeautiful




 Honey Bee cup by GlazedOver


So much texture! I love it! More earth-toned goodness, courtesy of our team here.

--katie :D

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Weekly Challenge

Hello lovelies!
It's time to announce our Weekly Challenge winner!
This week's theme was "saucy"

Our winner is Andrea from Sacred Suds
with her
Valentine Hot Goddess Gift Set of Handmade Soap.

Joe (who got to choose our winner this week) said, "I could easily give both of these artists a Blue Ribbon for First Place." But he chose Andrea's entry because "bearing in mind the 'saucy' challenge, I find that the soap maker created a complete package of color, fragrance and well researched descriptions that are both satisfying and 'saucy.'”

Congratulations Andrea!

A huge, hugtastic thank you to our only other participant:
Pearl from The Beading Gem

You can check out her fabulous entry
on our Weekly Challenge page.

Andrea's choice
for this week's theme:
"fortune"

"I think it can be interpreted lots of different ways," said Andrea. "And I can't wait to see what the team comes up with."

To participate in the fun:
1) Start creating!
2) List the item in your Etsy shop.
3) Contact me with a link to your entry by next Monday (January 24th) at 12 midnight EST.

**I just want to remind all of our teammates
who sell vintage or supplies that you can enter too!**


I also want to make sure that everyone knows you don't have to create something brand spanking new for the Weekly Challenge. If there's something in your shop that fits the theme, enter it!

I will post all of the lovely entries on our Weekly Challenge page as they come in. The new winner will be posted here next Wednesday. The winner then gets to choose the following week's theme, and of course, it's winner!

Happy creating!
xo, Jen

Friday, January 14, 2011

Member Interview

Introducing....

Hello, I'm Anne from WishArtGlass. I've been a professional glass artist for 15 years. I design and make stained and fused glass candle holders, suncatchers, jewelry, and garden accents. I currently live in Pikeville, KY, although I've lived most of my life in Cincinnati, OH. I live with my wonderful husband, Sam and my 5 year old son, Nathan. We have two dogs, Tiggy (we refer to her as a "pitiful bull") and Rose (a tiny "Chorkie" we found hiding in our bushes).

Wish was the name of my brick and mortar shop/gallery which I owned in Cincinnati. I closed the shop when my son was born. Before Wish I owned a funky little vintage and handcrafted store in Columbus, Ohio. Etsy seemed a natural fit for me.

I found Etsy Project Embrace after being included in a treasury curated by Mollie of RoughMagicCreations. I had been looking for a team. I liked the strong sense of community on this team and there is no doubt that this is a wonderful cause. I'm absolutely grateful to have been able to connect with such caring people.

When I discovered glass, I never looked back. I'm self taught. I get an idea and then I experiment until I make it happen. I always keep my mind open to "happy accidents" because they often send me in a new direction.




My day usually starts after I drop my son at kindergarten. I grab a cup of coffee then hit the computer. I answer emails, list/renew items, check treasuries, tweet, and then fill any orders. By late morning I'm cutting glass. The images typically need to dry for a few hours, so then I solder and bead the previous day's fusings. After lunch I return to the freshly cut pieces, add any details to them, then load them into the kiln. I usually fire it later in the evening. In the afternoon I drop off packages at the post office and then pick my son up from school. Evenings are spent with my family. I blog and check emails again aftr my son has gone to sleep. I find it hard to stay awake after 10 pm. So much for my previous rock & roll lifestyle!





I collect blown glass and Mid Century Modern home decor. I also have an incredible collection of vintage fabric. I used to sew frequently but haven't had much time to endulge in that for a while. I would have to say that my favorite item is this venus fly trap. My husband and son planted and have nurtured it together. It's strangely entertaining.





I blog at www.wishartglass.blogspot.com. I'm also on Facebook www.facebook.com/pages/Wish-Art-Glass-Anne-Simon/56600659065?ref=mf and twitter as wishartglass. I read more on Twitter that I tweet. It's become my personalized news feed. My blogging is inconsistent at best. When I'm busy with work I neglect the blog (and housekeeping, apparently).





In 10 years I hope to have a happy son in high school and to continue to grow closer to my husband. We would love to travel internationally as our son gets older. I just started working on my business full time again this Fall after staying home with my son. This past year saw incredible growth, which I hope will continue. I want to broaden my skill set. I've been playing with more lampworking techniques which I plan to incorporate along with other techniques into more upscale home decor items. I love my bread and butter suncatchers and candle holders, but have some fabulous ideas for bigger items!




Thursday, January 13, 2011

Finds 'n' Fancies

Good morning, team! I've found quite a few things I'm into this week so, rather than try to contain them all into little boxes, I'm just going to plaster them to this page. Lately, I've been really into this primitive/folksy/whimsical aesthetic--not sure why, exactly--so I'm going to foist it on you and hope you enjoy! (Click images for links)

First, these original, painted photographs from team member, maclancy. Why am I just now discovering these?! Too pretty to be considered irreverent yet so deliciously arbitrary. They make me way happy!
 

 
Next, girls' dresses from designer Aneeth Arora. I love the feeling of age that comes from something so new. 

How about these mixed media lavender sachets from team member, LaTouchables? Relaxing and gorgeous!
In keeping with the whole mixed-media theme, Spring no. 19 from missouribendstudio:

 And finally (or else I'll go on forever...), some lovely vintage bric-a-brac from team members, 5gardenias...


...and simplysuzula
 

I enjoyed reading your comments from last week's color trends post! I always read them, but--despite my best intentions--don't always get a chance to respond. I'd love to hear what you all are into these days. My eyes never stop craving candy!
Have a sweet day, everyone! --katie :D