Etsy Feature: ♥TotusMel Tats♥

Etsy Feature: ♥TotusMel Tats♥

Shop Name: TotusMel Tats

What do you make? I make mostly tatted jewelry from both vintage patterns and my own designs. Recently I've been branching out with tatted scarves and hats.

How did you first pick up your craft? I learned tatting after a period of boredom with knitting and crochet just a couple of years ago. I found needle tatting online and taught myself with a book from the craft store in one day, though I'm much better at it now.

What are you inspired by? I am inspired by vintage patterns as well as gothic, steampunk and victorian jewelry. Sometimes I try to replicate metal designs with tatting. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

Tell me about yourself? I'm a 31 year old stay at home mom to 2 little girls 1 and 4(next month). Before etsy, I spent most of my time reading comic books and playing video games. Now I spend most of my time with my girls and my laptop.

Other etsy shops you love: Ooh, etsy shops I love...I love StilettoHeights and gemmafactrix, TimothyAdamDesigns and DownToTheWireDesigns, ahna and BoringSidney. I'm gonna leave out so many people I truly love. I've become quite a handmade addict over the last two years.

Advice for fellow artists/crafters? My blog is full of really harsh advice for people, but my nice advice is: make what you love and it doesn't matter if you sell 1 or 100 pieces, you'll still be happy.

♥GIVEAWAY♥
This weeks giveaway is absolutely incredable and I'm so thrilled to be able to offer all of you such an amazing prize! Pamela of TotusMel Tats has graciously offered this stunning Grand Daisy Pendant from her etsy shop to the lucky winner of this weeks blog giveaway!

How to enter:: RUN, dont walk, on over to TotusMel Tats and leave a comment here stating your favorite item from this spectauclar shop! I guarentee that you'll have a hard time picking out your favorite though as Pamela's shop is filled with amazingly gorgeous items!

Standard rules apply ---> You must leave a way for me to get ahold of you in case you win! On Tuesday 05/06/08 I'll announce the winner provided at least 20 people have entered this giveaway!..... what are you waiting for??? Go and check out the amazing goodies at TotusMel Tats!!

We Have A Winner Folks!

Its Tuesday Again!! - aka ThisOldHenHouse Blog Giveaway Winner Day! Yahoo!

I had an amazing feature/giveaway last week courtesty of the wonderfully talented, and all around awesome, Lori of AlluRing and this weeks winner gets to choose a ring of their choice from this fantastic shop!

I again used the Random Number Generator website to make sure that this coveted prize is awarded fairly! BIG thank yous to all of you who commented for a chance to win!

Big Congrats to Lesley of Banana Pants Clothes for winning this weeks giveaway!!!

And of course be sure to be here tommorow for this weeks new giveaway featuring the stunning work of TotusMel Tats!!

Necklaces Necklaces Everywhere

When I first started out on Etsy in September of 07 I was making and selling necklaces. I'm not quite sure how, but someone different interests sparked and I got completely away from that. I miss it. So over the past few weeks whenever I had some extra moolah floating around my paypal account I've been buying little odds and ends and jewelry componants to make into necklaces and get back to my roots so to speak :-)

Its been a good few days, I've managed to feel creative in an original way that I missed, got a bunch of necklaces made and listed, and sold 5 of them within 24 hours!!

In order to find success, both professionally and personally, you HAVE to get back to doing what you love simply because you LOVE doing it ♥

Thats my motivational speech of the day folks.

Presidental Chow Down

For those of you who read my Bill Clinton Post I would like to share with you a few pictures from last week.

Introducing Hillary Clinton's Grilled Chicken Salad - minus the olives I picked out

Presidental food never tasted so good!! hehe :-)

Etsy Feature: ♥AlluRing - Handcrafted Jewelry by Lori♥

Etsy Feature: ♥AlluRing - Handcrafted Jewelry by Lori♥
Shop name: AlluRing

What do you make? First and foremost I make rings.....LOTS of rings. It's sort of an obsession~lol. I do dabble in other jewelry, though, and in the coming weeks you will be seeing a lot of new items such as earrings, necklaces, and bracelets hit my shop (hopefully!)

How did you first pick up your craft? I have been 'artsy' since I was really young. For as long as I can remember I have had this need to create. I was constantly drawing, making my own paperdolls and comic books. I drove my folks nuts with the amount of paper I would go through.

In college, I majored in illustration ~ I have a bachelors' degree in it. In my junior year the university I was attending re-opened the jewelry/metalworking shop (it had been closed due to lack of funding) for a few semesters. It was LOVE at first solder! To be able to make and wear my creations~what fun it was! I even did my workstudy in the jewelry lab so I could spend more time in there. Sadly, the funding fell through again and the lab did not re-open again until several years after I graduated. I hear they have a fantastic department now.

I dabbled off and on with jewelrymaking over the years, but wire wrapping is actually fairly new to me. About a year ago I picked up a book that had instructions for simple wire wrapped rings. I had been looking for the perfect mother's birthstone ring ~ I then became inspired to try my hand at making my own. It re-affirmed my love of creating. I started making more rings for friends and family, then I started selling my creations at the OpenMarket here in New Bedford once a month. They went over pretty well. From there I finally got brave enough to open my own Etsy shop. Now it is like a second job(that I love)!

What are you inspired by? Pretty much anything and everything. I walk through a bead shop and see beads that I instantly want to make something out of. I literally have drawers filled with beads and wire! I probably ought to destash some~lol!

Tell me about yourself: 42 years young(this June)~I have a nearly 7 year old and a nearly 16 year old. I work full time as a toddler teacher, which is why my shop isn't always as fully stocked as I'd like. Sometimes I come home from work and I am wiped out. Toddlers are busy little people! (and so are 7 year olds and 16 year olds!)

Other Etsy shops you love:
Where do I begin?? I have 78 pages of favorites! (as of this writing)
WeeBeeUniques - beautiful freehand(no pattern) crocheted items and sweet jewelry
Lauren Smash Toys - adorable handmade plushies
tinaseamonster - fun handscreened t-shirts
Milena's Supply Shop - fabulous handmade jewelry findings
Perfect Children - funky fun plushies by Marc~who is a wonderful person to deal with
and many,many MORE!!!!!!!! Shopping on Etsy is my addiction :D

Advice to fellow artist/crafters? Don't just dream it ~ do it!!! Take it from me, it is never too late:)

♥GIVEAWAY♥

This weeks giveaway is absolutely incredable and I'm so thrilled to be able to offer all of you such a wonderful prize from not only one of my favorite etsy shops, but from a seller who makes rings that I own, wear all of the time, and love!! Lori is an awesome chick and also my first etsy customer from my Twist This shop and I'm so delighted to be able to call her my friend!!

Lori of AlluRing has graciously offered any ring from her store (excluding stacking sets) to the lucky winner of this weeks blog giveaway! You Pick It!! And I can personally attest that these rings are FABULOUS!

How to enter:: RUN, dont walk, on over to AlluRing and leave a comment here stating your favorite item from this spectauclar shop! I guarentee that you'll have a hard time picking out your favorite though as Lori's shop is filled with amazing items!

Standard rules apply ---> You must leave a way for me to get ahold of you in case you win! On Tuesday 4/29 I'll announce the winner provided at least 20 people have entered this giveaway!..... what are you waiting for??? Go and check out the amazing goodies at AlluRing

A Perfectly Wonderful Day For Picking Winners!

Hey! I voted today! It's election day in PA today and it's a particularly important day because we get to vote in the Presidential Democratic Primary Race which is usually long since decided and doesnt make it to Pennsylvania. So but of course I got out and performed my civic duty and voted today!

I, also, of course thought that it would be appropiate to rock my Barack Obama earrings from cbtscloset!!

And but of course, keeping with the spirit of choosing winners today, its that time again!! Its time to pick the winner of last weeks Giveaway from the fabulous etsy shop of Justin Vining!!

I again used the Random Number Generator website to make sure that this coveted prize is awarded fairly! BIG thank yous to all of you who commented for a chance to win!

Congratulations to Nikki of the etsy shop Gabriel's Aunt Soy and Essential Candles who wins any item of her choice from the shop of Justin Vining priced at $20 or below!

And of course be sure to be here tommorow for this weeks new giveaway featuring the stunning work of AlluRing - Handcrafted Jewelry by Lori!!

A Little of This... A Little of That

Happy Monday all. (Ugh... Mondays suck!)

I'm so excited and happy to promote my dear friend Dancing Mooney's awesome Whats In The Bag giveaway!

She's giving away LOTS of amazing goodies from some really wonderful and talented etsy artists, including a journal and a wire wrapped bracelet from yours truely! So go and check out her blog and enter for a chance to win. Everybody loves free stuff!

In other news.... hmm... wow, I dont really have any other earth shattering other news. I've been so busy the past few days, but with any luck things will be falling into more of a pattern shortly. Brayden started little league baseball last week and has practices alot... and but of course the stepson of the guy I used to date before my husband is on his team which I'm sure will make for one incredably aukward Spring and Summer~!

These little flip top journals are my new obsession of the week, I love making them and I got some really awesome paper so there are all kinds of fun quirky designs coming up! Oh and I got my ACEO blanks in the mail today (yay!) so look for some fun original art coming from me in the next few days too!

24 hours in one day is just NOT enough! ... I'm starting a petition for at least an extra hour... anyone want to sign?

Crisp, Clean, and Busy as Ever!

Ok, so I've totally been neglecting my blog over the weekend! I appologize to few of you out there in blogger/etsy land who faithfully read my blog. Thursday through today has been the busiest I've ever been in regards to my This Old Hen House etsy shop. I've had a ton of orders, lots of them customs, and I've been working on an 80 piece wholesale order too! (yay!) Anyhoo, I nabbed a treasury the other evening and I thought I would share some of the crisp clean whites that I am lovin with you all :-)

Book Binding Machine

Yay! My Bind it All came in the mail the other day!! I honestly havent been able to put in down since!! I'm pumping out all kinds of handbound books now and slowly but surely getting some new things listed in my etsy shop.

I can't even begin to describe how excited I am about this amazing little tool! Soon I'll be adding recipe card books and address books to my shop! But for now, check out the journals / sketchbooks that I've listed so far!

I love getting this excited about a new project!! Its like its all coming together now :-)

Etsy Feature: Justin Vining

Etsy Feature: Justin Vining

Shop Name: I have not really formed a formal shop name, however, if I did it would go something like: Justin Vining Fine Art Studios

What do you make? I am primarily a watercolor painter with some drawing and acrylics thrown into the mix. Oh ya, I love doodling too!

How did you first pick up your craft? I first gained interest in art during my high school art classes, this evolved into a B.A. in Art Education from Purdue University and finally a full time position, teaching elementary art for three years. While a teacher, I was able to continue painting on my own and through the inspiration of my students, was able to form a style of my own.

What are you inspired by? Wonderful question, everything, anything, but specifically my childhood on the family farm, the stars in our night sky and the creative minds of the students I taught.


Tell me about yourself? Currently, I am about to finish my first year of law school, which has proved to be a new kind of challenge that has had both had its ups and its downs. While in school, I have continued to find time to create and feel like the hours spent in the library has reflected into bright compositions with layers personal expression. Along with creating, I am an avid cyclist, enjoy rock climbing and can solve a rubik's cube at near record breaking speeds.

Other Etsy shops you love? TONS of them but if I can only name a few:
Cindy Thornton, wonderful acrylics with a dreamlike quality.
budanART, unique abstract landscapes full of composition and color.
Pyglet wispers, I enjoy doodling as much as any other artist and am incredibly inspired by her work.

Advice for fellow artists/crafters? Chase your dreams and let them guide your work.

***GIVEAWAY***

This weeks giveaway is absolutely fantastic! Justin's artwork is incredable and I'm so thrilled to be offering all of you a chance to own a piece of his work and make it a part of your home!

Justin Vining has graciously offered any item from his shop priced $20 or below, the winners choice!!

How to enter:: RUN, dont walk, on over to Justin Vining's etsy shop and leave a comment here stating your favorite item from his amazing shop! And be forwarned, it's stocked full of amazing original drawings and paintings and beautifully eye-catching prints, so you'll have a hard time choosing your favorite!

Standard rules apply ---> You must leave a way for me to get ahold of you in case you win! On Tuesday 4/22 I'll announce the winner provided at least 20 people have entered this giveaway!..... what are you waiting for??? Go and check out the amazing goodies at Justin Vining!!!

Contest Winner!

Well it seems to be that time again! Yup, its Tuesday and time to announce the winner of my last giveaway from the absolutely spectacular etsy shop MiaBeads! Seriously, if somehow you live under a rock and you either dont know who she is or you missed the giveaway, go check out her etsy shop because Mia's jewelry is fabulous!

Ok, with a whopping 47 entries (awesome!) and a lesson learned from my last giveaway there was no way I was writing all of those numbers/names down and drawing one from a bowl again! I found this handy little Random Number Generator website online here that draws a random integer and picked the winner!

So CONGRATS to lucie39 who wins any pair of earrings from MiaBeads priced $20.00 or less~!!

And of course be sure to be here tommorow for this weeks new giveaway featuring the stunning work of Justin Vining!!

Lifestyles of the Rich and the.... Strange!

I found the most incredable site today all about strange houses that people acctually live in! Some of these places are just so wild! I'm not exactly sure that I'd necessarily want to live in some of them, but they were just too cool not to share :-)

Upside-Down House - Poland
This structure is not a mistake. The upside-down house really was built just as it looks. Designer Daniel Czapiewski created it as a critique of the "upside-down" nature of his country's former communist government.

Floating House - Ukraine
Though it seems to defy the laws of nature, this structure in the Ukraine is apparently supported by the beams on the right hand side of the image. It looks a bit fake, don't you think?

These playful apartments in Montreal feature a unique building block design.

Rotating House - Germany
Architect Rolf Disch was thinking green when he built this structure near Freiburg, Germany. The house rotates with the movement of the sun in winter to save on heating costs. Maybe there's a renter's discount if you get dizzy easily?

Yippie Skippy

Yahoo! I'm in a treasury... so I thought I'd brag a bit! I particularly love this one too becaue its all about good old fashioned snail mail! A BIG thanks to cchiovitti !!!

Paper Towels and Ribbon

A few weeks ago while browsing in our local thrift store (I absolutly LOVE thrist stores! ... and apparently using parenthesis to interject little random thoughts of mine as it seems) my husband came across an old wooden paper towel holder that is meant to be mounted onto a wall, which was broken and missing the rod to hold the acctual paper towels. And but of course I immediatly dismissed it saying "What in the world are we going to do with that thing? We have a paper towel holder. That thing looks like it came out of a 1970's kitchen" But he said that he saw something in it and bought the $2.00 thing, much to my disapproval.

Well, thanks to Mike and his faith that this forgotten paper towel holder could still serve a purpose, a reall good scrubbing, and a 49 cent dowel rod from Wal-Mart, I have an awesome little ribbon holder hanging over my little craft hub! And the shelving all around the thing makes for perfect storage for some (a very very small fraction) of my beads .... and apparently a random ink pad.

So I very humbly admit that my husband was right. He breathed new life into this poor broken thing, and now repurposed it seems to be breathing a new life into my craft area. And boy is it handy!

(Cloudy Day + Semi Dark Room + Crappy Cell Phone Camera = Bad Picture... but you all get the idea)

Etsy Feature: ♥Mia Beads♥

Etsy Feature: ♥Mia Beads♥
Shop Name: Mia Beads

What do you make? Mia Beads is an eclectic mix of jewelry for the young, and young at heart. I make quality pieces that are both trendy and timeless with designs inspired by nature and the vintage components I come across. I love delicate, feminine jewelry- and also bright, vibrant colors. Pearls, lockets, brass, oxidized silver and vintage glass are some of my favorite materials to work with.

How did you first pick up your craft? When I was younger, my mom and grama, who were both crafty and artistic, would buy me these huge bags of plastic beads. I would meticulously sort them and create colorful bracelets. My father built me a playhouse when I was 3 or 4, and I would sell my bracelets to family and friends through the window of my playhouse. (This was a very profitable business, as I would later get the bracelets back, cut them up, and make new ones to sell again!) At age six, my mom found me keeping track of my inventory on Yahtzee scorecards.... I've always had a great sense of business! :0) Over the years, I started using better materials and learning new techniques- I did my first craft show when I was 12 and started working at a bead shop a few years later. Working there, and interacting with so many talented people, taught me so much and helped me find my own style.

What are you inspired by? Mostly nature! I just finished a new bracelet; bright silver with frosted lucite flowers, crystal clear Swarovskis, and glass bell flowers in the palest shade of green- with an incredible luster. Think of an early morning- spring is just beginning to bloom- snowbells are pushing through the dirt, and everything is a little damp... then the sun starts to rise....

Tell me about yourself? I was born "Michelle", named after my father, Michael (in French). My younger brother gave me the nickname "Mia" as a kid, and it stuck. Currently, I'm a very ambitious 21-year-old... I run both my etsy shop and one location in a chain of bead shops, and am working on my business administration degree. I'm a sucker for good food and classic rock- which I also get from my father!

Other etsy shops you love:
Dalinda & JPATPURSES: Feeding my addiction for cute purses and pouches!
Picturesoflily: Gina makes great paper goods, and names them after my favorite songs!
Leeleeoh7: A fab jewelry designer and my good friend "IRL", we're always on the prowl for beads\
UglyAwesomeVintage: A super sweet etsian who makes the best treasuries!
Ellemoss: Photography that is just...cool.
And I could go on.... check out my favorites for more.....!

Advice for fellow artists/crafters? Just make what you love and be original- others will be able to see that passion in your work.
Etsy Advice: Never stop trying to improve! Pictures can always grab more attention, descriptions can always say more, and customers can always be happier!


***GIVEAWAY***
This weeks giveaway is just awesome and also from one of my favorite etsy shops and I'm so thrilled to be able to offer it on my blog!

Mia Beads has graciously offered a free pair of her stunning earrings priced $20 and under (You Pick Em!) from her shop to the winner!

How to enter:: RUN, dont walk, on over to Mia Beads etsy shop and leave a comment here stating your favorite item from her incredible shop! And be forwarned, it's stocked full of goodies, so you'll have a hard time choosing your favorite!

Standard rules apply ---> You must leave a way for me to get ahold of you in case you win!
On Tuesday 4/15 I'll announce the winner provided at least 20 people have entered this giveaway!

..... what are you waiting for??? Go and check out the amazing goodies at Mia Beads!!!

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

Ok, well first off... WHOA! Never in a million years did I ever think that the response to my little blog giveaway would have been so big! I couldnt be happier that each and every one of you found your way to my little hole here on the web and would like to thank all 62 of you!

Stay tuned, because there is an absolutly wonderful etsy artisan feature and giveaway tommorow too! ... I think I'm going to *try* and make it a weekly kinda thing! (So if you want to be featured and have something that you are willing to put up for a giveaway, shoot me an etsy convo!)

Anyways... since there were 62 entries, and there was no way I was writing 62 names on little pieces of paper I just number them and went according to the corresponding number in which everyone posted.

And the winners are!
5th Place - 20% off promo code - Brit of Bohemian Kitty and Tangerine Sunshine
4th Place - 20% off promo code - AmyBuchheit
3rd Place - Amy Butler Note Card Set - Katy of The Country Blossom
2nd Place - Blue Bells - Hypoallergenic Kidney Wire Earrings - Christopher And Tia
1st Place - Lifes a Beach Altered Journal - ara133photography

I'll be contacting everyone tonight and getting addresses and mailing out everyones goodies ASAP~! Thanks again to everyone who participated!

In Full Bloom

I'm been feeling a bit less than stellar. I think I always do this time of the year. I'm not a cold weather/winter type gal by any means. I grew up living right on the shore in Va Beach, so there in turn I suppose I'll always be a beach girl at heart.... even if I do currently reside in the mountains of western Pennsylvania!

I have a serious case of Spring fever! But seriously, dont we all right now? I cant wait to get out and run around in the grass with my boys, take them for a walk down the street to the park, go outside without a coat.... I'm sure you get the drift.

Anyways, today I froze my tootsies off and in an attempt to hurry the warm weather along I broke out the fabulous pair of flip flops that I bought last month at Kohls that have been since collecting dust in my closet.

Yup, thems my feet!

It was cold, thats no lie. But it felt amazing to slide those babies onto my feet! Unfortunatly my ridiciously old toe nail polish was not up to par... but really, I didnt (and still don't!) care.

Anyways. Mike and I took a trip up to Lowes for some garden edge (he says he wants to get it early while the prices are low and the good stuff isnt all sold out, I say he has Spring fever just as bad as I do!) and while we were there my Spring sickness took full effect! I hit the jackpot! All of their spring flowers were 50% off!! Now I doubt any of these will bloom this year, and thats ok, but they are all bulb flowers, so in an attempt to push next years spring on a little faster I bought a cart full of them. Heres to the tulips, hydrengea, and daffodils!

And but of coure I tapped the night off by making myself some sweet little flowers to use in my scrapbook..... as Spring was the theme of the day and all :-)

Oh, and before I forget... I'll be picking a winner for my drawing tommorow, so stay posted! And if you haven't entered yet be sure to do so! ---> Enter Now!

Bind-It-All

Yay! I bought a Bind-It-All tonight!!!!! Yep, thats right, I'm going to be binding all of my own books from now on!! So. Freaking. Excited! Stay tuned for some awesome upcoming projects!

Today, I'm not a ho.

Yahoo! I got a package today! I subscribed to the Mixed Species Blog a little bit ago (LOVE those guys!). Every month they pick someone from their blog readers and give $25.00 worth of items from their shop free. Wellllllll, I won the drawing in Feburary and now I'm rocking my "Today, I'm not a ho" t-shirt! .... Yeahhhh!!!

And here, is my cheeseface:

Yup, so I concede, I'm awful at taking pictures of myself... Buy hey, I won a free shirt and you didnt... so neener neener!

BUT if you do want to win some goodies, then all you have to do is enter my totally awesome GIVEAWAY for a chance as some pretty kick butt (if I dont say so myself) prizes :-)

**GIVEAWAY**

I'm in a bit of a slump. Personally, Emotionally, Physically, and Artistically. So in an effort to rectify that I've decided to take a giant step back and stop worrying about what is and what isnt selling, the etsy forums, all of it. I'm making a vow to myself to get back to doing what I do simply because I LOVE doing it!

So, with that said, its time to celebrate, and what better way to celebrate than with a GIVEAWAY. Yahoo! Free Stuff! Everybody loves free stuff!

So heres the deal, if you'd like to be entered for a chance to win some goodies all you have to do is simply leave a comment on this here fancy schmancy blog post (make sure you let me know how I can get ahold of ya!) and in a week I'll write all of the names entered on a piece of paper and pull one of a hat. - the good old fashioned democratic way!

And of course ANYONE can enter!

I wont draw names until at least 10 people have commented too!

Ok Ok Ok, enough of all of that mumbo jumbo.... lets get on to the prizes~!

1st place - Lifes a Beach Altered Journal (Measures 8 1/2 x 5 1/4 inches)

2nd place - Blue Bells - Hypoallergenic Kidney Wire Earrings

3rd place - Lotus Star Paisley Amy Butler Cards and Envelopes - Set of 6

4th and 5th place winners will recieve a promo code for 20% off any item in either of my 2 shops

Let the games begin :-)