Etsy Feature: ♥Sparkling Stars - Handmade Jewelry by Ishi♥

ENTRIES FOR THIS GIVEAWAY ARE NOW CLOSED - THANKS TO EVERYONE THAT ENTERED!!Etsy Feature: ♥Sparkling Stars - Handmade Jewelry by Ishi♥
Shop Name: Sparkling Stars

What do you make? I find small things that I love and put them together in ways that I find beautiful. Making jewelry is a way for me to be a collector (of tiny beautiful supplies) and creator. I can nurture my tendancy to be a hoarder and obsessively seek out new things and collect them. Having a shop lets me incorporate other things I love to do - take photos, network and keep up with fashions.

How did you first pick up your craft? I found jewelry making through my obsession with my own jewelry shopping and with wanting that perfect piece that I couldn't quite find but could see so clearly in my mind. I'm always so flattered and excited when people compliment my work and decide they want some for themselves.

What are you inspired by? So many things... when I've felt 'stuck' in the past I have found inspiration by going to art museums, browsing photos on flickr, design blogs, fashion blogs, finding new supplies, learning new techniques and sometimes by taking apart old pieces I've made and putting them back together in a new way.

Tell me about yourself? I've loved mathematics for a long time, I actually majored in math when I was in college. There were definitely times I thought about pulling my hair out over complicated proofs, but there's always a satisfaction once you're done, like solving a puzzle. Sometimes I get the same feeling from putting together jewelry - that "ah ha" moment when you've figured out the correct answer/design and everything falls into place beautifully.

Other etsy shops you love:

Some you may not have seen before:
snaulkter, The New Adventures of Betty Turbo, and Mod Pug

Oldies but goodies:
ArtisanImpact, Abigail A. Percy - Designer Jewellery, Letterary Press, Ramona West Vintage Boutique, Lookability, Salvage Life, and The Frantic Meerkat

Ok, I will stop listing shops because there are just too many amazing ones on etsy! I am constantly browsing around and finding amazing artists... my blog is a good source for finding which shops I love!

Advice for fellow artists/crafters? I feel so strange giving advice to others since I still feel like I am new to all this, but what has worked best for me is to keep working - be humble - and put care and effort into every part of what you do.


♥GIVEAWAY♥
This weeks giveaway is just so amazing and I am so excited to be able to offer all of you such an amazing piece!! So excited in fact that I wish I could enter my own giveaways, because I would totally rock this necklace!!!

Ishi has graciously offered the absolutely stunning Chenoa Necklace from her etsy shop to one lucky reader of this blog! So if you're like me and love gorgeous, modern jewelry then this is the perfect giveaway for you!!

How to enter:: RUN, dont walk, on over to Sparkling Stars 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 because Ishi makes some seriously fabulous pieces!!

Standard Rules apply ---> You must leave a way for me to get ahold of you in case you win! On Wednesday 06/04/08 I'll announce the winner provided at least 10 people have entered this giveaway!..... what are you waiting for??? Go and check out the amazing goodies at Sparkling Stars!!!

Wonderful Wednesday

Ooooh look! I made a treasury today... and it would be fabulous if you all went on commented on it *hint hint* :-)

Well, its Wednesday again! Yay! So you all know what that means!! Its time to announce to winner from last weeks incredable giveaway courtesty of Gwen from The Little Faerie Shop!!

As always I used the Random Number Generator website to make sure that the prize is awarded fair and square. BIG Thank Yous to all of you who entered for a chance to win!!

CONGRATS to Jennifer Ladd who wins the Ressort Bleu de Scintillement Pendant from Gwen's etsy shop.

And of course be sure to be here tommorow for this weeks new giveaway featuring the stunningly sweet items from Sparkling Stars - Handmade Jewelry by Ishi!!

Relaxataion

Ahhh relaxation! In a house with two little boys its not really something I get too much of. Thus why this memorial day weekend was so fabulous! We spent Saturday evening and all day Sunday at the Mikes Grandmas cottage on the Juniata River just relaxing, having fun, and enjoying nature and the warm weather. The water was still cold seeing as we've had nothing but crappy cold, and rainy weather here in western Pennsylvania for like 2 weeks, but we did get to stick our feet in and skip rocks, which was loads of fun, especially for Brayden who takes to water like a fish!! Its just so nice to spend that much time outdoors after being cooped up in the house so much! So nice in fact I thought that I would share a few pictures with you all out here in blog-land :-)

Want a Journal??

Want to win this journal absolutely FREE?? - Then head on over the the amazing feature/giveaway the totally awesome Justina is hosting over at On My Perch!!!You know you wanna!!

Etsy Feature: ♥The Little Faerie Shop - Storybook and Nature-Inspired Glitters and Bobbles♥

Etsy Feature: ♥The Little Faerie Shop - Storybook and Nature-Inspired Glitters and Bobbles♥
Shop Name: The Little Faerie Shop

What do you make? I create pendants, rings, hair pins, brooches, and earrings using polymer clay and vintage buttons and cabs. I try to keep a good mix of colors and patterns. I love visual feasts, so that's what I try to present to my customers!

How did you first pick up your craft? I love jewelry, especially colorful, inexpensive stuff that reminds me of stories, movies, and things from my childhood. I really wanted to experiment with some of the vintage pieces that I was finding in nearby antique stores and flea markets, so I kept working at putting pieces together.

What are you inspired by? Mainly by stories -- children's classics are my favorite. I am inspired greatly by the colors and emotions in many films as well. I use my love of literature as inspiration for my crafts.

Tell me about yourself? I am a technical writer for a software company by day. I live with my fiancee and cat near Baltimore, MD. I hold a master's degree in writing, and I am working on my MLS in information science. I also love trading on Swap-Bot. Between work, school, and etsy, I'm a busy gal!

Other etsy shops you love: I love the whole lot! I must say that my all-time favorites would be Imogen and Fat Daddy Bake Shop aka Bangerang Bake Shop. I really admire their ability to grow a business with such sharp, original products.

Advice for fellow artists/crafters? Keep working on it, do what you like, not what will sell!


♥GIVEAWAY♥
This weeks giveaway is just so sweet and I am so excited to be able to offer all of you such an great prize! Gwen of The Little Faerie Shop has graciously offered the adorable Ressort Bleu de Scintillement Pendant from her shop to one lucky reader of this blog! So if you love super cute jewelry and adornments then this is the perfect giveaway for you!!

How to enter:: RUN, dont walk, on over to The Little Faerie Shop and leave a comment here stating your favorite item from this spectauclarly adorable shop! I guarentee that you'll have a hard time picking out your favorite because the sweet little confections in this shop are absolutely fabulous!!

Standard rules apply ---> You must leave a way for me to get ahold of you in case you win! On Wednesday 05/28/08 I'll announce the winner provided at least 10 people have entered this giveaway!..... what are you waiting for??? Go and check out the amazing goodies at The Little Faerie Shop !!

Percy the Devil Cat

My cat is a spaz. Really she is. Her name is Percy, named by my then 4 year old son, Brayden, a name which he of course had to borrow from his favorite train on Thomas the Tank Engine. (At the time she was just a kitty and we thought she was a boy... oops!) I, however, ever so affectionately refer to her as "Devil Cat".

Percy's favorite activities include sprinting through the house like a crazy cat, climbing up the door frames until she reaches the ceiling and then jumping back down, attacking her food bowl and spilling the contents sailing across the kitchen floor and then batting them around, freaking out when the heat comes out of the floor vents, and on occasion, pooping in my bathtub. Oh and she plays Hot Wheels with my kiddos, they'll push a car to her and she'll bat it back, that really doesn't do much for my case here, but its cute and I thought I would share!

Anyways, when people come over to my house Percy aka Devil Cat is always calm and friendly (unless provoked of course) and no one ever believes me that my cat is absolutely, incredibly insane! So this time I got photographic evidence of her newest hobby.....

Toilet Paper Renegade!!

She looks proud doesn't she? ... She even posed for the pictures! DEVIL CAT~!

In other news, its Wednesday, so its time to pick a winner from last weeks feature/giveaway courtesty of the fabulous Flaunt It Maternity!!

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

So CONGRATS to Tia of ChristopherAndTia (I assume Christopher will not be wearing this maternity shirt, lol) who wins an adorable Red Hot Hibiscus Tee, and who also happens to be preggers!! Ahh the random number generator scores again! I swear that thing has ESP or something!

And of course be sure to be here tommorow for this weeks new giveaway featuring the beautifully sweet items from The Little Faerie Shop - Storybook and Nature-Inspired Glitters and Bobbles!!!

How Does Your Garden Grow?

It looks like this summer is going to be a busy one... and its not even summer yet! Braydens baseball has been keeping me pretty busy, along with the pretty big influx of sales and custom orders I've been receiving from my etsy shops (which is an awesome thing!) and just trying to balance family life into all of that. Something had to give, and unfortunatly as of late its been updating my blog in a timely manor.

Sunday was an amazing and super fun day! My mother in law took the kiddos for a bit and for a few hours I wasnt chasing around a 17 month old or playing Hot Wheels with a 5 year old. Hey moms need a brake too!!! So rather than waste the time Mike and I decided to spend the day at a few of our local nurseries picking out flowers for our yard (veggies are next week!) It was chilly out, but just doing something with a springy/summer feel to it makes you warm... its funny how that works. So 2 flats and a huge box of flowers (of mostly Dahlias and Begonias- I love Dahlias and Begonias!) later our break was over, and it was fabulous!

Oh and in other good news, we talked to our travel agent who contacted Disney, and apparently a LOT of people are having the same problem with their stimulus money as we are, expecting direct deposit but having to wait for a paper check. They, ever so awesomely, agreed to push our payment schedule back a month... so, provided we get the check on time, the trips still on! Disney here we come!!! ... oh that drive from PA to FL should be ..... fun. But I cant wait!

And of course it would be rude of my to not leave you with a peek at my newest journal and necklace :-)

I Got Featured!

Ok, so how cool is this! I'm currently featured on the main page of the Crafts Portal channel in the TalentDatabase!

And they gave me this fancy little clicky badge thing to put on my blog to link you to my feature... it really would be rude of you not to click seeing as they went to all that trouble.... :-P

Etsy Feature: ♥Flaunt It! Maternity♥

Etsy Feature: ♥Flaunt It Maternity♥
Shop Name: Flaunt It Maternity

What do you make? Stylish maternity tees made for growing pregnant bellies that are cool and comfortable.

How did you pick you first craft? I felt a need for cute maternity clothes while pregnant for the first time.

What are you inspired by? My first pregnancy and lack of what to wear everyday that was both easy and cool but affordable.

Tell Me About Yourself: Im from Hawaii and have a two year old son and another son due next month. I love to work out and stay in shape and I have an Exercise Science degree from th University of Hawaii. I was a flight attendant for Aloha Airlines for 6 years and am now just working on this business until my son is born so it enables me to stay home longer with him.

Other etsy shops you love:
Spa Therapy Works
Savor
Birth Designs

Advice for fellow artists/crafters? This type of business can get discouraging, but continue to do what you love and work hard, it will pay off!!

♥GIVEAWAY♥
This weeks giveaway is absolutely fabulous and I'm so excited to be able to offer all of you such an awesome prize! Jodi of Flaunt It Maternity has graciously offered an adorable Red Hot Hibiscus Tee from her shop. So if you are expecting a little miracle of your own or know someone who is, this is the perfect giveaway for you!!

How to enter:: RUN, dont walk, on over to Flaunt It Maternity and leave a comment here stating your favorite item from this spectauclarly adorable shop! I guarentee that you'll have a hard time picking out your favorite because this shop is absolutly fabulous!!

Standard rules apply ---> You must leave a way for me to get ahold of you in case you win! On Wednesday 05/21/08 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 Flaunt It Maternity

Things Are Better In Florida

I've been having kind of a crappy week. What better place to vent than my blog right?

I got screwed by uncle sam :-( My family falls into that ever so wonderful (sarcasm!) percentage of people who are not getting their economic stimulus payment direct deposited because we opted to file our taxes with Turbo Tax and had the preperation fees taken out of our return... thus brining in a 3rd party to e-filing and as an end result we have to wait for a paper check. No biggie right? Well normally I would say so, I mean hey, it is bonus money that we otherwise would not be getting, however, we booked a gigantic 8 day vacation to Disney World with it which has to be paid off by mid-June. Oh did I mention we are dead last on the schedual to recieve our payment and rather than getting it on May 16th like we thought (and planned our finances around!) we wont be getting it until July 11th.

So that means no trip, at least not during the time we planned it to be. Looks like we'll have to rebook, and even then our options are limited because Brayden starts kindergarten this year and I'd hate to have him miss any school for a vacation... his learning and social devlopment are more important than Mr Toads Wild Ride!

But we will go! I'm determined... and I refuse to let my kids down like that, particularly with something so huge :-)

Anyways, on to happier events! Its time to pick a winner from last weeks fabulous blog giveaway courtesy of Vixen and Venus! Yay!

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

So CONGRATS to Bethany of Love, September who gets to choose a Sugar Scrub of her choice!!

And of course be sure to be here tommorow for this weeks new giveaway featuring lots of tummy happy pieces from Flaunt It Maternity!!

Shhhh! The Baby is Sleeping

Super Sleepy Lazy Cat Percy
Super Sleepy Baby Boy Gage
... I'm just saying... :-)

Etsy Feature: ♥Vixen and Venus♥

Etsy Feature: ♥Vixen and Venus♥
Shop Name: Vixen and Venus

What do you make? I make Handcrafted Bath and Body Products! Most of which are all natural except for fragrance and preservative (for customer benefit, no one wants little ickies growing).

How did you first pick up your craft? I was seven when my grandmother taught me how to make soap. I didn't start selling anything I made until a few years ago.

What are you inspired by? People! I love to hear what my clients want. I start there. Besides they are the reason I am here!

Tell me about yourself? I am just an average girl from the farm. Single mother of three of the best and craziest kids. I expect great things from the world and from myself. Other than that it's all gravy!
Other etsy shops you love: Wow! So many but if I have to pick then here they are:
Teeny Beak Creations
This Is It! Creations
Accessory a la Mode

Advice for fellow artists/crafters? Stay true to yourself under all circumstances! Enjoy every moment of what you do or don't do it!

♥GIVEAWAY♥
This weeks giveaway is absolutely incredable and I'm so thrilled to be able to offer all of you such an amazing prize! Vixen and Venus has graciously offered up anything in her shop, my choice! Well as a customer of hers, and a lover of her fabulous sugar scrub (I use the Pina Coloda!) the winner will get to go into this luxe shop and pick out your own very favorite Sugar Scrub! I promise, you'll love it!!

How to enter:: RUN, dont walk, on over to Vixen and Venus 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 this shop is filled with scrumptious goodies! Everybody loves B&B!

Standard rules apply ---> You must leave a way for me to get ahold of you in case you win! On Wednesday 05/14/08 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 Vixen and Venus