Loopsdesigns

A morning with a 2 and a 4 year old!

2011-10-02T10:59:00.000-07:00

Well after clipping the weekly grocery coupons, starting to clean the kitchen, starting a load of laundry, breaking up a breakfast table fight, cleaning up the straws that ended up everywhere and finally listening to DeLuca tell Tristan that she needs to marry him I can only sit and chuckle at this circus that is my life. I wouldn't trade it but I do wish I could just finish one thing uninterrupted! I am sure the other Mom's out there share the same sentiment. Happy Sunday everyone!

Blogs worth visiting!

2011-10-01T09:34:00.000-07:00

Visual Vocabulary: A picture says a lot and pictures tell beautiful stories on this Blog. It is eye candy just scrolling fast down the pages of entries. I am a busy Mom of a health and eating challenged 2 y/o boy and a vivacious, spicy, rule the world type 4 y/old girl. Blogs have to catch my attention visually first and then keep curiosity long enough to read the blog post. I could spend hours on a Blog like this.

Jesyka posts adorable outfits for her little girl Laelia. Inspiration for little girls anywhere. Laelia is a fashionable little on that is for sure.
Here is outfit #11:Another inspiration from this blog is the transformation of this China Hutch. It is so amazing and has been featured on Design*Sponge, Craft:, apartment therapy and finally Centsatinal Girl. I love it and suddenly feel the urge to go buy a tacky old hutch and give it a glam makeover.

My Blog Silence!

2010-01-17T10:33:00.000-08:00

My blog has been silent for awhile. I thought I would share why. My 8 month old son could not keep any solids down starting at 6 months and was even struggling to keep liquids down. He would spit up 30+ times per hour and was not gaining weight. They kept thinking he was just a "spitty baby" but I finally cracked and insisted something be done. An upper GI study was done and they found a small bowel malrotation. This was causing an intermittent bowel obstruction...thus the profuse spitting up! He had surgery at Doernbecher Childrens Hospital on Dec 18th. I cannot say enough good things about Doernbecher Children's Hospital. We are blessed to have them near us. We did make it home before Christmas on Dec 22nd but needless to say we layed low for the Holidays. We were just thankful for being home with our little girl and our healing little boy. He is still struggling with solid food and still has specialist appointments galore but the spitting up has now reduced to a tolerable level. I will get back to the blog and open my store again when my life and my child's health are back in order.

Oh Wow!

2009-11-19T21:27:00.000-08:00

I was searching online for a scarflette pattern to try with my new crocheting skills and I ran across this scarflette. I just love it and will be trying this one ASAP.

Give Away Allert!

2009-11-15T19:07:00.000-08:00

Simple Blueprint is hosting a giveaway of one of Eva Juliet's shop items. Check it out and enter here to win.

iCraft's Online Sellers Bootcamp!!! Assignment #4

2009-11-14T13:36:00.000-08:00

Assignment #4: What’s your propositional benefit or in other words … why should I buy your necklace instead of the other guys? Give three remarkable points about your product.

So here goes my assignment #4:

What makes my product unique?
I handcraft all the jewelry in my shop myself. I do my best to pair all beads for their similar attributes however it is my desire that they all will have individual distinctions as I use many materials formed by nature. Earrings and wire clasp components may vary slightly from pair to pair as I make most of the wire components freehand. I do my best to recreate and duplicate form and design yet I take artistic freedom with each piece to allow it to take on unique free form qualities during the crafting and replication process. Please embrace each of my unique creations for its truly individual characteristics, natural materials, free form shape and craftsmanship.

iCraft's Online Sellers Bootcamp!!! Assignment #3

2009-11-11T13:50:00.000-08:00

My Moo cards.

Finish up assignment #2 - done!
Add your automatic store signature to every email in Outlook or Outlook express (for me it is Entourage). For Outlook go to Tools, Options, then the Mail Format tab and start creating your NEW signature. There is a little link button in the small signature frame to add your shop name as a LIVE LINK in every email. Make it easy for people to go to your shop .
Get your business cards ready. If anyone has some suggestions on free or special promotion priced business cards jump in and post the information. This is a chance to focus on business locally and there is lots of opportunity at this time of year. - I use Moo cards. I think they are worth the money.
For those of you that have business cards already what about product tags that can be pinned or tied to your product? Make sure you have consistant branding. If you already have those what about designing a postcard featuring 9 or 12 product pictures on the front. Use them at gift shows or mail out to past clients. - Once again I use Moo cards for this. they are an all purpose card. You can order postcards from them as well.

iCraft's Online Sellers Bootcamp!!! Assignment #2

2009-11-10T19:30:00.000-08:00

iCraft puts on a "sellers bootcamp" several times a year. This is the first I have heard of it and I am willing to give it a go. I am behind several assignments but I am going to start here. Day one was simple introductions... I have already done that in this blog so I will get to the second assignment. I found out about this from Callidora's Closet on twitter so a shout out to her. Here is a link to her Etsy store as well.

If any of you reading this are also participating in the bootcamp let me know. I would love to feature you on my blog. The purpose of this assignment is to have this all on hand if someone asks you for an interview or wants to feature you somehow. Here is mine and I do not mind a feature :)

Assignment #2: Answer these questions:

Q:Tell us about yourself …bio 150-200 words.
A: I am Sarah Dible a wife, Mother, a sister, a dog owner, a physical therapist a NAET practitioner, a friend to many, a philanthropist, a missionary's kid whose heart has a special place for Rwanda, Africa and a jewelry designer and artist that finds inspiration for her designs just before dozing off to sleep at night. I love spending time teaching my hands new skills. I am a perfectionist who manifest my neurotic tendencies in the details of my creations. I love being a Mom and wife most in my life but art and creating things with my hands feeds my soul.

I am not an academic who craves school but I am very proud to have finished an academically challenging degree like physical therapy. What I learned most from my traditional schooling is that determination and dedication is the key to achieving your goals. However I am a creative mind that learns kin esthetically and I have always gravitated toward things that I can create in my minds eye and then figure out how to make them a reality using my hands.

As a child growing up in Kigali, Rwanda I used to climb over my fence to go to my neighbors house to sit and watch Jutta, a truly gifted artist, create her magic. She painted water color, made dolls, and created beautiful beaded jewelry from local ivory and malachite. Looking back at the situation I probably drove her nuts. She had two sons my age and my older brother played with them... but I just liked to hang out with her and was just in awe of her talents. When we moved away she gave me one of her dolls as a gift. I still have it and it still amazes and inspires me.

Jutta's Doll: She made everything. Outfit, shoes, painted the face etc..

I wake up every day and can't wait to see what I can learn. I love YouTube for ideas. I have been teaching myself to crotchet lately and who knows... maybe some of the techniques will end up in a jewelry design.

I started making jewelry in 1998 when I saw some earrings for sale and thought to myself "I can make those". I went home and taught myself to wirewrap. I figured it all out on my own. I may not have done everything right but I was able to create it and I took off from there. Even though I would like to, I have not taken any jewelry making classes. I am sure I will eventually take one but I have not had the time and have not maxed out my own creative leaning yet.

Since the birth of my daughter a little over two years ago my life has been beyond busy. I find that I have to make an effort to take the time to be creative in order to feel a connection and balance to my life. My style is always evolving and I cannot wait to see where it takes me next.

Q: Tell us about your shop.
A: I sell my wonderful jewelry creations at www.loopsdesigns.etsy.com

Q: How did you get started?
A: I have made jewelry on and off since 1998. Some of my physical therapy patients started asking where I got my jewelry and I started making some for them. I sold a little in stores locally but I tend to be a little shy so going out there face to face with store owners to get wholesale orders was very hard for me. I decided to try selling online. I tried ebay for about a week but the venue did not suit me and I looked elsewhere and immediately found Etsy. I have been very happy with the aesthetic and ease of use. I have worked with other selling venues and thus far Etsy is my place. I am open to trying other venues as well.

Q: What is your favorite item in you shop (attach link please)
A: Little Fiddlehead Earrings in Oxidized Silver

Q: Whats your favorite _____________ that you have ever made
A: Tough question. I like the the thrill of making something new for the very first time. Plucking it out of my mind and into reality is my favorite moment.

Q: Whats you most memorable sale.
A: My first sale on Etsy... I remember doing a big happy dance and thinking "somebody likes my creation".

Q: Where do you find inspiration for your designs?
A: I find a lot of inspiration in geometry and in nature.

Q: Tell us about a favorite designer.
A: Marie-Helene de Taillac she is a French Princess. Her work is usually 24k gold with gemstones in it.

Q: What's your favorite color.
A: I think it is easier to think of colors I don't like. There is a retro shade of mustard that makes me feel ill. My husband has a T-shirt the exact color and I swear he wears it to test my commitment to him.

Q: What's your favorite room at home? Why is it your favorite?
A: My living/dining/kitchen area... it is all one big perfect living area.

Q: Do you have a (your product) tip you'd like to share with readers?
A: Hmmm... Not sure I can think of any right off hand.

Q: What are your (upto 5) favorite blogs or website? (outside yours or icraft)?
A: Etsy, Perez Hilton yes I sneak a peek all the time...

Q:What are your (upto 5) favorite magazine(s), and or book(s).
A: Well I loved Domino magazine but it is no more. I am still crying over that one. Food and Wine is also a favorite.

Q:What do you do to relax and unwind?
A: Make jewelry. Yes I am being serious. I also like cycling but the my little ones have slowed me down a bit on that one.

My Etsy Picks!

2009-11-07T08:48:00.000-08:00

sanchia845 has a great little black and white cashmere hat. I fell in love with it. I may have to buy it for myself for Christmas.

Adding Tweet Button to Your Blogger Post

2009-11-06T11:08:00.000-08:00

If you are wondering how to add a retweet button to your blog posts here's how I did it. I simply followed the instructions here on Solid Blogger's page to add the retweet button to my blog posts. So far so good. Feel free to ReTweet my blog posts.

My Etsy Picks!

2009-11-06T10:45:00.000-08:00

How cool is this great swiffer cover. I liked it so much I had to buy one for myself. I can't wait to get it and try it. So environmentally friendly and so practical. You too can find these and many more cool items at OlliesBoutique on Etsy.

New Blog Allert!

2009-10-23T09:35:00.000-07:00

My great friend Kathy has started her own Blog. It is her first foray into the blogdom. She has great green cleaning tips for anyone looking to decrease the toxicity on their own environment and the world as a whole. Check out her blog at blackkat40.wordpress.com and leave a comment wising her a great welcome to the blogworld. Go Kathy Go!

New Zen Jewelry Designs

2009-09-04T20:46:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile since I created a whole new design. That's what happens when you have a baby...all your energy is spent on the baby. I have sat down and worked on new pieces several times but nothing great came out of the work session. Finally in the last week I have found some energy for my creativity again and here is the results:

My new Zen designs are not available in my store:

Blackberry Season!

2009-08-14T08:47:00.000-07:00

I will always remember blackberry season fondly as I remember picking them right after my daughter DeLuca was born Sept 1st, 2007.

I went out after a rain last night and due to the weight of the water on the blackberries they were all hanging lower than usual and I was able to pick quite a bunch and they were delicious.

DeLuca had 3 saucers full for breakfast! Yum.

De-Cluttering SALE - Earring of the week

2009-08-11T17:41:00.000-07:00

SALE! SALE! SALE!

I am just coming off maternity leave and I am selling beautiful items that no longer fit my specific collection. They will be listed as "De-Cluttering" SALE items one at a time at great prices.

Shop back open!

2009-07-08T14:57:00.000-07:00

My Etsy shop is back open for business. I will spend the next while stocking it up again. If there is something someone wants and it is not listed please feel free to contact me on etsy with requests.

Box Fort!

2009-06-28T15:42:00.000-07:00

It is a beautiful day here in the Portland area. I went to coffee with Tristan and my friend Liz this morning at Jim and Patty's on Fremont. What a fun morning hang out place and it is always buzz with people wanting their excellent coffee fix. Then I came home to DeLuca playing in a small box fort her Quentin had made her. All in all it makes for a wonderful day with family and friends.

Tristan Oliver is Here!

2009-05-18T11:37:00.000-07:00

We waited and waited for this little boy to arrive and he finally arrived fashionably late at 7:58 pm on May 8th, 2009. He weighed 9lbs 11oz. was 21 1/4" long and had a 14 1/2" head. He is a sweet guy who is healthy and growing well. We are getting to know each other and his big sister is fascinated with the "baby".

My Creative Sister!

2009-04-04T09:56:00.000-07:00

My sister Melissa has always been a creative spirit gleaning scraps from anywhere that she might be able to up-cycle. When she was young she made this doll house which I wrote about last year on my blog.

This is her newest creation: These adorable book ends! I told her to try to sell them on Etsy but she is worried that they are too heavy to ship for a reasonable cost. She even posted a great tutorial on how she made them in her blog post here.

Top Momma!

2009-03-09T11:30:00.000-07:00

I made it to the front page on TopMomma. Stop by and see me there by clicking on this link.

Front Page!

2009-02-23T20:54:00.000-08:00

My Unfurl earrings made it to the Etsy front page again today (top left of list). It is always a pleasant surprise. Thanks to the curator "copabananas" for featuring my creations!

Vineyard Earrings!

2009-02-20T05:51:00.000-08:00

I have been meaning to bring back these popular earrings in my shop for quite some time and they are FINALLY available again! Enjoy them while they last! Click on the pictures to go to listing in my store!

These earrings were featured in the Step by Step Wire Jewelry magazine (summer preview 2007; Vol 3. No2)

Etsy Storque - Editors' Picks!

2009-02-18T10:12:00.000-08:00

There are my Buds Earrings second row 3rd from the left!

THANK YOU STORQUE EDITORS!

I have had 5 sales today and it is only 10 am. I was wondering what was up. I checked the front page to see where the sales were coming from and I was not on the front page. Hmmm... where were all these sales coming from? So I sniffed around some more and... Voila!!!!! there I was in the Editors' Picks on the Storque. I am featured in an article by TeenAngster . Here is the article titled "Spice up Your Style" (thanks CurlyfrySC's for pointing out the article that featured me). I am very grateful for the exposure and I needed a bit of a boost to my spirits as I am coming off a terrible flu/cold (during pregnancy) so this has added some spice to my day.

Above is a screen shot of many of the other items featured in the article. It was such a long list that I could not capture it all in my screen shot so check it out in its entirety at the bottom of the article here.

Fun Blog for Expectant Mothers!

2009-01-30T07:05:00.000-08:00

I found so many cool toys and maternity clothes on this blog : http://www.celebritybabyclothes.com/

Hope you enjoy browsing as much as I did!

Valentines Day Earrings!

2009-01-11T19:33:00.000-08:00

My Hearts and Coeur Earrings are back in my store for the Valentines holiday. Whose ears will they bring Love to this year?

Tutorial: HTML Button with Code Box for Sharing!

2009-01-06T20:30:00.000-08:00

Well I have wanted to add a Blog Button like the one seen above to my blog and I wanted it to have a code box attached beneath so that others can post it to their blog easily. I searched for quite some time to figure out how to do this and I used these two links to help figure it out:

I then had to figure out how to make the code box smaller so that it would fit in my sidebar as the code for the "code box" was making it too wide. I thought I would try to compile a tutorial here to show all the steps I took to do this. Part A. shows you how to create your customized code for your button. Part B. shows you how to use that customized code to create a code box below your button so others can have access to your code to copy and paste on their blog.

Part A. To create the code for my button:

First I selected an image and uploaded it to photobucket.

then I followed the steps outlined in Zakka Life's tutorial as follows:

click on the photo in photobucket that brought up this box (seen in image above) at the bottom right of the screen. I then copied the HTML code seen highlighted in blue.

Then I pasted it in a blank "Word" document. I replaced the highlighted part (see image above) with my blog URL address.

and replaced the highlighted portion above with my shop name.

So the final customized button code looks like this (see image above).

Part B. Create your code box

Now you have to get the code to for the actual "code box" shown here: (See image below)

I pasted this into the same word document just below the previously edited code for my button. I pasted my button code in place of the blue highlighted code seen above.

Then I had trouble getting the code box to fit in my sidebar so I had to figure out how to make it narrower. For this I just tweaked the number shown above in blue (I made mine 15) and it fits fine.

Once again here is the entire final edited code above as seen in my word document once all editing was complete.

Finally I went to my blog and went to "Layout" and clicked on "Add a Gadget" in the right hand sidebar then scrolled down until I reached "HTML/JavaScript" and then I copied the code from my word document pasted the final code (both parts) into the "Contents" and clicked SAVE!

POOF there it is in my right sidebar! I spent two evenings figuring this all out so to save others time I thought I would share my learnings.

How do I do this?

2009-01-06T19:40:00.001-08:00

How do I create a button like this (picture show above) with the code for others to copy and paste my blog button on their blog. I have been searching google for "create a button for your blog" and I can't figure it out? Anyone have a tutorial I can follow. Comment below if you can help me out!

Update!!! I have figured it out and will work on a tutorial to share with others. I had to piece together several help links to figure it all out!

Newest Earring!

2009-01-06T12:25:00.000-08:00

Here is my newest shop addition. This earring is inspired by electrical type circuitry and reminds me of a filament thus the name Filament Earring! Hope it finds a good home soon. Check it out in my shop!

Help Me Out!

2009-01-01T22:08:00.000-08:00

Help me stay on top at Top Momma!

Click here and I will stay up on the Top Momma list!

Its my first time trying this out and it seems like a fun little game. You should try it too!

How Cool are These?

2008-12-29T14:21:00.000-08:00

Front of earring!

These are my newest listing of EcoLoops earrings. This pair is made from pages of a Nordstrom Catalog from this fall. I thought the watch faces were too cool to pass up so I turned them into earring disc/beads for this pair of EcoLoops earring. They are one of a kind and are available in my shop!

Back of earring!

Here's more about my EcoLoops Jewelry:

I have had a serious dilemma with the amount of junk mail that I have to recycle. I have signed up with Green Dimes to try to limit how much gets sent to me but I am still getting more than I like. What can I do with all the paper waste and junk mail I receive other than send it to recycling? I have wanted to create something with it for quite some time and have tried a few things and they just weren’t quite what I liked or wanted until now. I have started making jewelry and earring discs with this junk mail that has been piling up. I have used many things like cereal boxes, mail order catalogs, post cards and the top to the oatmeal canister to create these abstract designs on these jewelry discs. They are constructed with non-toxic adhesives and glazes and are all made out of recycled paper form my home. They are lightweight and have a beautiful finish. They are resistant to moisture but remember they are made from paper and therefore should not be washed or submerged in any liquid. You may clean them with a barely damp or dry cloth.

Tutorial: Make Christmas Tree Ornaments From Recycled Starbucks Cup!

2008-12-28T10:21:00.000-08:00

Well my sister and I started a tradition of making our own Christmas tree ornaments last year by hand painting salvaged wood. The theme last year was icons. This year we decided to change it up a bit so we chose to make a collection of wood ornaments out of recycling Christmas Starbucks cups and applying them to our salvaged wood blocks to create a theme with Reindeer from Santa's sleigh. Here is a tutorial on how we made our ornaments.

Supplies Needed:

Scissors
Mod Podge
Sobo glue (optional as you can use Mod Podge as glue and glaze)
Paint brushes
Starbucks cups - we used our own cups to recycle them after they were used. Just bring them on home instead of throwing them away!
File
Exacto Knife or box cutter
Wood scrap blocks - different sizes and lengths are fun
Ribbon
embellishments like rhinestones, buttons (optional)

1. First you will need to prepare your Starbucks cup by rinsing/washing it out and drying the inside of the cup if it has been used. Then you want to do the following to the cup:

Unroll top edge of Starbucks cup.

Cut along cup side seam with box cutter or exact o knife.

Cut bottom of cup off with scissors.

2. Second you will need to decide the layout of where you want your designs from the cup to lay on your block of wood and glue the cup onto the wood as follows:

Layout your cup flat and pick what part of the cup you want to use for your picture.

Trim the cup down to a more manageable size but make sure it is still large enough to cover your block of wood.

Apply Sobo glue or Mod Podge to block of wood with a paint brush.

Hold desired part of cup up to the light with printed part facing away from you. this allows you to see the design through the cup from the backside.

Still holding it up to the light, place glued side of block against the back of the cup cutout exactly where you want it

Then gently lay it upside down on the work surface and press it down firmly.

flip it right side up and smooth out the front surface using a small tissue or cloth pressing the whole surface into the glue so there are no bubbles.
Allow this to dry 30 minutes before proceeding.

3. Thirdly you want to trim and finish your block of wood once the glue is dry following the steps below:

Place wood block face down on a cutting board or cutting mat and using an exacto knife or box cutters trim away the excess paper around the edges.

Then use a file at a 45 degree angle to the front of the block and file with downward strokes only. This will nicely bevel your edges and expose a nice white border to your desired picture. It also makes your edges of the picture blend flush with your block of wood giving it a nice finished edge.

I use the exacto knife at a a perpendicular angle just to scrape any glue residue along the edges of the block after the filing.

Mod Podge the front of the wood block over top of the Starbucks cup design as this seals and glazes the design. If you apply multiple layers of Mod Podge it makes it glossier!
Let layers of Mod Podge dry about 15 minutes each.

Then cut ribbons to use for hanging the ornaments. We cut nice angles at each end to make them fun.

Dab a dot of Sobo glue or of Mod Podge on the end of the ribbon .

Press it firmly to the side of the block and hold it in place for a minute or so to let it start to set. then lay it aside to dry for a t least 30 minutes before hanging.

With some blocks we Mod Podged flat backed rhinestones onto the designs to give them a little sparkle and we used a round punch to cut out just some snow flakes off the Starbucks cups to decoupage for the semblance of snow. We also decoupaged letters cut from newspaper to form names of the Reindeer (Vixen, Prancer, Rudolph Etc..).

So be creative and play with recycling items to decorate for your Holidays to come!

Beginner Bloggers: How to add a Twitter badge to your blog for FREE!

2008-12-21T15:45:00.000-08:00

I have seen badges (buttons) on blogs that say "Follow Me on Twitter" and when you click on them you are linked to their twitter page. So I joined Twitter a little while ago and have been wanting to add a twitter badge to my blog but the dilemma is how to do it myself with minimal tech knowledge. So I searched Etsy and found a few badges but they were all for sale and I was wanting to do it myself for FREE.

Next On my quest I Google searched "twitter badges for your blog" and came up with several helpful tips and sources for free twitter badges.
I chose my free twitter badge from:

Siah Design

but some of my other favorite sources for cute twitter badges included:

So the next step was how to use or set up the badge graphics so it would work on my blog.

Here is how I did it:

1. I chose my graphics badge here.

2. I right clicked on the graphic image that I chose and saved it to a file on my own computer.

3. Then I navigated to my Blog home page and clicked on "Customize" in the top right hand corner of the nav bar at the top of my blog.

4. Under "Layout" tab that opened up I clicked on "Add Gadget" for my right hand sidebar area.

5. Then I scrolled down until I found "Add Picture" and clicked on it.

6. This brought up the "Configure image" menu.

7. In another firefox window I went to twitter and clicked on "Profile" to bring up my personal twitter address and then I copied the address.

8. Back in the Configure image menu I titled the image "Follow me on Twitter", then I pasted the address I had copied from twitter into the box where it says "Link". Then I "Browsed" my computer for the saved image file I had chosen for my twitter badge (what I selected in step 2).

9. Here is what my "Configure image" window looked like when I was done.

10. All I did then was hit "SAVE" on the "Configure image" menu and voila I have my own functioning link to help others find me on twitter.

11. Last but not least I select "Save" on the "Layout" menu then select 'View Blog". The END!

*** This tutorial is for beginner bloggers with little tech knowledge like myself. I only hope this will save someone a little time and money. This tutorial is meant for Blogspot bloggers and I used Firefox as my web browser for the tutorial.

Happiness!

2008-12-21T10:17:00.000-08:00

No words can describe the fun DeLuca had in the Snow.

What Am I Doing Tonight?

2008-12-19T21:23:00.001-08:00

My sister and I are making Christmas Tree ornaments from recycled weathered wood and Starbucks cups. We are going to try to do a how to tutorial for the blog if we can find the time in the next few days. They are really cute ornaments!

Etsy! Front Page screen shots on Flickr.

2008-12-19T10:43:00.000-08:00

Don't worry if you don't get to see your Etsy front page moment. There is a Flickr group that posts screen shot of them for you. Check it out and enjoy your moment of Etsy Front Page glory a little longer if you want to. Here is my Front Page Moment that I missed today.

Etsy! Front Page.

2008-12-19T10:21:00.001-08:00

I did not see it but but early this morning my Unfurl Earrings made the font page of Etsy. El from IndieSmiles informed me that I was on the front page and wrote about it here. Thanks El!

Kathi Roussel Jewelry

2008-12-18T08:49:00.000-08:00

I ran across an amazing jewelry artist on Etsy the other day. Her shop is Kathi Roussel. He photography shows off her jewelry in such a beautiful whimsical way! Below is a little paragraph about the artists work and her Etsy experience.

I am currently in love with making handcrafted jewelry, mostly in silver--often applying surface patinas and enamels to bring color and warmth to the metal. I feel as though I'm just beginning to find my voice in the medium. I studied painting & drawing initially-- years ago when I attended art school. Then some time after having my oldest two boys, I studied ceramics, and made/make sculpture and functional pottery. Working in metal has become a new passion, and influences from my past work/mediums are always surfacing. The sculptural possibilities working in this small format are quite challenging and exciting!

I'm thrilled to have found Etsy-- as it provides a wonderful arena for my own work & artists of all kinds. It is brimming with talented, creative & hard working souls! I have met so many kind, wonderful people already--- I'm looking forward to meeting many more!...and to making lots and lots of jewelry.

Oh Christmas Tree Earrings Update!

2008-12-15T19:25:00.001-08:00

Wow... I listed my first pair of these "Oh Christmas Tree Earrings" and literally a few hours they were gone. I have another pair made and they are up for grabs. The first pair found their home in Pennsylvania! Where will the home of the second pair be?

Tea Time Favorite! Dec 15th Winner Is...

2008-12-15T15:02:00.000-08:00

CutCopyCreate! She wins the first Tea Time Favorites contest with her Paris 8x8 Photographic Print. She hails from Glasgow, Scotland.

Here is a little about the her:

" I'm an art student who has over the years developed a real passion for Image making via Photography and illustration. Most of my photos are taken on walks with my camera around Glasgow, Scotland and I tend to like my images to have a real gritty Urban feel. Sometimes I have a play in photoshop with them and sometimes I don't - if I've captured something straight out of the lens then I'm happy."

Check out her other photo works browse her shop and she has a great blog to browse as well.

Conagrats to CutCopyCreate for winning my first ever Tea Time Favorite! If you want free exposure for your etsy shop just do the following:

check back latter this week for the next Tea Time Favorites announcement on my blog and in the Etsy forums.

Then submit your favorite Etsy shop item on both the blog post (in the comments section) and on the etsy forums thread (yes, post your shop favorite to both locations).

I will then pick my favorite item submited and feature the winner, their shop and blog (if they have one).

All that is left to do is enjoy the free exposure when you win!

Thanks to all of you who submitted your entries last week here.

Oh Christmas Tree!

2008-12-15T11:59:00.000-08:00

Here is the final Christmas tree design. They are available in my store and ready to go to a special home for the holidays. Hmmmm where oh where will that home be?

Nature vs. Organic?

2008-12-14T08:43:00.000-08:00

Trying to decide between describing my jewelry as "organic inspired" or "inspired by nature" prompted me to do a Google Fight!

"Inspired by Nature" Wins!

Tea Time Favorite!

2008-12-11T10:02:00.000-08:00

I love to browse Etsy for favorites all the time. I sit with a cup of tea (from my favorite mug) mulling over what I can find next. I thought I would use my Tea Time to mull over your favorites and feature my picks of the week from your entries!

So if you would like to submit an item for my "Tea Time Favorite" leave a comment with a link to your item below and post it here as well. I will pick my "Favorite" over a nice cup of tea (usually English Breakfast or Darjeeling tea) this weekend and will post my favorite on this blog early next week. Please have all entries in by Saturday Dec 13.

Remember to post to the comments below and to the forums thread here to share your favorites there as well! Yes post to both places.

How cool are these?

2008-12-10T21:59:00.001-08:00

I ran across this great idea for recycling egg cartons and making them into these Fairy Lights. There are "how to" instructions included in this article. I am going to have to try this out.

The Evolution of the Modern Christmas Tree Earring!

2008-12-09T14:49:00.001-08:00

Well I have finished my next Modern Christmas tree earring. It is always a trial and error thing to get just the right geometry to a modern earring. So above you can see the three styles that i came up with. Which earring style do you think is the final winner?

Etsy Seller Tools!

2008-12-07T08:05:00.000-08:00

Just sharing this site that writes code to help you run your Etsy business and the code is free. It is written for Firefox and you can search through their code add on's and pick anything you feel would be useful. I will blog updates on any of it as I try using it. There is a forum link about it here.

LoopsDesigns Now on Art Fire!

2008-12-06T19:25:00.000-08:00

I set up a shop/studio on Art Fire. I will be listing my items there as time permits. I will now be selling on both Etsy and ArtFire to try it out. I guess the luring factor on Art Fire is that they provide stats for their sellers so you can see where your buyers or browsers are coming from. If you want to see more about their stats check out this blog. I will let you know how things go for me on Art Fire but for now I am learning the Art Fire ropes.

Holiday Jewelry Designs!

2008-12-04T15:15:00.001-08:00

Every Holiday season I toy with trying to make a great modern abstract earring. I managed to make two great heart designs for Valentines Day last year. This year I have had several concepts and this is the final result. Is is ready to ship out to any lucky buyer. Who will it be....

I have another Christmas Tree designs I am working on that is just in the prototype tweaking phase but has not come to fruition. Stay tuned and I will hopefully have it to show latter in the week or early next week. Here is a sneak peak at the shape/concept but shhh... don't critique it yet as it is not finished!

How to Pick Smart Search Words.

2008-12-03T19:59:00.000-08:00

How do you find the most popular search terms to use for marketing your product? For instance, do more people search for "handmade" or "handcrafted"?

Here are two tools I have used to find the best search words to help your product be seen:

1. Google Fight.

handmade vs. handcrafted

2: Google AdWords Keyword Tool.

handmade vs. handcrafted

"Handmade" won hands down!

So there you have it! A few simple tools to help you pick smart search words to use for selling your product online! Try it and see if your product shows up more in searches.

EcoLoops Holiday Earrings!

2008-12-03T19:11:00.001-08:00

This pair of EcoLoops earring is made from a Holiday Season Starbucks cup. They are fresh...fun...and are one of a kind for the Holiday Season.

ABOUT my EcoLoops Jewelry:

I have had a serious dilemma with the amount of junk mail that I have to recycle. I have signed up with Green Dimes to try to limit how much gets sent to me but I am still getting more than I like. What can I do with all the paper waste and junk mail I receive other than send it to recycling? I have wanted to create something with it for quite some time and have tried a few things and they just weren’t quite what I liked or wanted until now. I have started making jewelry and earring discs with this junk mail that has been piling up. I have used many things like cereal boxes, mail order catalogs, post cards and the top to the oatmeal canister to create these abstract designs on these jewelry discs. They are constructed with non-toxic adhesives and glazes and are all made out of recycled paper form my home. They are lightweight and have a beautiful finish. They are resistant to moisture but remember they are made from paper and therefore should not be washed or submerged in any liquid. You may clean them with a barely damp or dry cloth.

It's a Boy!

2008-12-02T18:27:00.000-08:00

We had our Ultrasound today and the baby is definitely a boy. Looks healthy and DeLuca will have herself a little brother around May 1st.

Newest Shop Addition!

2008-12-01T15:57:00.000-08:00

Here are the Waves earring in an dark oxidized finish. They are a simple modern design fabricated from sterling silver wire shaped and hammered to perfection. They are lightweight and a great everyday earring.

How to Video: Make Simple Modern Ear Wires for Earrings

2008-11-30T09:24:00.000-08:00

Here is a tutorial on how to make your own ear wires.

Tools needed:

Silver 19-21 gauge full or half hard wire (at least 8" in length).
Wire cutters.
Round barrel (like that of a plastic pen) to use as a form.
Round nose pliers.
Flat nose pliers.
File (even a finger file can work).

The video does zoom in for close up instruction so you can see details. Some details are lost in the video upload to blogger so I am working on finding a hosting spot for a higher resolution video for anyone to view. But for now I hope this is good enough.

Feel free to post any questions you may have and I will try to answer them.

Enjoy the video and come visit my shop LoopsDesigns to see more of my creations.

My New Banner

2008-11-29T21:11:00.000-08:00

Do you like my New Banner? I made it on Banner Fans today. I wanted something that looks abstract and displayed a photo of my jewelry. The photo used is a photo of my Little Fiddleheads Earrings and I have the same earrings as my Avatar which you can see in my shop.

Update on Etsy Hearts and Advertising Campaign

2008-11-29T18:43:00.000-08:00

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Well I did an advertising campaign on Project Wonderful today and watched my views on Heartomatic. I am about at 100 views for the day (see figure 3 above). It is only 7 pm and I started my Campaign at 5 am (could not sleep). According to my stats on Project Wonderful I have had 24 unique clicks (Figure 2) for one campaign and only 2 unique clicks (Figure 1) for the other campaign (26 new outside views for the day). Not bad if you ask me.

Does anyone else advertise? And if so how do they track their stats?

I am sure that the learning curve for correctly searching my target audience on Project Wonderful (PW) will help me improve my stats but for my first campaign I take it as a good learning experience.

Thanks to Timothy Adam Designs and his Blog I was able to walk through the process of learning how to advertise on PW. I think his video tutorial is fantastic and it makes the process less intimidating than what I would have imagined.

Etsy Hearts and Advertising Campaigns?

2008-11-29T05:00:00.000-08:00

Do you like to see who likes (Hearts) your Etsy shop items? Do you like to know how many views you are getting in a day in your shop or for that matter do you want to compare your number of visits per day with a competitors?

This is the site for you: Heartomatic! Enjoy browsing and share what you are using it for.

I just started using it today to track my number of visits. I am at 10029 today Nov 29, 2008. I am running some advertising and I want to see if it increases my traffic.

Does anyone else use any other site to track their stats in their Etsy Shop?

Etsy Help Cheat Sheets

2008-11-27T20:27:00.000-08:00

LooseWireStudio has compiled a very helpful cheat sheet for Etsy users. Thanks Loosewire!

Here is the link to the cheat sheet so I am passing it on for others to link to.

Here is another link to a list on the Etsy forums that Has a list of "Valuable Links" for Etsy users. These are links that are not easily found on Etsy and once again LooseWire has done the footwork to compile this list as well.

My Long Blog Absence!

2008-11-25T14:41:00.000-08:00

Well I have been quite absent from blogging lately. We had such a busy summer and we were away more than we were home which put a strain on my creativity and blogging time. Add on top of that the fact that I am expecting our second baby in May 2009. This has put a huge drain on my energy as well as the "energy drain" DeLuca who is 14 months old whom I have to keep up with all day and play with for hours (but it is all a lot of fun despite wearing out my pregnant self).

I am starting to feel I have the energy again to work on my Blog and Jewelry on a more regular basis again. I always have ideas of things I want to do and create it is just a matter of finding the energy and getting them done.

I really want to start posting some tutorials in the near future so stay tuned and see if I ever get organized enough to get to it.

Hope to post more often.

Favorite Blog Mention!

2008-11-25T13:32:00.000-08:00

I found this blog a little while ago and find I get sucked in for hours. It is so inspiring to see Bloesem's Finds from around the world. I hope you enjoy browsing too.

Hastings Said Goodbye!

2008-09-08T15:43:00.001-07:00

My dear boy Hastings said goodbye to us on Sept 3, 2008. He was 11 years old and still lived like he was 2. He never had a bad day in his life and could not resist playing with balls. He was a digger, a barker and a all dog all the time. He was taken from us suddenly and were sad to see him go. We will always miss him.

Banff!

2008-06-13T19:53:00.000-07:00

Well in May my grandpa turned 90 so we traveled to Alberta, Canada. We went to Banff for a few days before the party. There are no bad days in Banff but you can get snowed in even in May. The second day we were there we woke up to a lot of snow. It was so beautiful.

Australia!

2008-06-12T09:21:00.000-07:00

Well last month we ended up heading unexpectedly to Australia. Quentin (my husband) had to go there for work so we turned it into a holiday. I have never been to such a friendly place. Everyone is cheerful and helpful and the country is beautiful and sunny. Some of my favorite things were the Opera House and the Australia Zoo. But the rest was great too. Here are a some pictures of the trip.
Yum... sand.

DeLuca running on Bondi Beach.

We went up to Brisbane and went to the Australia Zoo. What an experience. you can just hang out with the animals. They do an amazing job at the zoo. We loved just hanging out with the kangaroos and got to pet koala's and a wombat named Peg!

Bondi beach babe. DeLuca loved the ocean and the water was warm.

A turtle at the Sydney Aquarium.

The Rocks! What a view.

DeLuca sleeping tied onto Daddy! Her favorite person in the whole world.

The gentleman behind DeLuca in the picture below told us the best time to take a picture of the Opera House was just after leaving the Luna Park ferry stop. He was right. I took this picture above with my iPhone from a bobbing ferry so the quality is not the best but it was breathtaking to see the Opera House framed under the Sydney Harbor Bridge.

DeLuca took all her naps either tied on or in the stroller. This one was on the ferry. She slept through all the noise of the ferry.

Day one... tired and Jet lagged and so excited to be in Sydney. DeLuca was the best traveler!

I loved the ferry ride from Darling Harbor to Circular Quay. One of the coolest stops was Luna Park. It is an amusement part with the neatest Art Deco entrance. It sits on the Harbor ready to swallow you up.

I found this fountain at Darling Harbor that had dancing birds all around it and I loved them so much I took this picture.

One night the guys had to go to a dinner so us girls decided to have a girls night out. We took the ferry from Darling harbor to the Circular Quay and as we rounded the corner under the bridge there it was. It was such a different building at night. The whirring of the ferry engine gave it such an eerie feeling like it was in a movie. We ate at Doyles on the other side of the harbor and this is the view we had all night.

BUST Magazine!

2008-06-01T20:12:00.000-07:00

Here is the co-op advert for Etsy in the June BUST magazine and there I am in the last spot on the page. It is the first ad I have done in a magazine and I have yet to see how much it helps my sales but it is exciting to see it. I will be looking for a copy of the magazine but in the meantime these pics will have to do!

How Cool is This?

2008-05-04T21:20:00.001-07:00

These are for sale on Etsy at kimquilts shop. I think this is so great. It is a reusable grocery bag made from old plastic throw away grocery bags. Truly well done and there are many for sale in her shop so go take a look!

May's Featured Etsy Blogger is:

2008-05-03T22:05:00.000-07:00

Cozy!

She is a very active member of the Etsy bloggers street team and is a very accomplished artist with beautiful knits in her shop. I love the simplicity of this scarf of hers. Take the time to browse through her shop. Thanks Cozy for being such a great contributor to the Etsy bloggers team.

Mothers Day!!

2008-05-03T17:40:00.000-07:00

Well this year is my first year as a mother on Mothers Day and this is who I get to spend the day with this year: my little DeLuca and my husband Quentin! That is the best gift I can have this Mothers Day.

Etsy Front Page!

2008-04-23T17:33:00.000-07:00

Well I was told that I was featured on the front page on etsy (thanks Littleputbooks for telling me!) and by the time I was able to log on to look... poof it was gone. Being the sleuth that I am I hunted on the Treasury and found the treasury list that had featured me and landed on the front page (list chosen by candywilliams) . Here it is:

1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9
10 11 12

There I am in the middle of the second row down! I love making those earrings and have written about them several times in other posts on this blog.

My Sister the Poet

2008-04-22T17:46:00.000-07:00

My sister Melissa is very talented in many ways and has a thirst for the literary arts. I am always amazed by her knowledge of literature and her enjoyment of it is contagious. I asked her to share with me some of her personal poetry. She is very shy about sharing it but she obliged. I have never enjoyed reading poetry this much before and below you can find a few of her poems she shared with me:

Manzanita Canvas
(Composed of jealousy towards painters on Thanksgiving weekend November 2007, Manzanita Oregon)

When to twist and blot together,
How to see the steps combine,
Those with orbs which spot the pattern,
Blessed are they with natural eyes.

Always looking, always buying,
Never coming from within,
Some are blessed and some are laking,
Can we change our talents spin?
....................................................................................

Erudition
(Poem written in the Botanical gardens Oxford University, Oxfordshire UK July 2004)

Cackling punters round the gardens crawl,
Chattering birds and chipmunks all
Must pause to absorb legacy
Of cinereal tracery-
Knowledge!
Awe!
....................................................................................

Life Leaves
(Composed November 2003 - Binfield, Berkshire, UK)

Warm sun and cool breezes freeze their being.
Green vibrant life into frozen colours slumber
Red, orange, brown.

Cold wind gusts, throwing dead lifeless Corpses
Into wet moist rot.

Bruises- caused by compress of wheel, crush of foot,
Mashed, no longer any life.

Thin weak frames covering the earth,
In a screen of skeletons.

Sadness in death, mourning in ends, life of itself
So rushed, short, timed, Yet-

Brilliance of colour, glory in existence, magnificence in life,
Worth every end.
.......................................................................................

My personal favorite is Manzanita Canvas. What's yours?

Which One Do You Like?

2008-04-21T20:00:00.000-07:00

Madeline Coat

Monica Jacket

Alright... I came across a store "Leanimal" on etsy today. She has mad designs. I wanted everything she makes or has made. She is also from right here in PDX. I am window shopping for a new jacket and these two "sold" items are the most amazing jackets ever. I may have to contact her and ask for a custom order! Which one should I get (if I can of course)?

Strong Like Bull!

2008-04-13T11:09:00.000-07:00

Ok... so the theme for etsybloggers street team blog carnival is…BULL! Anything to do with bull. So I wanted to find a way to showcase something cool with a bull theme so I took to the Etsy search. I found this really cool recycled aluminum pendant by julep115. I love many things in her store but this Bull pendant is definitely one of the coolest and the Vegan Chicken is too cool as well.

A little about the seller julep115: "I've worked as a bench jeweler, a diamond grader, at present I am doing what I love best, I have a "storefront" studio as part of my loft where I live in downtown Dallas with my husband, Kyle and our corgi mix Julep (etsy store namesake), and tabby cat Miro. Besides my love of jewelry I can be found cooking vegan meals for friends and family and enjoy traveling to eco friendly places!"

User Review: gDiapers!

2008-04-12T21:30:00.000-07:00

Well having a new baby gets you thinking about all sorts of things especially diapers. Ones that work well and ones that don't.

So we came home from the hospital with Pampers Swaddlers diapers and stuck with those for quite some time, not because they were working great but mainly because a friend of mine had tried Huggies and had said that they were horrible for her son. Well we had blowout after blowout with the Swaddlers. So finally I ventured out and bought a bag of the Huggies Snug&Dry LeakLock. This is always difficult to venture into new territory. You could end up with a diaper you hate and a whole bag you have to use before buying another type. So the Huggies were better for us than the pampers. What does this tell me? Not all baby butts are alike!

Well the story does not end there. I have issues with diapers and the environmental issues they produce. If you use cloth ones then you are using a lot of water and electricity to clean them. If you do disposable then you are dumping a ton of plastic into landfills that will never biodegrade in our lifetime. What to do?

Well I came across these gDiapers. They have a biodegradable inner disposable diaper refill that completely degrades in 50 -150 days. You can compost them, toss them or flush them. So I checked out some of their videos online and thought I would try them out so I bought the starter pack.

The arrived yesterday!!!!

My first impressions are as follows

Positives:

They have a very soft outer lining and I love the waist band elastic. It is wide and snug without cutting in.
They are not too bulky.
My little girl is awfully adorable in the diaper (way cuter than the huggies or pampers).
The inner plastic snap out liner is easy to wash and dry.
The plastic liner was able to thwart a blowout up the back with the design the way it creates a lip at the front and back of the diaper. I will see if this is a consistent finding with more use but considering blowouts up the back have been our main problem (causing more stain removal and laundry than we would like) these diapers are doing well.

Negatives:

The disposable diaper insert has no plastic in it and biodegrades easily as I said earlier but it arrives in the cardboard packaging with thick plastic shrinkwrap sealing them within the box. Maybe there is some sterile packaging law that forces this to be the way they are packaged but I did feel like the plastic shrink wrap was not necessary.
The inner plastic liner (rubber pant component) is very slick and so when the diaper is wet it bunches and slides into the middle of the liner and no longer extends to the edges of the liner (I feel this may have contributed to the wet leak issue in the next bullet point). This might be improved upon by using a waterproof material that has some sort of cloth material feel to it so that the disposable diaper potion has some surface tension from the liner that would hold it in place. I have purchased some cloth diaper outer shells (Bummis Super Whisper Wrap) that are cloth-like yet waterproof, like I am suggesting (maybe this type of insert liner could be offered as an optional liner). The main problem with this is that it would be slightly more bulky and would have to be washed (currently the way it is it can just be wiped down) between each use and would take longer to dry.
The wet diaper leaked out the leg area toward the front top of the diaper near where it fastens. This has only happened once and it was a fairly wet diaper. Once again I feel this may have been due to the fact that the wet diaper bunched towards the middle of the liner leaving no diaper to absorb wetness at the front top edges. I will still take a few wet leaks over the blowouts we have had with pampers and huggies.

Press Release!

2008-04-10T19:32:00.000-07:00

I posted my first press release today. I did a little research and asked a few questions on some forums and typed one up and submitted it just like that. I have no idea how it will affect the hits to my store but it can't hurt. It is always daunting and yet exciting to try something new like this and put yourself out there. Here it is.

I will post at a latter date and update if I think it has improved traffic to my site?

April Showers!

2008-04-08T10:50:00.001-07:00

I was in the car the other day and a huge rain shower started. It was so amazing because a beautiful rainbow appeared that looked like it ended right on the hood of the car (I looked for the pot of gold and it wasn't there). Even when it is gray and rainy out beautiful things are all around us. We really have to remember that here in the Pacific Northwest because the gray days seem to go on and on this time of year.

EcoLoops!

2008-04-02T13:52:00.001-07:00

Here is my new EcoLoops line of jewelry.
I have been toying with creating some items in my shop with recycled components for quite some time. I have been stuck in the concept phase for ages and I have worked on prototypes and never been satisfied until now!

I started playing with the lid of a Quaker Oats container this week and found it made a really cool abstract disk I could use for jewelry or earrings in particular. I was so inspired I took old pages from this years calendar and continued with my quest to make recycled earring designs! Here is my first tray of creations below.

This red flowered disc above is created from the desk calendar for 2008 and comes from the March page that sits on my desk at home here. I always save the pages of calendars hoping to find something cool to use it for and then a few years latter I find them and I throw them in recycling. Now I can actually put them to good use.

This earring above is made from the January page of the same calendar.

And yet another calendar page.

These are a smaller disc. I have created 2 sizes do far. A 3/4" disc and a 1 1/2" disc. I am having a lot of fun with this and only hope they sell as fast as i am making them. I plan to add more recycled material jewelry to the EcoLoops line as fast as I can create them as I have many more ideas to play with.

So far I have used junk mail post cards, calendar pages, garment tags from store bought clothes, catalogs, magazine pages, cereal boxes and I'm sure the list will continue.

What do you think? U like?

Etsy Blogger Team!

2008-04-01T17:07:00.000-07:00

Whats the point in joining a team if you don't participate in the team functions right? Well with a gentle nudge (new membership rules) the Etsy Bloggers team is off to a running start this spring. Our first featured artist member is StormyDesigns. Congrats on being FISRT! that is a title that you will always hold Stormy.

There are many reasons StormyDesigns deserves this. She has spent a lot of time co-managing the EtsyBloggers.com team. Dedication and a contagious spirit of participation have earned her this honor. She has great tutorials on her blog, that I know she has spent a lot of time creating and are well done.

She is and Etsy seller with a beautiful shop full of great finds and one of a kind creations of polymer clay sculptures and jewelry. Her attention to detail is inspiring. I have featured my favorite item here. I have not worked with polymer clay but being the adventurous creative spirit that I am Stormy's store is tempting me to try it. Check her store out!

April Fool's.

2008-03-29T15:30:00.000-07:00

So April 1st is just around the corner and I a wondering what will you be doing this April Fool's?

I cannot remember any specific April Fool's jokes that I have played or had played on me. I am not the kind of person who can ever remember any jokes, so to me April Fool's usually comes and goes without much ado. Yeah sure I have had an April Fool's joke or two played on me before and I usually enjoy jokes but obviously they are not that memorable enough to stick out in my mind.

This year I will be celebrating my little girls 7 month milestone on April 1st. No plans for any big jokes or anything but I am sure we will all have a fun day none the less and she will make me giggle and smile.

Manzanita Rocks!

2008-03-28T15:39:00.001-07:00

So these are some of my favorite earrings to make. I collect the stones, pair them up, drill them and turn them into these great earings.

Here is a picture of my sister Melissa and me around Thanksgiving when she visited. We ended up going to the coast for the weekend.

Here is Melissa collecting the beach pebbles that are uncovered by the outgoing tide.

Here we both are collecting and fantasizing about what we can make with each stone. We collected the stones in Manzanita, Oregon. I have many designs in my head of beautiful little jewelry that I can make but the challenge is drilling these stones and pairing them up so that they match. It is always tricky to drill the stones without breaking the drill bit. It makes the ones that I do get drilled feel that much more special.

Crocs for Orpahn Tots: Another Project of Mine.

2008-03-21T13:02:00.000-07:00

Collection bin at a local school near my home. It is very fun getting the children involved they are all so curious and some have asked if they can write letters to the orphans.

One of the first pairs of crocs given to an orphan

About the Project:

Purpose: To provide durable footwear/shoes in the form of used (or new) Crocs or Croc-like shoes for 200 orphans in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa. Orphans range in age from 3-18y/o, so we can use all sizes of Crocs.

2007: We took over 10 pairs of crocs last year and they are still holding up. The director of the orphanage contacted us and told us that they are the best shoes they have ever had and the orphans are so happy to have them.

Next Trip: April 2, 2008 is the next planned trip to the orphanage. My father who is a Doctor will be heading over to provide medical care for the children. The Crocs we have collected will be going over there at that time.

There was supposed to be a trip in Oct 2007, but war and unrest in the area was to blame for the cancellation of that trip.

How may are going with the next shipment? 69 pairs and counting.

Total pairs collected to date? 79 pairs and counting.

Who are we working with? Two non profit organizations PROLASA Canada and International Childrens Care in the USA. Both organizations are working together to help provide medical care, housing, food, education and clothing to these orphans.

Project Address
Ship Crocs to:
In the USA:
"Crocs for Orphan Tots"
C/O: R. Wecker
376 Green St,
Clinton, MA 01510

In Canada:
"Crocs for Orphan Tots"
C/O: B. Wecker
2137 Route 109
Arthurette, NB E7H 4B6

If you have any Crocs you would like to donate please contact me or comment on the blog. I can help with shipping if needed.

"La Belle Poubelle" Doll House!

2008-02-18T21:18:00.000-08:00

My sister recently spent 2 months with me. It was so wonderful to re-connect with her. She is 11 years younger than me so I feel I have missed out on her childhood as I left home for boarding school when she was 3. What I so remember of our time with her is that she was always making cool things out of recycled items.

I especially remember her making clothes for her stuffed animals and dolls. She used to use old socks to make the coolest clothing items for her toys.

My parents used to get frustrated at her gleaning things from the garbage can that she used to make things, until they realized how creative she was with these recycled items. I remember being at home one summer and going to empty all the garbages in the house and I was told by Mom that I could not toss out the garbage from a specific (office) garbage until Melissa had her chance to pick out what she needed for all her projects! Mom used to tease Melissa that she should own a shop someday that sold items gleaned and recycled from the garbage and call it "La Belle Poubelle" (French for: the beautiful garbage can). She has now started a shop on Etsy called exactly that. Keep checking back to see when she starts selling her creations.

While she was here living with us, we made all kinds of things. It was the holidays and we painted all our own Christmas tree decorations. She was telling me and my husband about a doll house she made out of a citrus box. It sounded amazing and somehow even with my frequent visits home I had never seen this house of hers.

She recently went home and photographed her house. My Dad was wanting to chuck it and she was trying to photograph it before he could toss it so that she can remember it. She sent me the pictures and I was so shocked at the creativity and craftsmanship. She was I think 7 y/o when she started this house and she finished it around the age of 9. Everything was made from things she gleaned from the garbage at home or things she found (like shells at the beach).

Take a browse at all her pictures. What do you think?

My Personal Tips to Other Etsy Sellers! Tip #3

2008-02-09T16:56:00.000-08:00

Tip #3 is: Have a uniform style or theme to your shop.

Style and uniformity is very subjective but I think it is important key to making your store look and feel professional. I feel that your avatar, banner, your product and the way it is photographed make a huge impression on our buying audience.

I will use my shop as an example. I feel that my banner has a rustic organic feel to it as well as the fact that the graphic portrays some of the same geometric lines as my jewelry. I have used a photo of one of my earrings as an avatar that I feel shows the style of my creations. I try to photograph all my jewelry in a rustic and artistic manner with interesting angles. I know my shop is not perfect but I feel that I have followed through with a style theme throughout.

Other stores that have done a great job at creating a uniform style and feel are:

littleputbooks - her banner, avatar and product all give me a feel of a whimsical fairytale and happy feeling.

AllInStitches - the banner reminds me of a time long ago and a modern feel to it as well. It is interesting that the wire forms she uses to display her work gives a modern feel to her product of knit wares that once again feel like they take you back in time

shescrafty - She has photos that are stunning and very artistic of little babies wearing her knit wares. Her avatar and banner use the pictures very well and there is a clean simple feel to her entire shop.

Once again if you are not sure of your own sense of style and or you have a hard time being objective about your own store then that is where the forums com in handy. Ask others if they feel that your store has a uniform style and or feel to it. If you post and it gets ignored post again. Be persistent.

Pond Hockey?

2008-02-04T10:11:00.000-08:00

My home town of Plaster Rock, New Brunswick hosts the World Pond Hockey tournament. It started in 2002 and has grown rapidly since then. There are waiting lists of teams that want to compete. This is an outdoor event and I would imagine the ice will be well frozen on the pond this year as I spoke to my Dad the other day and it was -39 degrees Celsius when he woke up that morning. I am hoping to find some coverage of the tournament on TV here in the States this year. My Dad said there is some coverage but I have not found it yet.

Looks like fun. I have never been to the tournament because it started after I moved away but it is one of those things I will have to go home to enjoy one of these years. Some of my High School friends have played in it. GO PLASTER ROCK!

If anyone finds any US coverage on TV please comment and let me know.

Tired of Catalog Anyone?

2008-02-04T09:59:00.000-08:00

I get way too many catalogs in the mail. To make things even worse some of the companies have both my husbands and my name and somehow my business name and I get douplicates and triplicates. I try to be environmentally conscious but I have been stumped as to how to stop them from coming. I found this on another blog. I am going to put a stop to the catalogs. I seriously get more than I can possibly have time to read. Try Catalog Choice out yourself and de-clutter your life.

Tis the Valentines Season!

2008-01-31T21:30:00.000-08:00

Well I have never been one who loves cutesie things but I have wanted to make some Valentines jewelry and make some heart inspired jewelry that I would even wear myself. I made the first simple "Heart" earrings and showed them to my husband who felt they weren't whimsical enough. I still loved them because they were so clean and simple. So I decided that I would add them to my jewelry line and go back to the drawing board and make a whimsical pair too. Here is what came to fruition. I love these. They are my new "Coeur" earrings. What do you think? Do you like them?

Happy Valentines!

My Personal Tips to Other Etsy Sellers! Tip #2

2008-01-25T09:34:00.000-08:00

Match your Avatar to your shop and its product (see mine above). How many times have I clicked on an avatar in Etsy only to be taken to a shop that sells something unrelated to the style and feel that the avatar gave. I equate it to the feeling you get when you take a bite of something that you think is sweet and it is salty. Not the best experience you can hope for. I think we need to keep the buyers in mind when we set up a store and try to keep them from getting frustrated browsing and endlessly clicking on avatars only to get to a store that is nothing close to what they thought it would be.

I do not feel this means that you have to use a photo of your product as your avatar but the avatar needs to still give off a similar feel to your store even if it is a picture of yourself or something else. For example Simone Walsh does this well. Her picture in her avatar is a fun and funky picture of herself that portrays her style. When you get to her store you are pleased that you made the effort to visit, as it is what you would expect from someone with that style photo as their avatar. I will not call anyone out by posting poor examples but there are a lot of pictures of pets or animals for avatars and then you click on the avatar and poof you are in a store selling jewelry or soap etc... I know your pets are cute but if you use a photo of them and you sell something totally unrelated then please make the photograph an artistic one that gives a preview of your store style.

Try this out yourself and play the avatar game when you are browsing the forums. In your mind try to figure out what someone's shop is like before you click on the avatar. Once you are in their store see if it does indeed have the same feel and style that the avatar lead you to believe. If you are having a hard time being objective about your own avatar and if it portrays your store style, then post a thread in the forums and ask others if your avatar gives them a good foreshadowing of your store content.

My Personal Tips to Other Etsy Sellers! Tip #1

2007-12-30T19:35:00.000-08:00

I have decided to start giving a tips whenever I come across something I can share to improve my Etsy store or that of others and I welcome your opinions in the comments linked to each posting . My sister and I have been spending a fair amount of time shopping and working on my Etsy store and we keep discussing things we have found that we like or dislike in mine and other stores.

My store sells jewelry, so many of my examples will be for jewelry sellers but can probably apply to other stores as well.

My first Tip is regarding photographing jewelry on models/yourself.

It is debatable whether or not to photograph jewelry being worn or modeled by someone and listing it with your photos in your store. I have resisted doing this in my store for several reasons. The first is that it is hard to tastefully or artistically photograph jewelry at close up range while it is being worn. The other downside to this is that buyers may assume that the earrings or jewelry being worn in the photograph is the actual pair to be sold and thus it has a feeling of the item being used by someone before they buy it. However having stated some of the negatives I am starting to change my opinion and think that there is a right way to model or photograph jewelry being worn and here is why.

I get a lot of convo's requesting pictures of of my earrings or jewelry being worn so that they (the buyer) can get an idea of the scale or size the jewelry. Despite listing size details on all my item descriptions it still is not as good as a photo. It takes a lot of time to answer all these convo's not to mention the time photographing the jewelry and downloading or attaching it to the convo's.

So I have mulled over solutions that would allow me to show the scale of my jewelry in my store listings and some of the solutions are:

Photographing jewelry with something else in the picture to give it perspective. Sometimes this is done by using a ruler or a coin beside the jewelry. I do not feel this is a good solution for me and my store. I feel that I work very hard to photograph my product in such a manner that it gives a uniform image of artistry. I do not feel that a coin or ruler in a photograph compliments the image and brand that I am aiming to sell.

Color close-up photo of a model/myself wearing the jewelry. I have tried this many times and I feel it always looks less that ideal. I find that every skin blemish is visible and all artistic perspective is lost. I just think once again this is not the solution for me as I feel it would take too much editing and airbrushing and makeup to photograph some thing like an earring up close. There are a few stores that do a good job with this. It appears professionally modeled even if it may be modeled by the store owner, but unless you really know what you are doing and have a great model at your disposal it can turn out less that ideal. So if you are struggling with this you may want to try the next option.

Black and white close-up photograph of jewelry being modeled. This is my newest solution of choice. I feel that a black and white photograph of someone wearing the earrings or jewelry masks most skin blemishes and also looks more artistic. Also for me the black and white picture does not make the item feel like it is the exact same pair that the buyer will receive (psychologically that is). Black and white also allows me to photograph an earring being modeled once and I can use that same photo in black and white in listings of the same design in a different color option. This saves me time re-photographing each color option being modeled.

My keys to successfully using modeled jewelry is as follows:

Try to pull back as much hair out of the frame as possible.
Take photo as close up as possible.
Crop the photo and convert it to black and white in a photo editing program before posting it to your store.
Make the modeled photo the last photo of your listing.

I have just started this with some of my listings and am slowly trying to implement a black and white photo to most of my listings.

Iconic Christmas Tree.

2007-12-22T15:04:00.001-08:00

The mad rush after American Thanksgiving once again left us in a hurry to chose a theme for our Christmas tree trimmings (as we try to make different types of homemade adornments each year). The topic of this years Christmas ornaments and experimenting with painting on wood crossed paths and the result? Painted wood Christmas tree ornaments with a Russian Icon focus materialized.
First we selected choice trimmings from a pile of damp, algae and mud ridden scraps that had been left outside derelict for sometime. 3 buckets of warm water and a rag, 24 hours inside the warm entryway drying, and electric saw later our well weathered, textured, and unmeasured wood trimmings were ready for color. A trip to Michael's and 2 bags full of paint, brushes, gold leaf and ribbons later we were set. The three of us (my husband, and sister and I) sat down with artistic exuberance to a table laden with latent creative potential and well...dug in with glee.
Our spirits dampened as our first attempts were anything but masterpieces. My saints looked like shepherds and my sisters first attempt at a gold-leaf halo turned into a sombrero. Yet with time our muse of old Russian icons found artistic encouragement in those we hold dearest this time of year -family, and well for my sister a flock of sheep.

My Newest Earring!

2007-12-22T14:41:00.000-08:00

I love just fiddling with wire and playing with my torch. I usually have no agenda and I like to be surprised by what comes out of the process. The simpler the better as long as the creation has a good shape and balance. I was doing just that a few days ago and look what came out of the process. It is my new "Curly Sprout" earring. I gave my sister the first pair. I know I should save it for Christmas but I get so excited and I like to see my jewelry being worn so I gave her the first pair. She even wore them to church today and I got to study them on her during church and make sure I loved them still... and yes they are now my new favorites. See that's her wearing the first pair in the photo above!

Front Page!

2007-12-06T21:28:00.000-08:00

Yay!!! I made the front page of Etsy today. "starwillowstudio" selected a beautiful Treasury list that was featured on the front page. I sold the "Buds" earrings while they were on the front page so a BIG thanks are in order for starwillow. Not only did she feature me but she sent me a message to let me know that the earrings had sold and that if I re-listed she would get them back on her treasury list. Now that is a dedicated curator. She also sent me a screen shot of the page before they sold. That made my day!

Yummmmy!

2007-11-09T14:46:00.000-08:00

I just discovered a delicious chocolate bar today and it is worth every calorie. I was at the grocery store and ran across it in the healthfood section so I will tell myself it is healthy right! It is made from organic ingredients and is out of this world. It is the Dagaba Chai chocolate bar. It has ginger and spices in it and I will add it to my list of stocking stuffer items for this year.

Boston!

2007-11-04T14:45:00.001-08:00

We were in Boston this past week. I flew out there on Oct 26th with my husband as he had some convention to attend. DeLuca and I hung out around town and visited with family of mine around the area.

I am not a sports fan and do not follow sports at all but the Red Sox fever was contagious. and DeLuca and I went to the parade celebration and fought the crowds. I tried to get close to the front but the crowd up in front was crazy. They were throwing things, climbing the street posts ( yes he was promptly arrested by the riot police), climbing to the rooftops to instigate the crowd even more, not to mention the pushing and shoving etc... I decided that I was much safer back by the riot police where the crowd was much calmer.

Another Wedding Neckalce

2007-10-24T20:38:00.000-07:00

I made a necklace for my friend Katie's sister for her wedding. Her wedding was in August and she just sent me pictures. She looks beautiful and its a great photo of the necklace.

DeLuca Noelle

2007-09-27T15:20:00.000-07:00

Isn't she the cutest little girl ever! Can't stop looking at her. She is a pleasant baby and randomly smiles at who knows what! We are having fun but it is a lot of work. It never seems to end with feeding and changing diapers taking up most of my day. I have not getten back into much jewelry production but hopefully we will find a good routine soon and I can get back into my creative grind again.

She's here!!!

2007-09-07T18:14:00.000-07:00

DeLuca Noelle is here. 8 lbs 1 oz. 20" long. Arrived at 8:38 pm Sept 1st. She has a full head of hair and is a doll.

Etsy Poster Contest!

2007-08-30T17:16:00.000-07:00

Yay... One of my designs is featured on one of the winning posters for the "Etsy Poster Contest". The posters were created by Etsy users. There were Total Number of Entries: 901, Winning Entries: 60 , Honorable Mentions: 160. Thanks to all those etsyans who submitted poster entries and special thank you to "greenweenie" who created this winning poster with my "Winter's Branch" earrings (3rd row, 3rd from left).

Here is one of my other top favorite posters as well. Very hard to chose as they are all great!

The Bassinet

2007-08-30T10:06:00.000-07:00

Quentin and I like to create things. We saw this simple yet modern bassinet that was too expensive (or so we thought until we made our own). Quentin said that he wanted to make it before the baby arrived. I knew that on Quentin's time line this would no easy feat. He spends way to much time over-engineering things in the concept/planning phase then never gets the projects done.

Well this project was no different. He started on it about 4 month's ago and it just kept taking longer and longer to get it done as he would go back to the plans and update/improve them.

My part in this project was to make a hammock for this bassinet with no pattern to go by. I also had to wait until Quentin got the whole frame completed before I could start as I had to measure it and design the pattern on the frame. I am not the best at that type of thing as it requires precise measurements and calculations and I'm much better at guestimation and making things do.

Last weekend Quentin finally finished the frame. Tuesday I completed the pattern and cutting the pieces out. Then Wednesday a.m. at 4 in the morning (can't sleep so I might as well be productive) I started sewing. I finished it at about 8 p.m. Even though it looks simple, it was not the easiest project but it turned out quite nice. Quentin still has to sand and finish the frame and then it is all ready to go.

Ankle Envy

2007-08-30T09:56:00.000-07:00

I am 39 weeks pregnant and I do not recognize my own feet! Some days they are slightly swollen and some days they are out of control swollen. Yesterday it was hot and they were out of control. I could hardly put flip flops on. I have been told all is fine as my BP is fine and everything else is fine but I keep swelling. I am looking forward to seeing my own feet again soon but as of right now I am afflicted with "ankle envy" towards anyone who has visible ankle bones.

My boys!

2007-08-28T07:09:00.000-07:00

When I was a grad student at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan taking my Physical Therapy training I found a little stray 3 month old sick but cute dog. My friend Kim and I tried to find out if he had an owner and were unsuccessful at finding who he belonged to. We finally figured he had been abandoned as he was in such bad shape. He was so sick he could hardly swallow food and created such gurgling sounds trying to drink or swallow food that we called him "Gurgles" for the first few days. I was taking a Cardio Pulmonary class at the time and one of my classmates joked that he had "Rales" in his lungs and the name stuck. So now he is my little 11 y/o Rales. He has seen many specialist in his early years trying to find out what the source of his breathing and noise problems are and they are still there and no one seems to know. For a free stray he has not ended up being very cheap! He is my expensive and naughty boy. He used to have severe separation anxiety and would seek and destroy things. He once shredded sheets pillows and tore a huge hole in our mattress. How does something that is 24 lbs shred a mattress? He also would eat buttons off clothes giving him the nickname "Button Boy" for the duration of that phase (several years). Then there's the incident where he randomly ate keys off a computer keyboard and the funny thing is we couldn't even get the keys off when we wanted to to clean them, but he manages to pick them off individually and eat one here and one there. The desirable keys weren't even all in a row!

We got Hastings, the Airedale when Rales was about 2 y/o. We though it might help his separation anxiety. What we did not realize at the time was that Rales thought he was human and not canine and that another dog companion was not what he wanted. We realize now that all he wanted was to be an "only dog" with more human companions. It has taken us 8 more years to finally provide him with more human companionship and now he's almost too old to appreciate it. In the meantime he has had to put up with the dog of all dogs Mr. Hastings.

Hastings is a crazy high anxiety, high energy, silly purebred. He is ALL DOG. He is undignified, barks at everything, farts, burps, belches and is always patrolling human interference that walks by either the front or back of the house. He is by no means considered "smart" but is the silliest and sweetest dog and just wants to goof off. He has a nervous tremble in his back legs when he is excited or on patrol. He loves to chase but not relinquish balls, as he wants you to try to pry the ball from his cavernous mouth (what's wrong with a little slobber right?). He has the incredible extending neck that can strike or head butt you when you swear you are out of reach. He never moves slow as he has two speeds; full throttle (awake) or off (sleep). Curiously his name more correctly signifies one who hurries, presses, drives; vehemency or quickness of motion. Hastings plays hard all day but always puts himself to bed around 7-8 pm at the latest. He is miserable if he is kept up. He is a boy that needs his sleep.

These two are very loved and cherished dogs for their unique but vastly different characters. For those of you that enjoy dog stories I am sure I will post more as they occur to me latter.

My new toy!

2007-08-24T11:24:00.000-07:00

I have had the same cell phone for 3 years or more (an old Nokia) and I HATE changing phones. I get used to the shortcut keys on one and how to get messages, delete messages, fast forward messages etc... and I do not want to have to re learn it on a new phone. I also have an old Palm that is quite archaic that I have been lugging around and I have one of the oldest iPod that locks up on me at times. I have waited and waited to combine these items. I looked at the blackberry a year or so back and just haven't been convinced that it was what I wanted or needed.

Finally the iPhone came out and I have been trying to decide if it was worth investing in. I needed something to combine my phone and Palm for sure and I also wanted access to the net to manage my Etsy business. SO I BOUGHT ONE!

It is so cool. The only problem at this point is that it doesn't support flash, so some features of the Etsy site don't work via the phone. I can manage everything I need to though but I can't view the Treasury or the Time Machine from the phone.

So far it has great speed to look things up. I have managed to learn to use it very easily despite my lack of technical ability. Here's my favorite picture of Rales taken with my phone.

DeLuca's Room!

2007-08-20T07:27:00.000-07:00

Well it has been a long process getting it ready. I would strongly suggest that most people get the room ready before getting pregnant. Once your pregnant it limits how much you can help with. I have a hard time sitting around and waiting for someone else to complete the work especially when I like to help remodel.

We riped up the carpet and put in dark wood floors. Replaced all the small baseboard with 5 1/2" base boards (old mop board style). They had to be painted with oil based paint to match the other existing woodwork so I could not help. The walls have now been painted "Vanilla" or a light cream.

We ordered DeLuca's crib online and it finally arrived. It has walnut stained Zebra wood headboards and white railings. I got a distressed blue/aqua armoire and dresser set from Pottery Barn and they are now in the room as well. She has a cream rug from Ikea and we have a brown leather chair (eventually meant for the study) ordered for us to hang out in during our long nights ahead. It has not arrived yet but should be here by next week.

I framed her ultrasound photo and am going to set it on a crown molding shelf above her crib. Her little profile on the ultrasound looks like her daddy's. He doesn't see it but he's and engineer and her doesn't see things in abstract form. Even my friends have noticed it when they see the ultrasound. We will have to see who she really looks like when she arrives.

She also got a red moose rocker from Ikea. Her Daddy thought every good Canadian girl needs a toy moose!

Well unless she's in a rush she should be here by Sept 7th.

Another Beautiful Wedding.

2007-08-20T06:17:00.001-07:00

My brother Lakin (the red head on the left of the groom) lives in Calgary with his wife Anita (in the navy top and white skirt). Their friends Mike and Jen got married a few months ago. Jen bought her jewelry from me on Etsy. She is one of the sweetest customers I have ever had. Check out the beautiful necklace and earrings she ordered. Thanks again Jen if you see this Blog. You are abeautiful glowing bride.

I even made matching necklace and earring sets for her bridesmaids.

I started out making my own bridal jewelry for my wedding party and I love getting back to the feminine designs of bridal jewelry. It makes me feel like I'm a "Girlie Girl" instead of the "Practical Girl" I really am.

Liz and Shane's Reception

2007-08-19T20:05:00.000-07:00

Well yesterday my friends Liz and Shane tied the knot. They had a great party at their reception that was hosted at Molly's Loft. Great music wonderful food and most of all we were finally able to meet all the friends and family that are so special to each of them.

Brian (on right of picture) was kind enough to prepare a plate of food for Liz as she had been too busy having fun to eat. Ren was looking amazing in a pin striped suit. Quentin was busy running around taking photos of of everyone but at the end of the night Xander snapped a photo of us.

I have been a little worried lately that I would not make it to the wedding if I went into labor early, but I MADE IT. I even managed to wear some heels instead of the Birkenstock's that I have lived in for the past few months. Those are my swollen feet on the left of the picture. Liz's cute shoes are the ones at the top center. Her bracelet and earrings were great with the dress.

Laughter flowed freely the entire night and I am sure that the bride and groom were exhausted by the end of the day but they were the happiest I have ever seen them.

So much fun!!!!