The Stationery Sisters Giveaway Winner!

Thank you to all who entered the Stationery Sisters Giveaway! 

The winner was chosen using random dot org.

The winning comment is #10-One Perfect Day! 

[I'd have to chose Love is all you need (bird).
They're all cute!]

Congratulations! 

Look out for an email from me (totshop728 at yahoo dot com)! 

Want a chance at winning another item? 
Here are some more giveaways to enter:

TheSnootiePig - Pair of Hair Clips

Baby Button Tops - Winners Choice

My Crochet Garden - Winners Choice

 

 

 

An Interview with TheSnootiePig and Giveaway!

Happy Friday! Here is a sweet giveaway from the shop of TheSnootiePig! After reading the answers to her questions I see we have a lot in common! Comment below to enter and good luck! 

(please be sure to read all entry rules and details)

Tell us a bit about yourself. 
I am a stay at home mama of two kids and a wonderful husband. I am a California girl, but now live in Texas. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, creating and designing accessories for my shop, sunny days, thrifting, warm baths and Milano cookies (I can eat the whole bag in one sitting.. not good I know).

What made you want to become an artist?
I have always loved creating and designing things with my hands, and when I had a baby girl I enjoyed making little creations for her to wear in her hair. I thought why not share these cute things with others and earn some extra income while I'm at it.

What is your favorite item to create?
My favorite thing to create would have to be the cluster headbands. I love blending colors and fabrics to make a one of a kind piece.

What advice would you give to new artists on Etsy?
I am so new myself, but the best advice I have would be to network, network, network! There are so many ways to get your name out there! It takes time and patience but in the long run , it pays off!

How do you promote your work?
I promote my shop through local businesses, Facebook and Twitter.

Do you have any websites connected to your shop (blog, facebook, twitter)?
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#%21/pages/TheSnootiePig/181917375182623 

Twitter: twitter.com/#!/thesnootiepig

What is the inspiration for your work?
My inspiration for my work is my family. This is something I thoroughly enjoy and sometimes though it can be a lot of work and time. They encourage me to keep going and reassure me its ok to eat Taco Bell three nights in a row.

Do any of your items go toward a special cause?
Not at this time.

Do you have a job outside of Etsy? How do you handle both?
I am a stay at home wife and momma and love it!

Where do you create?
I create in my dining room and what a mess it makes! Piles of material, ribbon, rhinestones... it's where it all comes together.

What are your goals for your shop?
My goal for my shop is to make it one that is about quality, not quantity. I want to be known for putting all my effort into each piece and to provide a product that makes buyers want to come back again! To be a little different from the rest and unique!

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

I am a born again Christian and I live my life first for our Lord! When he is the center ,life is full of blessings and mercy! I am who I am today because of his mercy and grace and I want each part of my life to show that. 

You can win this wonderful set of clips from TheSnootiePig!

If you don't want to wait for this giveaway to be over you can buy it now here!

Here's how to win!

Mandatory Entry:

Visit TheSnootiePig's Etsy shop and tell me what your favorite item is!

Bonus Entries:

Each one of these is a contest entry. 

Please post a separate comment for each that you do with your email address.

Become TheSnootiePig's  facebook fan.
Follow TheSnootiePig on twitter.

Heart TheSnootiePig's Etsy shop.

Blog, tweet or post on Facebook about TheSnootiePig's Etsy shop.
Blog, tweet, or post on Facebook about this giveaway.
Become a follower of my blog.
~*For any entries requiring you to blog, tweet or post on facebook please leave the link where you did so with your comment. Thank you!*~

Contest closes at 11:59 p.m. Central Time on Friday, March 18, 2011. 

Sunday, March 20, 2011 a winner will be randomly drawn from eligible entrants 

and notified by e-mail, and the winner's name will also be posted here. If no email is listed I will choose another winner. Winner has one week to respond to my email to claim his/her prize after initial contact. 

Contest open to U.S. residents only.  
This giveaway is now closed. Thank you to all who entered and congrats to the winner!

To pack or not to pack?!

Here are a couple of sketchy things I came across while packing. Not sure whether I should pack them up or toss them in the garbage. I have issues with throwing things out...even if I know I will never touch it again after unpacking it!

Totally gross! My FAVORITE sandals in the WORLD! The bottoms are peeling off (besides being tremendously dirty) and I'm pretty sure they would fall apart if I were to ever wear them again.

Ahh, my wonderful collection of VHS tapes! Who even uses these anymore? I'm pretty sure the only thing my VCR has been doing lately is collecting dust! I'm not even sure it works! There are some pretty awesome movies in this pile though. (My two faves are Pretty Woman & Dirty Dancing) Pretty sure they are cheap now on DVD!

We are starting to move tomorrow and I feel like I have so much more to do. I did make lots of progress since yesterday! Maybe if I stayed off the computer for a bit I would be able to get things done! There is just too much here to distract me!

Don't forget to check here tomorrow for another giveaway. I'm hoping to get it posted early in the morning!

Not the best thing I should be doing with my time.

I'm pretty sure if my hubby caught me doing this he would have a few words for me but I just had to! I went to Michael's Craft Store last night and as I was browsing around the entire store I came across this mini canvas. I thought it was cute and bonus, it was on sale! Of course I had to buy it even though I had no idea what to do with it!

As I was sitting on the couch watching Teen Mom 2 (which is on at 10pm) I decided to get a little crafty. I whipped out my scrapbooking paper and got to work. I decided I wanted to make a little piece of wall art and since Bug and I love to have tea parties...why not a whimsical teapot! At the end of my show I was surrounded by a mess of scraps to clean up. Not what I'd like to be doing at 11pm! I'm pretty sure I should have been packing some more, doing something more productive, or even sleeping but there's always tomorrow!

I'm planning on Modge Podging this to the canvas after it's painted but I don't know what color to make it. Any suggestions? I'm also going to add some decorative steam coming out of it! I think it's pretty cute for my first attempt at some art that isn't painted!

Suggestions & a Sweet Buy!

I have been randomly blogging each day and decided that I'd like to set up a schedule of some sort. As my wonderful readers I'd love to know what you are interested in so I am taking suggestions. I was thinking of doing a recipe every Sunday...that's as far as I got.

As for the packing...I didn't make too much progress there either. I am at the moment procrastinating by writing this post! I have a total of 4 boxes packed and one box sitting in front of me with a picture frame in it. On a good note we went shopping for a new couch yesterday and found one at Bob's Furniture Store! My parents were super generous in getting them for us! (thanks mom & dad)

My favorite part was they come with the accent pillows! Sa-weet!

We also have to give up our cable boxes tomorrow! No television for 4 whole days...what ever will we do?! I suppose we will be spending some quality time together and I'll probably get a lot more packing done. Although I won't be able to put on Yo Gabba Gabba or Blues Clues for Bug so we can pack without her throwing all her little toys in the boxes! I'm going to have to dig out the Baby Einstein DVDs for now.   

I almost forgot to tell you...my Etsy shop is having free shipping until further notice! Yay! Use code SHIPFREE at checkout! 

(don't forget 10% of sales goes toward the Susan G. Komen Foundation)

An easy snack for everyone!

Easy Peasy Banana Chips:
Ingredients:
2 bananas (or more if you want)
That's all you need!

Directions:
Cut the bananas either lengthwise in slices or in circles. (I did mine in circles) Cut them a little on the thin side.
Lay out your slices on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake at 250 degrees for an hour and 15 minutes. If your slices are very thin, check them after an hour.

These are a great snack for teething! Bug loves them and so do I!

An Interview with Baby Button Tops and Giveaway!

Happy Friday All! Here is an interview with the shop owner of Baby Button Tops and a giveaway!

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I am a 29 year old mom, wife, and full-time employee at a healthcare facility.  I grew up in a small town (population 100) with very crafty grandmas, who taught me how to sew and quilt.  I would sit at the farm with them on cold days and listen to all of the women in their sewing group talk and methodically sew away and it was intriguing to me.

I have two sisters who are two of my best friends, who are also very artistic and crafty as well.  We all have something different that we like to make so it is fun to show each other our new products too.   My sister Shannon owns Red’s Attic, so her and I team up to do a lot of PR and shows together.

My son is 21 months old, he is full of energy from sun up to well past sun down!  My husband works full-time as well, so we try to get as much family time in as we can after work.

I love to spend time outside, reading, and enjoying my family.

What made you want to become an artist?
Our son was born 6 weeks early and spent the first four weeks in the NICU with Respiratory issues before he could come home.  He was so touchy with getting sick and we were told to cover his ears up so he wouldn’t get sick.  So, where-ever I looked for a hat that would fit him, I always came up empty handed. 

One of my friends showed me a picture of a cute baby with a hat that had his name on it.  A light bulb went off in my head saying “Melissa, why don’t you make Easton these kind of hats?”  So, from there, Baby Button Tops was born.

What is your favorite item to create?

Any personalized order is my favorite.  I love to create a hat that is specific to that child, because I know that only they will have that specific hat.  I was at a local craft show in November and a 4 year old came up to me and asked if I could put Weezer on a hat for her.  I smiled and asked why she would want that on a hat.  Her big blue eyes lit up and she explained that her middle name is Louise and her nickname is Weezer.  After I made the hat for her, she came back to the booth and her face lit up when she saw the hat. 

Those are the times that I truly love what I do the most.  Seeing that you made them so happy and they are so proud and excited to wear something you made them.

What advice would you give to new artists on Etsy?
Give it time and truly love what you do.  If you love what you do, other people will see that in your product and will want to love your items too.

I started out hand stitching all of the phrases on each hat that I would make until the last few months, I decided to purchase an embroidery machine.  My fingers were so thankful.  When making 100 hats for shows, my fingers would get pretty mad at me.  I just had faith that my business would grow and I would then grow along with it.  I just gave it some time.

How do you promote your work?
I have my etsy site: http://www.babybuttontops.etsy.com/,

facebook: www.facebook.com/babybuttontops, local shops, craft shows, and word of mouth definitely.

Currently, BBT’s hats are in 3 local shops as well as 2 other shops in North Dakota and 1 in South Dakota, so a total of 6 different shops.  This has been so great to be able to connect with these shops and have our hats there.  It gives you another outlet to explore what works and what doesn’t work for customers.

Do you have any websites connected to your shop (blog, facebook, twitter)?

I have a facebook account: www.facebook.com/babybuttontops

My blog, I am just starting on it, I have created one, but it’s not up to date – that I have kind of neglected since I have been getting busier.

What is the inspiration for your work?
Easton, my son and all of my friends’ children.  I find such cute fabric in different patterns and I immediately picture what the hat would look like and what fun phrases and buttons I could put with it.  I think of cartoons, things my son says, my friends children, and any other children’s subject that could be an inspiration.

Do any of your items go toward a special cause?
Yes, this winter I made fleece hats and I donated about 20 of them to a pregnancy center for young women in a near-by community.  I have also met some mom’s of infants/toddlers who are going through something medically that I have given hats to as well.

I will be heading to my sister’s in the Eastern part of North Dakota and I will also be donating several items such as blankets and hats to a shelter there as well.

Do you have a job outside of Etsy? How do you handle both?
I work full-time at a healthcare facility in the Human Resources department.  What is nice is that my hours are the same Monday through Friday, so I have my evenings and weekends off to have family time and also get my orders completed.  To handle both some days can be quite challenging, more so getting my family time in.  Some nights, Easton might be on my lap while I am sewing (he is in awe of my sewing machine), or I might wait until I put him to bed and then go down to my room for the night and work away.

It can be a challenge at times, but I just make sure that I can manage it all together: family, work, and Baby Button Tops.  Thankfully my husband is very supportive, so he helps out if I need packaging or tagging done.

Where do you create?

When I first started making my hats, I started sewing in our living room on a large table, until Easton could get around more easily and also I was getting in a lot of orders.  So, we decided to turn our office downstairs into a sewing studio/room for me.  We took everything out of it and I purchased a new machine, along with several other items to go in my new room.

Now, I have my own sewing room and it is jammed full of ideas, pictures for inspiration, product to make, and supplies to finish everything.

What are your goals for your shop?
My goals are simple: to keep loving what I am doing and to make fun, unique, and quality hats for children.  I would also like to expand into several different shops, aside from the 6 that BBT is currently in now.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

A few quotes my sister’s and I like: 

“You’ll never soar like an Eagle when you’re hanging with the chickens.”  Don’t be afraid to take chances and push yourself to the greatness you can be, otherwise you will never get to where you want to be.

“To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.”

You can win your choice of any one hat from 

Baby Button Top's shop!

If you don't want to wait for this giveaway to be over you can buy it now here!
(Use coupon code SPRING15 for 15% off!)

Here's how to win!

Mandatory Entry:

Visit Baby Button Top's Etsy shop and tell me what you would choose if you were the winner!

Bonus Entries:

Each one of these is a contest entry. 

Please post a separate comment for each that you do with your email address.

Become Baby Button Top's facebook fan.
Invite your friends to become her facebook fan as well.

Heart Baby Button Top's Etsy shop.

Blog, tweet or post on Facebook about Baby Button Top's Etsy shop. 
(one entry for each)
Blog, tweet, or post on Facebook about this giveaway.
(one entry for each)
Become a follower of my blog.
~*For any entries requiring you to blog, tweet or post on facebook please leave the link where you did so with your comment. Thank you!*~

Contest closes at 11:59 p.m. Central Time on Friday, March 11, 2011. 

Sunday, March 13, 2011 a winner will be randomly drawn from eligible entrants 

and notified by e-mail, and the winner's name will also be posted here. If no email is listed I will choose another winner. Winner has one week to respond to my email to claim his/her prize after initial contact. 

Contest open to U.S. residents only. 
This giveaway is now closed. Thank you to all who entered and congrats to the winner!

 

Save the tatas!

My cousin is signed up for the Susan G. Komen 3-day for the cure walk...for the second time! I am exhausted just thinking about all that walking! Please stop by her donation page and donate if you are able to. No donation is too small!

Also, for every item I sell until the walk 10% will be donated!

Here's another way to contribute!
Ella Bug Inspired has some awareness bracelets in her shop.
 She is donating a portion of the profits for the awareness bracelets she has listed in her etsy shop to the corresponding charities. Her mother in law and friend are doing walks for two of the organizations so profits will be donated to their efforts.

If you have an Etsy shop and would like to donate a portion of your profits please convo me and I will add you to the post and promote!
If you or someone you know has been affected by breast cancer I would love to hear your stories!
Please share by commenting below.

A little sneak peak.

I have a little sneak peak of some new colors coming to my shop! I have painted a yellow necklace onesie for spring or Easter and a green one for St. Patrick's Day! Sorry about the pictures but I just couldn't wait to share!

On another note, I had a laugh at myself at about 4 in the morning last night. Bug has this bunny blankie that my mom had knitted her and she is now attached to! Earlier I had taken Bug into bed with us (because I am a sucker) and was awoken by Bug poking at me. Half asleep, I was wondering what she was doing when I realized that I was cuddled up with her bunny blankie. She couldn't get it from me which was why she had been poking me. I just had to laugh.

New Treasury!

I created this treasury for a non team treasury challenge being held at 88Edition's! Visit their site to get the details and you can enter too! If you make a treasury for this challenge post the link in the comments and I'll be sure to visit them! I'd love some clicks and comments on this one if you have a moment! Thank you!

'See the wind and fly.' by crocheting4baby

There once was a boy who discovered the ability to see wind and fly.

Fly. Sterling Silver Ha... ancientwinds $8.99	A Cold Wind Blew That D... IneSpee $18.00	Amazon Jade Feather Ear... aliciarosalind $23.00
Owl brown print scarf w... PrettyRaccoon $21.00	Large Soaring Sparrow TwoLittleDoves $26.00	calm thequietcanadi... $18.00
Trio of Songbirds DagaDesign $48.00	Dark forest - digital a... matilou $20.00	Wing wooden bracelet lovepray $12.50
FrenchCountry1908 Hand ... TeacupDesign $4.75	Believe you can fly (in... simplywillow $25.00	You Can Fly- Butterfly ... PoPkO $50.00
Flock Flying ducks cera... PrinceDesignUK $69.00	Come Fly With Me daileedose $16.00	Come Fly With Me - Natu... RedFernClothin... $22.00

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com A/B image testing.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day to you all!

To celebrate Valentine's Day I have a coupon code for 15% off your order! Use code VDAY2011 at checkout to receive this discount at my shop!

What do you and your significant other do for Valentine's Day?

Bug and I will be spending some time where my hubby volunteers as an EMS because Monday's are his nights on.

Saffery Moore Giveaway Winner!

Thank you to all who entered the Saffery Moore Giveaway! 

The winner was chosen using random dot org.

The winning comment is #15 - Melanie! 

[I became a fan of Saffery's facebook page, and I already hearted her Etsy shop. It is hard to pick a favorite item. It is either the tool belt pictured above, or this match box car wallet:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/63484607/matchbox-car-wallet-and-road-to-go]

Congratulations! 

Look out for an email from me (totshop728 at yahoo dot com)! 

Want a chance at winning another item? 
Here are some more giveaways to enter:

The Startionery Sister's Giveaway (winner's choice print)

My Crochet Garden Giveaway (winner's choice hat)

Good luck!

Bug learned some awesome things this week!

Here is what Bug has learned this week. I must say they are pretty awesome skills!

I taught her to open mommy's drawer and pick out a pair of socks for me before I get out of bed. (She usually ends up in our bed during the night so she climbs out and gets my socks for me now.)

Daddy also taught her how to fist pump. We put on some club music and she pumped away! It was so funny! (It's sad, but we are a couple of Jersey Shore fans.) 

She also learned some new signs. We have been doing sign language with her since she was 6 months and it has been such a big help! She is talking a little bit now, but she also signs so
I know exactly what she is trying to say!
If anyone is interested in signing with their baby/toddler please let me know by commenting. Maybe I can show a sign a week if you are all into learning it! 
 In the mean time, you can go to this site to learn more about signing with your little one:
Signing Time on Nick Jr.

Also check out these DVDs. I found them to be very helpful in teaching Bug and myself how to sign:

Signing Time DVDs and Baby Einstein Signing DVDs

An Interview with My Crochet Garden and Giveaway

Tell us a bit about yourself:

I’m 51 years old. Married to my high school sweetheart for 32 years.  I taught myself to crochet at the age of 9. I bought a skein of yarn, needle and learn how to book with my allowance. I’ve been crocheting ever since. I typically crochet using a pattern. My yarn of choice would be cotton. I love making baby items. I won a blue ribbon last fall at our local fair for a shawl I crocheted. It was made from a beautiful wool yarn and the roses around the neckline are edged in glass-beaded silk. My true passion and joy lie in the garden, hence the name My Crochet Garden.

What made you want to become an artist?

I don’t know that I ever had a choice. It’s something I have to do. My soul wants me to create. If I’m not creating I’m not happy. 

What is your favorite item to create?

My true joy and passion is gardening, my favorite thing to create is a flower garden.  I enjoy crocheting just about anything; I guess my favorite thing to crochet would be children’s hats.

What advice would you give to new artist on Etsy?

Create what you love. The odds of making a million are slim to none.  Have good pictures. Relist often. Have business cards made and give them to everyone. You have to self promote. Facebook, twitter and blog. Have a business plan and goals.

How do you promote your work?

I had business cards printed using www.vistaprint.com I give them to everyone. I am also a co-owner of a brick and mortar antique shop. I put a business card in every bag that leaves my shop. I have a facebook fan page. I have a section in my brick and mortar shop with my crocheted items. I have been fortunate enough to land several large jobs for boutique shop owners in my area. I honestly think word of mouth is your best advertisement.

Do you have any websites connected to your shop (blog, facebook or twitter)?

I am currently in the process of creating a web site for our brick and mortar antique shop. I will link my Etsy shop to that. I do have a Facebook fan page. I personally do not blog or twitter. I have been featured on several blogs.

What is the inspiration for your work?

I suppose the best way to answer that would be color and texture. I love color and I love the different textures of different types of yarn.

Do any of your items go toward a special cause?

Yes, I crochet squares for  www.heartmadeblessings.org

I have made several donations to Relay for Life.

Do you have a job outside of Etsy? How do you handle both?

Yes, I’m a co-owner of an antique shop. We take turns working in the shop so I have several weeks off between working there. Since I co-own the shop I often times take my crochet with me and crochet while there.  I’m sitting in my shop now typing this on my laptop.

Where do you create?

Everywhere! Crochet is quite portable. I can crochet and watch TV. If my husband is driving I crochet. I love to sit in my garden in the spring and crochet. 

What are you goals for your shop?

At this time my goal is to reach 100 sales.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

Create what you love. Seek peace, truth, joy and happiness.  Be kind to yourself and others.

This giveaway is now closed. Thank you to all who entered and congratulations to the winner!

Here's how to win!

Mandatory Entry:

 Visit My Crochet Garden's Etsy Shop and tell me what your favorite item is.

Bonus Entries (leave a separate comment telling me which you have done):
1 entry per comment left. Make sure you leave a separate comment for each with your email address.   

Become a follower of my blog.

"Like" My Crochet Garden on Facebook. (leave name you are a fan under)
Comment on one of My Crochet Garden's Facebook posts. Heart My Crochet Garden's Etsy Shop

Visit my Etsy shop and tell me your favorite item.

Leave a comment on any of my other non-giveaway blog posts. (Let me know what post you commented on)
Share this giveaway on Facebook, Twitter, or Blog (leave the link where you shared)

*I am not responsible for the shipping of this item*

Contest closes at 11:59 p.m. Central Time on Friday, March 4, 2011. 

Sunday, March 6, 2011 a winner will be randomly drawn from eligible entrants 

and notified by e-mail, and the winner's name will also be posted on my blog. If no email is listed I will choose another winner. Winner has one week to respond to my email to claim his/her prize after initial contact. 

Contest open to U.S. residents only.

We found and apartment!

We have been apartment hunting for what feels like forever now! Over the weekend we finally found one that we like...a lot! It's still only a one bedroom but we have learned to accept it. We are contemplating some ideas to sort of separate the room so it doesn't feel like Bug is right there. We were thinking of hanging a curtain or getting some screen dividers. I'd love to know any ideas you might have!

The rest of the apartment is great. The kitchen is large enough to fit a table in so we are keeping the dining area open just for Bug and her millions of toys! I also made her a book sling (which I am hoping to make more of to put up in my shop) and I can't wait to finally have somewhere to hang it! We also will have a washer, dryer and dishwasher! We haven't had any of those in three years! That's three years of lugging the laundry and washing dishes myself! This is going to be a nice break!

We are moving in a couple weeks so I apologize if my postings are scarse as we I will be packing! I'm so happy to share my excitement with you! I will post pictures after we get settled!

My Sanity Savers

Bug seems to have been teething since she was 5 months old! I feel like every time one tooth breaks through in comes another! We are onto the molars at the moment and she has been super duper cranky! Besides that she is climbing on anything and everything in the apartment! She has learned that if she grabs a throw pillow from the couch she can step on it to boost her onto the couch! This would be fine if only she actually sat on her bottom! When she is cranky and nothing seems to be helping her here are my sanity savers:

#1. Cheese! Bug absolutely loves cheese. Last night she had a crying fit and nothing was calming her down. I gave her a teether, she threw it on the floor. I changed her diaper, it didn't help. I gave her food, she dumped the plate. I picked her up, she pushed to get down. I gave her the bunny blankie she loves, she hugged it...but continued crying. I was about to break down and cry with her! Just then I said "who wants some cheese?" and she stopped crying and ran over to her highchair! Whew!

#2. Her favorite TV shows. I don't like sticking her in front of the television too often but lately that's all that will calm her down. Bug loves Yo Gabba Gabba (which is a little on the annoying side being that the songs get stuck in my head) and Blue's Clues.

#3. Bug's daddy. I don't know how daddy can calm her down just by walking in the door, but it works. I'm the one who is with her all day, changes her, feeds her, reads to her and plays with her so I guess she gets a little sick of me!

#4. Coffee (for me!) If I didn't have coffee every morning (and afternoon) I would be cranky and then we would both have a crying fit!

I'd love to know what your sanity savers are!

Please share below.

Less than a week until Valentine's Day!

We have less than a week until Valentine's Day!

Here are some of my favorite Valentine's items I found on Etsy!

Fuchsia Azalea Flower Earrings In Matte Silver by AllureByU

Love Birds 'Love is Sweet' banner by DelightfulDecoration



Personalized Sweetheart Tree Greeting Card by LittleSketchyCards



Assorted Hearts Wine Glass Charms by CharmingBeadz

Be sure to browse these awesome shops for great things you can use all year 'round!