Kaedan Krafts Blog

Button Up!! Fab Finds Friday

2009-08-14T06:58:00.007-04:00

Here are just some of the buttons I would love to put on my neckwarmers!

Handmade Stoneware Daisy Buttons by ginpins

Ladybug Handpainted Eggshell Pin by ElegantEggArt

Wholesale priced lot of 6 Rustic Oak Tree Branch Buttons with bark by WoodenTreasures

Peppermint Candy 3 Button Set by FlowerPie

Autumn button collection by craftymummyof4

Come and Meet Eileen From DorsetHillBeads

2009-08-13T07:01:00.008-04:00

A fellow EtsyTwitter Team member has been cross promoting me this week and I wanted to return the favor by featuring her on my blog for all of you to meet. Eileen from DorsetHillBeads makes beautiful lampwork beads, buttons and pendants that she has created with her own 2 hands. I really want some of the buttons for my neckwarmers in Meagan's Designs shop.

Come and Meet Lori From Dean Dyment Studios

2009-08-09T21:08:00.002-04:00

I have always believed that socializing is one of the marketing tools and a great way to meet new people and today I am introducing you to Lori from Dean Dyment Studios. I met Lori when we both signed up for Tim Adam's EtsySecrets and she agreed to do a blog interview for me!

Dean Dyment Studios is filled with awesome art prints that Lori creates. You can find prints of animals and landscapes and a little demon but my favorite thing in her shop is her pendants. The pendants are mini works of art that you can carry with you everywhere. Inspiration is key to being a passionate artist and Lori's inspirations are reflected in her work. Nature and children are a huge inspiration for Lori. Just flipping through a children's illustrated book, can send the creative juices flowing thru her fingers and to the paper. Also, the more Lori interacts with other artist online and sees other people, she finds inspiration in what they do.

On days Lori maybe stuck (and we all go thru those periods), she will sit with her sketchbook and just draw what comes to mind. This is a base for future prints that she can expand on. When she opens the sketchbook, she has no expectations of what will happen and that helps open her mind. A look back at her previous works, helps her sees what can be explored with new technique or theme to create a new piece of art.

Seeing the importance of an online artisan community, Lori is making her presence known thru sites like Indiepublic, RedBubble, Imagekind, HandmadeByMe, Flickr, her blog and a couple other artist community sites. Plus she has a shop on Etsy and a studio on Artfire to display her works for buyers.

At the moment, Lori not only has her prints and necklaces to work on but she works part-time as a pastry assistant at an Artisan Bakery. ( I am very jealous!) From her inspiration of children's illustration books, Lori would love to one day make a career out of illustrating children's books and be in her studio 10-12 hours a day just creating! If Lori won $1 million lottery she would put a down payment on a house (Vancouver real estate is mighty expensive) and this would give her and her husband the opportunity to work on their art full time!

Now be sure that look at Dean Dyment Studios Etsy shop and take advantage of her sale going on! She is offering up to 50% off monotype prints and free shipping and insurance.

Nice Cold Lemonade-Fab Finds Friday

2009-08-07T06:33:00.008-04:00

Around my Birthday (which was August 4th!), I love to sit outside with a nice cold glass of Lemonade. Here is some lemonade inspired Etsy Finds:

Summer Carnival Collection Gift Set--Jumbo Cupcake Candles by candleconfections

Lemonade Limeade Bag by bagsandmorebypam

Lemonade - 3T by sweetbabytot

Pink Lemonade Cookie Recipe by RecipesByKEcookies

Raspberry Lemonade 4 oz. Vegan Shea Butter Soap by tworiverssoaps

Vintage Glassware--Fab Finds Friday

2009-07-24T06:40:00.008-04:00

BEACHY KEEN/ VINTAGE BERMUDA 50s TALL DRINK GLASSES in turquoise/white SET of 6 by CoolVintageFinds

PAIR HAZEL ATLAS GREEN DEPRESSION SALT PEPPER SHAKERS by TheVintageRobin

Fenton Amberina Orange Art Glass Basket by Appleberrycottage

Vintage amber brown pressed bubble glass candy dish or bowl by iWunderVintage

ROARING TWENTIES COCKTAIL GLASSES SALE by bazarbcuz

EtsyTwitter Team Goes Green

2009-07-21T07:45:00.003-04:00

From July 21-27th the EtsyTwitter Team is going Green! This is right up my alley because I love to promote my green items like the Cotton Washcloths/Facial Scrubbies and the Reusable Crochet Coffee To-Go Cup Cozy. So Each day on the EtsyTwitter Team Blog, there will be tips on how you can go green, suggestions on green items from EtsyTwitter Team members and a scavenger hunt where you can win awesome prizes!

If every person can do one small thing to help the world become more eco-friendly, it could have lasting effects to help our children live in a better enviroment! As a team we want to convey this message to the world through our blogs and Twitter (of course). So come check out the EtsyTwitter Team blog and have fun going green.

Music to my Ears--Fab Finds Friday

2009-07-17T07:11:00.008-04:00

I love listening to music. I constantly have my ipod in on and listening to anything from classic to country to pop to rock. Here is some great music related items on etsy!

Personalized Custom Silver Guitar Pick by LaPetiteFleur

Electic Guitar / I love Music iPod Sleeve by hiphandbags

Kelly Green Butterfly Guitar Strap by SallyHope

Style 4 Fancy bird head rattle by lighteninghorse

Frame Drum Hand Painted with Original Minoan Style Dolphin Spiral Design OOAK by mysticgriffin

Starting Another Blog

2009-07-15T07:32:00.003-04:00

Well actually starting 1 new blog and restarting another blog!

Let me explain.......

Lately I have been feeling overhwhelmed with life that I just stopped blogging period. Actually I stopped blogging, creating, promoting, pretty much everything to do with business except for custom orders. This past weekend, I started thinking about how I want to change somethings up with my blog and starting a new blog. What I am planning on doing is keeping this blog as an other artisan and seller featured blog and using my new blog, Meagan's Designs Blog, as my blog for featuring my own things. I am not planning on blogging every single day but will blog about 3-4 times a week with keeping Fab Finds Friday as a main feature.

My third blog is one that I started about a year ago but has been just sitting there waiting for me. It is a single mom's blog that will talk about the trials and tribulations of being a single mom that owns her own business, Single Mom Place Blog.

I want to thank everyone for their continued support. Have a great day, Meagan

Wedding Week

2009-06-16T07:34:00.003-04:00

This weekend is my best friends wedding so I am super busy trying to get things ready to go the beach for the weekend. I am finishing the bikini, making 2 sundresses, making a small handbag for the reception. In true Meagan fashion, I am making my BFF wedding gift. I am drawing what I like to think of as the "Tree of Love". Once I am finished the drawing I will post pictures of it for everyone to see. This is also means that I will only be blogging on Wednesday and Friday this week. So be sure to come back for those posts!

Project Monday: A day to myself

2009-06-15T07:15:00.003-04:00

I know that Sunday's are my Etsysecret Sunday here and I didn't post anything. Well the reason is that I have been getting a bit burned out with my day job, my etsy/artfire shops, kids and my best friends upcoming wedding. So I took yesterday as My Day. A day where I did things for myself and my kids. I took myself shopping and bought somethings I needed for the wedding weekend. When I came home I was on the computer but did nothing business wise because I needed a break.

Let me tell you, EVERYONE should do this once and while. I woke feeling so refreshed and ready to start my day with a new vibrance. So my project was to find a way to relax and get myself back on track that is what I did!

Time to get your Hands Dirty with a Yart Sale: Fab Finds Friday

2009-06-12T06:53:00.006-04:00

With the Yart Sale on Etsy being a huge event for all sellers, I am featuring some people in the Yart Sale with a gardening theme!

Rustic Bamboo Windchimes by jewelzodonnell

Whimsical garden torch by jenuinejems

YART SALE - FREE SHIPPING -Woodland Friend - Garden in a Jar - Home Ecosystem by beadstyle

Come and Meet Leanna of NDNChick

2009-06-09T21:36:00.000-04:00

* This blog post was originally posted on Etsy Twitter Team Blog

Shop of the Week: NDN Chick

Leanna Pierre, of NDNChick.etsy.com, has been beading her whole life! She’s a member of the Colville Tribe in Cusick, Washington. Her work also includes greeting cards and bookmarks. Her bead work is intricate and the color choices are well designed. Some of her work is also very playful.

“I bead pretty much what ever I can get my hands on. I have made everything from hair barrettes to a beaded whistle. When I need to give my wrist and fingers a break from all the bead weaving and tacking I also make greeting cards.

When I make an item it's not just an item to me. A piece of myself goes into it while I am creating it. If I am feeling sad or mad I don't create anything, I don't want those feelings transferred to the new owner. Each item I create is special to me and sometimes it's hard for me to let it go.”

I asked Leanna how she got her start in bead weaving: “A lot of my inspiration comes from my mom. She's the one who taught me how to bead and she has stuck by me through everything. When I go through a crafting slump she's there to help me up and give me inspiration to continue making stuff. She's always there offering creative criticism and ideas. (Thanks, Mom!) My crafting dream is to become a great bead artist like her.”

Follow Leanna on Twitter @ndnchick
Read more on her blog at ndn-chick.blogspot.com

Special Offer This Week: Free shipping on all orders including international all week. The shipping prices are already changed so no need to wait for a refund or invoice.

Etsy Twitter Team Bridal Daze

2009-06-09T06:32:00.004-04:00

As many of you know, my Best Friend Bryann is getting married and this month's Etsy Twitter Team's Promotional Theme is just perfect: Bridal Daze. Bridal Daze is a week long (June 7-13) look at everything wedding! From invitation cards to the ceremony programs and guestbook to jewelry to the ultimate wedding dress (and more), you will find some examples for each catagory from my awesome teammates. Each day will focus on a different aspect and will feature items that fit the catagory.

Now the great thing for you, the reader, is that we are having a giveaway!!!!!!!!!

Here is what you need to do: First check out all of these great items. Second leave a comment on the team blog. Third Include your email so that the team can contact you when you win :)

Here is what you win: Our team members have put together a lovely prize basket that one lucky commenter will win at the end of the week. Some of the prizes include stunning jewelry, a coffee cozy, and shop discount coupons!

Life's a Beach Project Crochet Bikini with Blog Giveaway

2009-06-07T22:38:00.010-04:00

This has been one busy week for me! I have been making tutus galore and loving it. There has been lots of orders for tutus in the past few weeks and I have 1 month until my first show of the season with my etsynj team. This show is going to be my biggest one to date so I have a creating schedule so that I can make enough each week to get my supply up for it!

Drum Roll Please.......................................................................................................................................
I have finished the bottom to my crochet bikini!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was a great feeling to finish the bottom and my next step is sewing the lining into the bikini and I have a week and half until the debut day for the bikini. I still want to crochet the cover-up but I don't know if I will get it done before the debut day but I will attempt to work on it. Here is the new pics:

My other big news is I created a lightbox of my very own! As you all know, I am a member of Etsysecrets (a group that Tim Adam created for sellers to unite and help each other succeed) and I was reading a consultation that brought up lightboxes. Tim sent the seller to this blog link: $10 lightbox to make an easy and affordable lightbox. So I read the blog and thought to myself: "hey I can do this and I don't even need to spend $10". The next day I set out to make my lightbox and I can tell you that it was so easy. It took me all of 15 minutes to gather the materials and put it together.

***Blog Giveaway announcement: In the top left hand corner is a poll that is marked Outside Pic and Lightbox Pic. You vote on the poll and then leave me a comment about which pic you liked the best and the winner will recieve the set of Crochet Facial Scrubbies and Washcloth Set below. The contest will end on June 14th and winner announced June 15th during my project Monday.

Here are the before and after results:

Outside Pic (before) Lightbox Pic (after)

Come and Meet Linda from nunofakind

2009-06-07T08:26:00.008-04:00

You can take your own little nun home with you from Linda of Nunofakind! Nunofakind is filled with these unique "sisters", holiday ornaments and other characters. Linda has been selling on Etsy for almost 2 years, has her own website: nunofakind and sells at local shows and loves to introduce her "sisters" to her customers. Some of her customers have collected her work for years! *(great customer base and to feel the love from your customers!)Linda is from Ontario, Canada and works part-time as a school teacher but is looking to focus on her business full time next year. For volunteer work, Linda helps with the children from school. Since she will have more time on her hands, Linda would like to pursue helping the children more and maybe another project. *(teaching and volunteering to help children is always a tough job so Thank You Linda!) If Linda won $1 million she would donate money to local food banks and soup kitchens. Then she would buy a new car and build a huge studio addition to her house! Pay it Forward: "It would be nice to make life easier for some of the people in my life and help fund their dreams" ~Linda Any "down" time from doctor's appointments, hockey games or simply driving gets Linda brainstorming new ideas. She keeps a notebook by her side to jot down her ideas before she forgets them. Her inspiration comes from so many sources that it hard to pinpoint exactly where. Linda has been creating since she was 9 years old and has learned the art of concentrating on only a few projects at a time *(I wish I could get to that place). In 10 years, Linda would love to be making a living at creating her nuns!Linda's Fun Facts:
Hails from Ontario, Canada
Red is her Fav color because it goes well with Black and White
Fav Snack is any that she should NOT eat
No pets becase she is afraid to lose one
If Linda could be a fruit she would be an apple to keep the doctor away!
Fav Books are "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pauch, Anything from Sophia Kinsella and "Number One Ladies Detective" by Alexander McCall Smith. *(I love the Shopoholic Series too! I guess I can relate a little to much!)

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Visit Linda's Etsy shop: Nunofakind on Etsy
Visit Linda's Website: Nunofakind on the net
Follow Linda's Blog: Nunofakind Blog

My Twitter Friends--Fab Finds Friday

2009-06-05T06:25:00.008-04:00

Here is some great finds from creators that I have been talking to on Twitter. I think there items are amazing and I hope you do to.

Serendipity Earrings by Glitzer

Life's a Puzzle Series - Reversible Necklace by JesseJanes

Shabby Patchwork ...Snap Purse in Pink by Antiquebasketlady

Medallion Pendant in BlueGreen by studio618

BE FREE...GLASS WINGED BUTTERFLY by laglass

Introducing: How to Thursdays

2009-06-04T05:43:00.002-04:00

Thursdays have always been a day where I didn't have anything set in stone to blog about. I mean Mondays is my project day, Tuesdays my street team day, Wednesday my shop feature day, and Fridays my Fab Finds day but nothing for Thursdays. So I thought that I could teach my followers some (hopefully cool) on Thursdays and embrace my inner teacher :) Since I just woke up with the thought I am not preprared to teach you anything today because I want to be well prepared and not just wing it. So please enjoy your day and come back tomorrow for fab finds friday :)

Come and Meet Ginny from ThatsHeadley

2009-06-03T07:08:00.001-04:00

Ginny Headley Maserang, of That’s Headley!, creates artisan jewelry, mostly one-of-a-kind pieces in semi-precious gemstones, art glass, and sterling silver. Her shop features bracelets, necklaces, earrings, jewelry for special occasions and holidays, and has a unisex section for jewelry for everyone.

The “Hope for Whirled Peas” section of her shop has cute green pearl “pea pod” items whose proceeds go to benefit Fisher Houses. For more information about this fundraising effort by Ginny, please see her blog.

“I am dedicated to crafting pieces that are fun, well-crafted, and timeless in design for a lifetime of enjoyment. I make the jewelry I wear, but I like to share with folks who appreciate color, texture, balance, and uniqueness.

My creative inspirations most often come from the beautiful materials I work with - I've loved pretty rocks since I was a little girl, and nothing pleases me more than to pull all my treasures out like a glittering box of crayons and have them tell me what they want to be. I love, too, the color combinations in nature, and can't keep myself from looking at a sunset or garden and imagining the colors coming together as a work of wearable art.”

About Twitter: “I admit I'm pretty much a novice at Twitter, but appreciate so much its community and sense of shared experience. I love its search function to find folks talking about the same things that interest me, and then follow to find out more about what interests them.”

Custom work: “I love to do custom work, too, so if you have something inspirational you would like to have a custom piece to wear with, send me a picture or description of what you would like and we can be creative together!”

She is happy to ship internationally and offers free shipping to the US on all her items.

Follow her on Twitter @thatsheadley
Read more on her blog

Life's a Beach Project plus Tutu news

2009-06-01T06:37:00.005-04:00

You all remember the rip-out I had to do from last weeks blog, well this week was the make-up week. I re-crocheted the back of the bikini to the point that I should have been at the end of last week so this put me exactly a week behind. This is not a bad thing really just can be a bit frustrating because this means that I need to pick up the pace now. It is 20 days until the wedding and 19 days until I need to wear the bathing suit so I will be working overtime on this project! Here is where I am at now:
TuTu News: Last Saturday I receive a message from a potential TuTu customer asking me to call her because her daughter needed one ASAP. I talked to her and my customer's daughter wanted to wear a tutu for her graduation (8th grade middle school) and wanted the colors to be yellow (bottom) and aqua (top) and she would drive to pick it up (she is also in NJ). Well I made the awesome tutu and delivered it this past Saturday. The look on the daughter's face is priceless and made me remember why I love to do this. Not for my satisfaction but the happiness of my customers!

Here is the custom tutu:

ArtFaerie my new Buddy--Etsysecrets Sunday

2009-05-31T08:05:00.009-04:00

This past week in Etsysecrets, Tim challenged us to pick a buddy to help be held accountable for getting our goals and such finished. After posting that I still needed to find a buddy, I was twittering and started talking to Artfaerie about needing a buddy. She needed a buddy to so now we are buddies! I feel really comfortable with Artfaerie because we have been talking on Twitter before budding up so she is not a complete stranger. Plus we are both Etsymom street team members!

Well our first day was a success! We both set our main goal to get done for the day and were able to check that off our list. Plus I sold a tutu and I just checked Artfaerie's shop and she had sales too! I really think this is a great match and I can't wait to continue to encourage my buddy!

Here are some great items from Artfaerie's shop:

sandy pastel green disks, artisan lampwork beads

chintz roses again, artisan lampwork and polymer clay beads

5 freshwater shell fish drop charms 22mmx9mm

charming heart 29, artisan lampwork focal bead

Just Monkey Around--Fab Finds Friday

2009-05-29T06:14:00.010-04:00

It is Fab Finds Friday and today's theme is Monkeys!! My youngest, Danyella, has become obsessed with watching Curious George so I thought to share her love of monkeys with you.

Size 4 Curious George Activity Smock-Free Shipping by twogirlsandamom

Pocket Mirror - Curious George Goes to the Zoo by AnnieJackDesigns

Monkey See Monkey Do Onesie (6-9 months) by motherMAEi

Custom Boutique Crocheted CURIOUS GEORGE Monkey Beanie Hat by littlebearscrochet

HUSH PUPPY Dog Tag Covers by SquidStuffis

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Today I am participating in an Etsy Treasure Hunt where a bunch of sellers got together and hide a treasure hunt in one of their listings and whoever finds the chest get special savings. The list of sellers are posted on the Treasure Hunt Blog.
I have hidden 2 treasure chest in each of my shops. For Kaedan Krafts, if you find the chest you will receive 25% off the item. For Meagan's Designs, if you find the chest you will receive free world wide shipping

Outdoor pictures vs. Indoor pictures

2009-05-28T06:27:00.004-04:00

For the past year, my biggest struggle with my shops has been pictures. With the winter months, I did not want to venture out into the cold (somedays it was 20 degrees and the wind chill was even colder) so I stayed indoors and took pictures. Once Spring came upon me, I headed outdoors and found a great place to take my pictures and wow does it show. With the outdoor pictures, you can see the true colors and the setting is so nice. It just makes the pictures look much more inviting and attractive. Now we have so much rain that I can't go outside again. So I am back to the indoor pics. Here are some examples of indoor vs. outdoor pictures.

See the difference!

Come and Meet Kris from A Cagey Bee

2009-05-27T06:03:00.002-04:00

~This blog post was originally posted on the EtsyTwitter team Blog

Shop of the Week: A Cagey Bee

I like the creative name for this Etsy shop. The artist is Kris G. Brownlee – or KGB = A Cagey Bee! Very clever!

“I'm a painter, so my first love is creating the actual paintings - from sketching to swirling the paint around my canvas. But because I know a lot of us can't afford to buy original work, I try to offer a variety of lower cost reproductions: prints, notecards, and even little pendants with my characters!

I want my customers to know how much heart and soul and pure joy is poured into my work. I think most of my customers *do* know this, but it's not always easy to get a sense of who someone is via the internet. I was a very quiet, shy child and spent years creating elaborate stories for my imaginary friends. It's really no wonder that I've started to bring some of them to life in my paintings. The idea that I get to share that with my customers? That new friends from all over the world look at my girls and smile? I couldn't have dreamed up a better possibility for my life. :)”

What inspires you to create? “Everything! Favorite storybooks, movies, lyrics to songs, interesting characters I meet in real life... my biggest fear is that I'll never have enough time to paint all of the things I want to paint. If I ever run out of ideas, I can just walk out my front door and almost always see *something* interesting. There's this one woman in my neighborhood that I see every so often who I've been itching to paint since the first time I laid eyes on her. She walks this pack of 6 or 7 dogs - those giant long haired Afghan hounds! It looks like a scene straight out of a cartoon with their hair swishing and bouncing and swirling along!”

What are your Twitter tricks of the trade? “My newest favorite Twitter trick is installing Friendbar. It adds a toolbar to your browser so you don't have to load the Twitter page to tweet plus it makes it really easy to just click 1 button & tweet about the page you're currently viewing, including an already shortened URL. You can set it to update your Facebook status too. Very handy!”

Read her blog at www.acageybee.com
Follow her at Twitter: twitter.com/acageybee

As a special thank you to her Twitter pals, all prints in her shop are 2 for the price of 1 this week. Buy one print and simply enter the name of the second print you'd like in the notes to seller box. Double the cuteness!

Check out these Awesome Moms

2009-05-26T07:19:00.006-04:00

Today is street team Tuesday and I am featuring some awesome moms from my Etsymom team!

Pink and Green Polka Dot Wall Sign by girlfriendstx

Incognito Wallet............. the discrete personal hygiene wallet by AbbyChase Designs

LiliBug Mini Newborn Butterfly Snap Hair Clip by lilibugboutique

AURORA - Artisan Crafted Bead and Sterling Silver Bracelet by gemmabeads

Happy Memorial Day--My Project Monday

2009-05-25T07:02:00.003-04:00

First and Foremost I want to say Happy Memorial Day and please remember those who have sacrificed their lives to give us freedom.

As always today is My Project Monday and usually I feature the crochet bikini that I have been working on BUT I messed up the pattern for the back of the bikini bottom. Funny thing is, I started using the front pattern to finish the back and it was not laying flat. I kept looking at it and saying to myself something is wrong but it took about 2 more days of crocheting before I realized that I was following the wrong pattern! I am sure some of you have done the same thing and if you haven't then I am jealous. So I had to rip-out everything but 4 rows (which I was up to 20+ rows) and start all over. I figured that you would not want to see the picture of everything I ripped out and haven't started redoing yet. I am really hoping to get the back finished this week, without screwing it up this time!

Today my step-father is driving his antique 1950's John Deere tractor in a parade today and my mom wanted Danyella to show her support by wearing green and yellow and I went one step better. I made Danyella a John Deere dress with a little apron that doubles as a pocket for her little toys.

My First Etsysecrets Sunday

2009-05-24T12:15:00.010-04:00

Many (if not all) of you Etsy sellers know who Tim Adam is and the wonderful things he has done to help his fellow Etsyians succeed in this tough Self-Employed world. He has started a group called, Etsysecrets, and it is a membership only group of sellers from Etsy. He has shared his vast selling knowledge with us all and it has help immensely.Now I want to contribute back by featuring my fellow Secrets members on Sundays. This Sunday, I am just featuring a few of the sellers and their beautiful works of art.

Teal Floral Hair Bud-dy by BagsandBuds

Multi colored facetd cubic zirconia wrapped gem bracelet by SouthPawStudios

Blue Agate Sterling Silver Ring by CanadianRockies

Blue Moon Turquoise TearDrop Pendant Set by lindab142

Grapes and Vine Bliss Pearl and Crystal Necklace by UnaTiaEspecial

Dusk in South Jersey I - Framed Original Monotype by edamamepress

Egg-tastic Fab Finds Friday

2009-05-22T07:36:00.009-04:00

I woke up this morning with eggs on my mind so I decided to change my Fab Finds Friday to an egg theme and I found some awesome things. So enjoy the eggs of Etsy!

Easter Basket - Necklace by beadifulbaublesSC

The Condor Egg Moss Terrarium by greenbriar

Signature Dish- Robin's Egg Blue Egg by thebrickkiln

BACON AND EGGS STITCH MARKERS by scarymerry

Rattle for baby --- Miss Eggy, Pink shell by kayclairgoodies

Car Problems

2009-05-21T07:28:00.002-04:00

I know that many people have car problems so it should come to no surprise to me but it is so frustrating. In January of thisyear, I bought a used 1996 Saturn sl2 from a local car dealership and had it thoroughly looked at by a mechanic. He replaced the rotors, spark plugs, serp belt, o2 sensor and some other things and it worked great. Well Saturday I drove about a hour away to go to my BFF's bachlorette party and the car was fine. I went to go to Church on Sunday and it was all down hill from there. As I drove up the large hill (a mile down the road), it started sputtering and losing speed so I turned around and went home. The mechanic couldn't look at the car until Wednesday but i had everyone and thier mother diaganosing the car based on my symptoms. Most people were telling me it was the head gasket and going to cost $2000-$3000. I just about had a heart attack. How was a I, a single mom, going to come up with that money to pay for it to be repaired. Yet, I couldn't go without a car either. What a dilemma!

Well the mechanic looked at the car and it wasn't the headgasket at all. It was a coil that needed to be replaced which cost $350, so that wasn't as bad. Well then he calls back, something else is wrong and it could be an electrical problem. The car is only running on 2 cylinders (not good when there are 4 cylinders) and he couldn't look at it again till Thursday. Just my luck!! Then we get a message saying the car is fixed and ready to be picked up. No answers to all my questions or an amount that needs to be paid.

All these car problems just makes me want to move to the city even more!! One day I will be there without all my car problems :) Has anyone else expierenced similar car problems?

Come and Meet Tammy from Tamdoll

2009-05-20T06:48:00.002-04:00

This original blog post was posted on the Etsy Twitter Team Blog

Shop of the Week: Tamdoll (SILVER Mountain Originals)

Tammy Gross, of Tamdoll.etsy.com, also known as SILVER Mountain Originals, creates “an eclectic mix of unique fabric jewelry, the occasional art doll (and a couple of original sewing patterns for those), purses, totes and wallets – many of those 'upcycled' from repurposed fabrics.” She also has a few woven ribbons for sale that are quite unique.

“Everything I make comes from a creative burst of energy and is one-of-a-kind. If I’m inspired enough to make a handful of items that are similar, no two will ever really be the same. Sometimes I wish I could be more consistent, but that hasn’t happened yet and I’ve been creating art for 20 years. I love to try new things and experiment – not everything comes out as planned and it’s back to the drawing board until I get it right, which can sometimes mean weeks until I get things just the way I want them to be.

Why ‘Tamdoll’? In the 90’s, when I learned to sew, I started making fantasy art dolls - tamdoll.home.comcast.net – and did that for quite a while selling them in local boutiques. Beading dragon wings led me to experiment with beading and jewelry making, but my passion was with the fabric and soon enough, I figured out how to blend the two into fabric jewelry!”

What inspires you to create? “So many things inspire me to create - a color, a scrap of fabric, a funny story even - there isn’t anything that doesn’t inspire me, my brain never rests, and I can’t predict what I’ll come up with next. Seriously, sometimes it’s almost a disadvantage. I have scribbled ideas EVERYWHERE. My purse is filled with ideas written on scraps of paper along with the notepad that I always carry. My desk has piles of half-filled notebooks. Even when my mind is winding down, right before I fall asleep... I’ll see a color combination or shape in my mind and remember it for the next day. The problem begins when I start all these projects. I start so many, get inspired again and begin another before the first is finished. The excitement of something new keeps me going and going. And keeps my workroom a mess. This explains also, why my shop is updated with new, completed, items so sporadically!”

What are your Twitter tricks of the trade? "I joined Twitter to connect with other crafters – and for a while I tried to stick with just keeping things all ‘business’. But I just couldn’t. Connecting with the people that are behind the avatars is so much more rewarding than just announcing when I have a new item listed, or a new blog post – I certainly don’t want to follow someone impersonal like that! I love to chime in on interesting Twitter topics and tweet when I find something unique or useful that other creative people may enjoy. (Ok, when I’m up at 3am you may find a silly tweet or two.) It’s pretty satisfying to hear ‘Where do you find this stuff?’ – then you get known as a resource for creativity. Oh, and Twitter would be useless for me without TweetDeck. With following so many, I’m able to categorize my interests and see updates clearly.”

She shares many of her works-in-progress on her blog tamdoll.blogspot.com and at flickr.com/photos/tamdoll and invites everyone to stop by and say hello. Follow her at Twitter @tamdoll!

Special for the Week: Free domestic shipping on non-ribbon items. You will receive a PayPal refund for items not already specially marked as part of the sale. There are some items sprinkled about the shop that have SALE in the title and are specially priced through the springtime.

EtsyTwitter Team Sidewalk Sale

2009-05-19T06:35:00.003-04:00

The Etsy Twitter Team is having a Sidewalk Sale to celebrate the spring weather and to get outside a bit! Virtually! So please take a stroll down our sidewalk of shop listings. Each shop is having a different sale so check them all out. There are some extremely great deals going on this week!! To Check out the all the participating shops click here: EtsyTwitter Team

The sales run from Sunday, May 17th to Saturday, May 23rd.

In both Meagan's Designs and Kaedan Krafts, I am offering free worldwide shipping. For the U.S., this is free USPS Priority Shipping (2-3 days). For International, this is free USPS First Class International Shipping (10-14 days). I will be adding new items to my shops everyday so be sure to stop by~ Meagan

Meagan's Designs Shop
Kaedan Krafts Shop

Life's a Beach Project Crochet Bikini Week 3 plus Photo Handbags

2009-05-18T07:18:00.009-04:00

I finished the top last week which was easy because I just had the last ties to do and started on the bottom. I finished the front and middle section and now I am working on back section ( which I have no butt to fill it, lol). I am hoping to have the back done this week and start on the cover up. The cover up is what is going to take me the longest to finish because it is more detail with the sleeves and such. It is so funny to see the look on people's faces when I say that I am crocheting a bikini and then when I say that I am planning on wearing it on the beach this summer. Really why not? I think it is so cute and different plus it is cheaper than spending $30-$40 on each seperate piece of a bikini or $100 on a one-piece bathing suit at a store at the mall or even Target.

Well the other thing I was working my butt off on this past week was 7 photo bags for my Best Friend, Bryann. She is giving the bags filled with a beach towel (her wedding is on the beach), flip flops, a beautiful bracelet (made by her maid of honor), a candle and each girl got a personal gift (mine was a plaque that had different quotes about believe, which is I love to collect quotes). The bags were made of duck cloth (on the outside) and lined with cotton. There are 9 photo sections that hold 3x5 photos. They came out so cute and I made an extra one to list in my shop this week.

Lastly, here is me in a tutu at the bachlorette party. The Bride-to-Be and I were t he only ones to wear one (the rest chicken out) and it was so much FUN!!!!

Come and Meet Katy of SouthPawStudios

2009-05-14T05:55:00.003-04:00

Shop of the Week: South Paw Studios

**Please note this blog feature was originally posted on the Etsytwitter Team Blog. (I am a member!)

South Paw Studios offers an ever-changing selection of handcrafted jewelry designed by self-taught, Toledo, Ohio, jewelry artist, Katy Mims. She designs necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. She also offers a bridal line and a wholesale line.

“I use a few different techniques in my jewelry line, some of which are some basic metal fabrication, which was studied through the Toledo Museum of Art. I also use basic to more advanced wire wrapping techniques in my designs. I am continuously evolving and staying up to date on the trends and new ideas in the industry. I try to make a conscious effort to think outside the box with every piece; to keep my customers curious and myself challenged.

I am very particular about the supplies I use in my work. I do not use any silver plated materials, and everything is hand selected in person - from the semi-precious and precious gems from India, to fresh water pearls from Hong Kong, to Balinesian beads from Bali, to authentic Venetian glass from the Island of Murano in Italy. I really strive to offer a top quality product at a reasonable price. There are no production lines or kits used. I am the sole artist behind South Paw Studios.

I get inspired from many things, from a shower curtain design, to a sunset. I know that sounds cliché, but really there are great color combinations in sunsets, nature can teach us a lot about what colors naturally look great together.”

Twitter Tricks: “Every item I list or renew on Etsy.com, I then immediately list it on Twitter, and try to introduce it with a ‘call to action’ phrase, by asking a question instead of just posting the description and link. It gets a few more clicks that way. Also try to get followed by your local Twitterers, like your local paper, news stations, radio stations, museums, art galleries, and artist groups. You never know when you might get a call from them wanting to feature you in an article or event since they see you all the time on Twitter. You might be the first person they think of before asking someone else. Branding really DOES WORK! One other thing, I found a treasure trove of local followers by looking to see who my local newspaper was following, now they are all following me!”

Keep your outfits accessorized with the affordable elegance and chic designs of South Paw Studios’ Jewelry line.

Read more at Katy's blog: southpawstudios.blogspot.com
Follow Katy on Twitter: twitter.com/southpawstudios

Special for the Week: 15% off your TOTAL order plus free worldwide shipping. Enter code "EtsyTwitter" in Message to Seller and all discounts will be refunded promptly via Paypal!

Come and Meet Caroline from NewHopeBeading

2009-05-13T06:12:00.010-04:00

Caroline from newhopebeading, is a fellow member of EtsyNJ and it is a great honor to feature a fellow street team member. First and Foremost, Caroline job description is Mom, then wife and lastly business owner. Her kids think it is really neat that their mommy started a business and her husband supportive throughout this adventure. (and owning a business is always an adventure) Caroline and her family live in Annandale, New Jersey which is only 20 minutes from me (how cool!).

Caroline is mommy to 2 children, a son and a daughter, and they are her proudest creation. (It is a true form of beauty to create and grow children in this world and every parent should be proud of this accomplishment.) Caroline's start into the Jewelry Business is a beautiful story so I will give it to you in her words: Newhopebeading started shortly after my daughter, Samantha, was diagnosed with epilepsy. In the early days following her diagnosis, making jewelry kept me from worrying about her. She had been injured during her first seizure, which happened at school. I found that it is impossible to make jewelry and worry at the same time, because you need to focus on what you are doing. Soon, more and more people started asking me to make them jewelry. My husband started to kid with me that I should start a company.

So many people ask me about the name newhopebeading. After her diagnosis, Sam and I both had bracelets (made by someone else) that had charms that said, “Hope”. In the span of 1 week, our “Hope” charms fell off a total of 4 times! I am not usually superstitious, but because Sam was about to go into the hospital for testing, I of course, saw it as some terrible omen…all “Hope” was lost. The 4th time my charm actually fell into the heating vent of my car. I still don’t get how that happened! It was then that it hit me. All “Hope” was not lost. I was just not paying attention. All that was missing was a big hand pointing to the word “HOPE” telling me I should take my husband’s suggestion seriously. That is how newhopebeading was born.

There is no need to get the creative juices flowing for Caroline, she has the opposite problem of having the juices flowing with so many ideas that it keeps her up at night. With each idea, Caroline wants to get all the details down on paper and her only limitation is her handbag's ability to buy supplies. (Sounds like many of us Etsy shop owners) Since each piece of materials seems to want to be certain things, Caroline finds her inspiration from the raw materials. Her children ask her "Do they talk to you?", it is like the movie The Polar Express: You can only hear it if you believe! Oddly, when gems and silver talk to Caroline, her husband cannot hear it :)

As an Epilepsy Advocate, Caroline tries to help find resourses to those who are affected or loved ones are affected by Epilepsy. She keeps this wonderful website: http://www.epilepsyadvocate.com in her shop announcement as a resource for her customers. She has had people contact her to let her know that the site has helped them or a loved one. Caroline also donates 5% of each sale to the Epilepsy Foundation of NJ.

Fun Caroline Facts:
Favorite Food: See fruit question below
Favorite Color- Perwinkle Blue--Is it blue? Is it purple?
Favorite Clothing Color- Black and Taupe to easily match her jewelry :)
If you could be a fruit... No fruit. Cheesecake or Canoli
Any Pets- 2 goldfish Amber and Aiden (my son's name!) 3 groundhogs Lubb Chubb and Bathtub (they are wild and made a home under her porch and refuse to leave)
Favorite Book and Movie: Lord of the Flies and Sliding Doors
Funny Quirk- Don't like the thickness of the bottom of the OJ carton so she opens a new one instead!

Remember to visit Caroline's Shop: Newhopebeading and feel free to buy 1 or 2 or 10 items!

Life's a Beach Project Crochet Bikini

2009-05-11T07:02:00.003-04:00

Well I am on week 2 of the crochet bikini project and nearly finished the top. It is coming out fantastic and I am really happy with it. Each day I took about 1/2 hour to crochet the top until I ran out of Friday and couldn't get more of the yarn until Sunday. So I did take a weekend break from the project and since it was Mother's Day weekend I think I deserved it :) I did have to adjust the pattern because it was made for a B cup and my bust is a bit larger. It was really no problem and I also need to find a fabric to line the inside of the cups and the bottom. The pattern doesn't call for it but I am way to self conscious to wear it as is.

So this week I will be finishing the last tie on the side of the top and starting on the bottom. I can't wait :)

Trekkie for a Day--Fab Finds Friday

2009-05-08T06:11:00.007-04:00

In honor of the new Star Trek movie coming out this weekend here are some great Star Trek themed items on Etsy...

STAR TREK - set of 6 Stitch Markers by knitoramaa

Rock Out With Your Spock Out Star Trek Vinyl Decal by Stickerella

RECYCLED NOTEBOOKS - STAR TREK SET of 6 Hand Made from REAL VHS Movie BOXES into 50 Page Blank JOURNALS by AlienBacon

Star Trek Sci-Fi Steampunk Charm Bracelet by Jezebelcharms

Beam Me Up Scotty by FancieFannies

What would YOU make??

2009-05-07T07:05:00.013-04:00

I bought about 100+ yards of vintage fabric from this sweet elderly lady who was looking to clear out her craft room so she can sell her house. She had about 20 totes of fabric and yarn for my co-worker and I to sort through and we were in Heaven! There were all kinds of prints and different types of fabrics to choose from that we had a hard time choosing who got what. In the end we were both happy with our choices and now I am selling some of the fabric in my Kaedan Krafts shop because I don't have room for all this fabric BUT I want to know what you would make out of some of this fabric?

Please leave your shop address or email and I will send the most unique idea a little gift in the mail!

Come and Meet Megan from Bellflower Textiles

2009-05-06T06:16:00.003-04:00

**Please note this blog post was posted on the Etsytwitter Team Blog

Shop of the Week: Bellflower Textiles

I love bright cheerful colors. Always have and always will. So when I opened up Megan Zalkan’s shop, Bellflower Textiles, my eyes popped open and I felt happy! So much color and cuteness everywhere!!

Megan makes bright and cheerful fabric products for you, your home, and your children. She combines quilting techniques and a love of vibrant color to create modern and quirky children’s tees, crayon and pencil rolls, reusable coffee sleeves, tooth fairy pillows, and hair accessories. She works out of her home in Seattle, Washington, where she also tends to her two year-old daughter. Selling on Etsy since August 2008 has garnered her close to 300 sales.

“Each of my products is lovingly hand created by me, in a smoke free environment, and packaged with great care. Unless otherwise listed, everything in my shop is pre-made and will ship immediately. Oh, and I LOVE custom orders. See something you like but want in a different color or size? Please convo me – I’d love to talk with you! [Editor’s note: Convos or conversations are the way you send private messages on Etsy.com]

I’m inspired by everything around me, but most especially by my two year-old daughter and her friends, and by the natural world. I try to include a botanical element in each item I create, whether that’s a flower, a butterfly, or even just a lovely piece of fabric the exact shade of a leaf I just saw. And of course, I love love LOVE fabric! I have a huge collection of fabric built up over years of quilting, and there’s nothing I love more than to dig through a pile of gorgeous cottons and mix and match patterns to see what pops. Lately I’m loving linen and ribbon too… my collection just grows and grows!”

About her Twitter habits: “I’m a Twitter addict! I try to spend time every morning and evening on Twitter, and often find myself back at other points in the day, too. I’ve recently discovered TweetDeck, which is making a huge difference for me in keeping up with more of my followers’ tweets, and I love the ability to create and follow specific groups of people whose comments I don’t want to miss! I try to just talk and connect about 90% of the time with an occasional link to my shop or a new product.”

Bellflower Textiles ships internationally.

Read her blog at Growing Notes and follow her on Twitter @megzseattle.

Special for the Week: Free Shipping!! Mention “Twitter” in your Notes to Seller and she will send an updated invoice with free shipping or refund your shipping price if you’ve already paid.  

Buy these for you Mom!

2009-05-05T06:28:00.004-04:00

Since today is my Street Team Tuesday, I am featuring 2 shops from each of my street teams for a Mother's Day Special.

Etsy
Buy Handmade
kaedankrafts

To find my street teams other wonderful creations on Etsy click on the names:
Etsytwitter team
Etsymom Team
Cafemom Team
Etsynj Team
Etsyhookers Team
Bittersweeets Daily Challenge

Great day for the Beach Crochet Project

2009-05-04T06:53:00.004-04:00

As I told you (my loyal readers) I would be introducing a new project this week and my project is a crochet bikini. I was browsing the Lion Brand Patterns on their website (as I do often and want to make everything) and found this bikini pattern. I thought this pattern would be great to make a bathing suit for the upcoming beach season and put off making it until I found cotton yarn that I really liked. Well I found my yarn, Sugar and Cream 100% Cotton Yarn in shades of Purples (light and dark) and shades of Green (light and dark). Lion Brand Crochet Bikini

Now I have started the project but since I am larger chested than what the pattern instructions are for I tried to change it to fit my size but I think I need to rip it out (every knitter and crocheter have been here and needed to rip out a project and start over) because I changed it in the wrong place. So I am going to hold off on pictures of the project until next monday.

For the other project I was working on, once I got sick i had to put it on hold because I couldn't concentrate on it. I had to start this new project because I need to get this done before Beach Season starts and before my Best Friends wedding on the beach (we are planning on swimming and laying out the day before without kids or men!). I will be going back to the other project once this is finished.

Awesome Aprons on Etsy--Fab Finds Friday

2009-05-01T05:55:00.009-04:00

My co-worker has been obsessed with making aprons. She wants us all to have matching aprons and one for everyday of the week. So in honor of her apron obsession I am presenting Awesome Aprons on Etsy:

Orange and Raspberry Sherbet Craft Show Vendor Apron with Zipper Pouch by DowntheStreetCreations

John Deere Handmade Reversible Apron by CraftedbyTeri

My Little Cupcake Apron by PerfectDetails

The BELLA Vintage Inspired AMY BUTLER Turquoise and Brown Clematis Full Apron by Boojiboo

Mommy and Me or Grandma and Me BlueBird Apron Set by GenevaDesigns

My New Yarn Collection

2009-04-29T21:08:00.003-04:00

So the past couple of weeks I have been buying vintage 1970's fabric and either making handbags or dresses out it or listing it in Kaedan Krafts for sale, now my "supplier" (day job's managers Mother in Law) has brought me yarn and I am not saying just a small amount of yarn, I am saying at least 30 skeins of yarn. Some of the yarn is from the 70's and 80's and some of it is from the past couple of years. She is looking to sell her Victorian house and downsize so the fabric and yarn that has been stored for the past few decades need a new home and they have found it! Sorry to disappoint you yarn lovers but I will not be selling any of it!! Plus, with Summer Season approaching I have been buying cotton yarn like a mad woman but more on this later.

Here is just a small portion of my new yarn:
Here is Homespun by Lion Brand (my fav for scarves and neckwarmers because it is so soft):

Here is Baby Clouds which is soft and will make a nice baby blanket:This is some vintage wool that will make a cute cozy or handbag:As a I said earlier Summer is approaching and I love to make summery handbags and pouches with cotton yarn. I am also stepping up the number of scrubbies and washcloths I making so there will be more for me to list in my shop! I also have a new project that needs to be done by my Best Friend's wedding on June 20th. I will be letting you follow me on this Journey every Sunday! So that means be sure to come back this Sunday, May 3rd and find out what my new project is!

Come and Meet Tamara of TamaraGarvey

2009-04-29T06:19:00.002-04:00

*please note this is a copy of the original blog post from the etsytwitter team blog (in other words I didn't do all the hard work but still want to help promote a fellow etsy shop!

A sense of humor is something we all could use more of these days and this week’s Shop of the Week delivers! Tamara Garvey, of TamaraGarvey.etsy.com, has some really cute and beautiful illustrations. Her style is quirky and fun! For example, the drawing pictured above, "Burglars and Russian Nesting Dolls", actually made me laugh out loud.

“I draw fun, whimsical, pen-and-ink scenes, usually involving at least one animal and/or tree, as these are my favorite things to study and draw! I sell them as prints in different sizes, including ACEOs, as well as note card sets.

I'm really inspired by the classic pen-and-ink artists Edward Gorey and Aubrey Beardsley. My drawings are made with care in my cute home studio, usually with my dog snoozing on the floor nearby. I'm saving up for a large-format printer of my own so that I can have complete control over my prints (that sounds diabolical! mua ha ha), but in the meantime I have them done at a print shop nearby that does an awesome job. My prints have great color and are printed on nice quality card stock.

My drawings are inspired by my walk to work through Savannah, Georgia's squares, magazines, other artists/crafters on Etsy, color combinations of a stranger's outfit, tattoos, particularly cute dogs at the dog park...anything really!”

Tamara has a degree in Illustration from Savannah College of Art and Design and a B.S. in Biology from Mary Washington College. Her biology background comes through in her piece titled “Enchantment under the Sea” – it’s like looking into a microscope and seeing all sorts of neat little creatures swimming around in the pond water.

When asked about her Twittering: “It took me a while to get used to Twitter, but now I am really into it! I try hard to maintain a mix of promotional (whether self- or other-) tweets with replies or random thoughts, to keep a personal touch to things. I love keeping in touch with my Etsy team members, seeing what they're creating, and what's new with them. I have made some great connections with other artists and crafters especially. One girl in particular, a freelance illustrator, has pretty much become my mentor as I develop my own illustration career! I think it is amazing that a new site can have such an effect.”

She ships everywhere and all her illustrations are shipped wrapped in a waterproof cellophane sleeve, sandwiched between pieces of thick, non-bending cardboard.

Follow her on her blog and on Twitter!

Special for the Week: Put “EtsyTwitter” into the “Messages for the Seller” box and await a revised invoice with a 15% discount off any of her items! (If you forget, just send her a convo.)

Keep Your Head Cool in Fashion

2009-04-28T06:53:00.010-04:00

Every girl with hair needs something to keep their hair back and out of their face. I know that I rely on headbands and hair ties to keep my hair back almost everyday because of work or the heat. Today is going to be in the 90's, which is extremely weird for April (normally in the 60's maybe 70's), so I am going to be wearing one of my headbands and so will my girls (we have a collection of about 100!).

In both of my shops I have headbands for little girls (kaedankrafts) and for women (meagansdesigns). The headbands are $5 for 1 and $10 for a set of 3. If you would like to make your own set out of the single I have listed please convo me.

For little girls:

For Women:

My project for last week

2009-04-26T22:46:00.008-04:00

Well as you all read, I was terribly sick the past few weeks and even ended up with vertigo a few times (not fun). I am happy to say that I feel so much better now and I am slowly catching up with everything that I left fall behind.This is my Best Friend Bryann

As I have mentioned before, my Best Friend (Bryann or Girl Bry) is getting married on June 20th, so I have been super busy helping her with all kinds of wedding stuff. This past Saturday was her Bridal shower. It was a great time for all of us and the first time that the bridemaids finally met. Some of us knew each other from before but some never met at all (communication for the shower was all email and text messages, gotta love technology!). The bride-to-be had a fun time playing games and opening all her gifts.

The Fab Five Bridal Party with Bride

My shower job became my project for last week (when I was able to function). I was in charge of the food, which most of it was ordered and made at my day job store (thanks guys), and the treasure chest (wishing well). I am a true procrastinator and waited till the last minute to make the chest and her gifts (of course she was getting handmade from me!).

My Dress

I bought a cute sundress to wear to the shower and when I tried it on (at home of course) it fit everywhere but my bust area (the girls would be hanging out, big no no!). So I had some vintage 70's fabric that I was planning on making a dress out of one day and that day became Thursday. I finished the dress Friday night and started finishing her treasure chest. I did the staining earlier in the week and I got the shells and netting all glued and decided it needed something more so I added some ribbon (teal blue) and a bow (wedding white). It came out so adorable that she is using it as decoration at the wedding!The Treasure Chest

Then came the gifts... I had a co-worker who makes really nice fabric covered photo albums, make me a sea themed album and then I crocheted her a set of washcloths and scrubbies plus I gave her the crochet bath set I had in my shop with soap and bath fizzies (every woman, married or single, needs some alone bath time!).

My dress close-up with crochet straps and accent belt

All in all it was a great day and I had lots of fun creating!

I am really sick

2009-04-22T06:44:00.002-04:00

The past few weeks I have had, what I thought was a cold, until
|| I went to the doctor's last week and found out that my cold was actually walking pneumonia. So my blogging and creating has been quite limited lately. I have been listing new items that I have stock piled so that I have something to list everyday or close to it.

I am planning on blogging my Fab Finds Friday list on Friday and hoping that I can get back on track on Monday.

April Showers-Fab Finds Friday

2009-04-17T06:15:00.007-04:00

With all the rain that has been in my area this month (and we are only half way thru April), I am dedicating today's Fab Finds Friday to Rain!

Rainy Day Bunny on Dusty Rose - Glass Pendant by Raincloudstudio

April Showers Note Card by DanaMiller

Looks Like Rain by LaurenAlexander

Rain Cloud Charm Necklace by DestroyedbyDesign

Rain Drop Desert Lampwork Glass Beads... by Jelvihdesigns

Come and Meet Julie of RockerJewlz and MomsArt

2009-04-15T06:15:00.009-04:00

Julie of RockerJewlz and MomsArt is first and foremost a mom and wife but loves to take up the rest of her time with designing and creating beautiful pieces of jewelry and paper crafts. In RockerJewelz you will find cupcake style-lampwork earrings, bracelets, necklace and much more. MomsArt is stocked full of scrapbook cut-outs, cards, stickers, confetti and much more. Now a little more about Julie...

As a mom and a wife, Etsy is Julie's secondary job, because she is running around doing errands, cleaning house or doing other "mom" duties. Her proudest accomplishment is that she has raised a son who loves to find the joys in life and his own activities without succumbing to peer pressures to do drugs or alcohol. In her down time, Julie loves to read.When Julie's son entered College, she found some spare time on her hands and decided to utilize this time with searching for beauty. This search has brought her to using her favorite medium: lampwork glass beads. Julie loves the way the light shine thru these glass beads and how they are torched by a hot flame memsmorizes and blows her mind.

As a creative person, Julie finds that reading art books and Vogue magazine helps to get her creative juices flowing because it inspires her by seeing the beauty that is in this life. Her inspirations are everywhere: nature, other artist's work, art, glass, it is all how you see it. As a never-ending learning experience, Julie is always learning new ways to market her shops. Her blog giveaways has given her exposure on other blogs and a whole new customer base.
Julie Fun Facts:
Fav Color: Periwinkle
Fav Snack: anything crunchy is satisfying
Fav Book: "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck (which the Pearl S. Buck house is only 20 mins from my house!)
If Julie won $1 million she would automatically donate 10% and then build her husband's dream log cabin for them to enjoy nature, together.
If Julie could be a fruit, should be an Orange because of the thick, protective skin against adversities and the organization of the tiny segments inside.
Julie is the middle child out of 7 children and since her dad was a school teacher they spent their summer's camping because he had summers off.
In 10 years, Julie would like to be walk hand-in-hand with her husband to the beach near their retirement condo, not knowing what the rest of the day holds for them.

~~One last Julie Fact, if she could be anything in this world, Julie would be a magazine layout artist for a major fashion magazine! hint hint Vogue!!

Thru April 19th, RockerJewlz is holding a 20% off sale so be sure to check out both her shops:
RockerJewlz
MomsArt
and follow her blog: RockerJewlz Rockin News

Continuing my Sale for Mother's Day

2009-04-14T07:01:00.002-04:00

I have decided to continuing my 20% off sale until the end of April. Since Mother's Day is right around the corner I want to extend my savings and my wonderful items to those of you around me.

Here is my handbags, bath sets and cozies shop: Meagan's Designs

Here is my tutu, children's gift and destash shop: Kaedan Krafts

**The 20% off sales does not include custom orders.

One Sick Family

2009-04-13T07:01:00.003-04:00

Normally I am posting a blog about my Crochet A-Long project but I haven't been able to work on it because we have been sick. Last weekend, Danyella (the toddler) started with a cold that got pretty bad and she still has it but just not as bad. All she wanted to do was cuddle with her mama, so of course now I have it. My poor head feels like it is going to burst but nonetheless, I still have to go to my day job. So I am thinking that this is going to be a very low key week for me.

Bittersweeets One Year Etsy-Versary--Fab Finds Friday

2009-04-09T22:04:00.024-04:00

One year ago this awesome group of girls and I got together and began a challenge that was started by Bittersweeets. The challenge was to list one thing everyday for one month. Well we are now at our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!!! Some of us are still around from that one year mark, we have adde d many new friends, lost a few along the way and sent one of us up to Heaven. We have helped each other grow our businesses and became great friends along the way.

Some of us are having a sale this weekend in honor of our Etsy-versary, so come and check out our awesome shops and buy away!!! One of us is getting married this weekend, Congrats Celeste from CricketsCreations!!!!

Bittersweets Shock and Disbelief Angry Cookie with a Bite out of Him magnet or brooch (you choose) by Bittersweeets

Jolly Holiday - Vintage gold pin piece and prehinite gold filled chain necklace perfect for your Valentine by prettybetty

Ruby Heart - Fine Silver Heart, Ruby and Sterling Silver Necklace by lindesigns

Merino Wool Yarn - One of a kind varigated skein by Yarn2Spin

Hand Knit SPRING GARDEN SOCKS - Size - Child's Medium by lolabear

Sales Fairy Crazy Dance in Pink Original Watercolor by carapace

Little Black Dress - Dress-y Hand Towel - Repurposed from Man's Shirt - Red Hot by AthenaCreates

Olive and Orange Quilted Travel Tote Bag by d

ownthestreetcreations

Hanging Gourd w Orchid painted by yarrow1

Discounted---BlueGreen Stoneware Mug by ginpins

Night Glow Serpentine Stone in Green and Jet Black Glass Necklace Out on the Town Sassy by go2girl

Karen - French fantasy beaded flower hair clip by BeadFloraJewels

Sale - Canterbury Bell - 17 ct Pink Mystic Topaz and Sterling Silver Pendant Necklace by CoryellDesigns

BOGO SALE - Dalim Green Gold Four Strand Necklace by Dalim

Smoldering Embers - Necklace - SALE - 25 percent off by BeadifulbaublesSC

Hummingbird in the garden,handpainted tatoo romantic design on a pale pink tunic ,embroidered back by norakaren

Spring Cascade - Pastel Color Lucite Flower, Czech Glass, Antiqued Brass Necklace by AFineDistraction

Pesonalized Hand Stamped and Hammered Circle Necklace by jjewelrey1

EASTER SALE - Shipwreck - Australian Timber,

Resin and Ceramic Necklace by earlybirdcreations

SALE Bullet the Blue Sky necklace extra 20 percent off whole shop April 10- 13 by kmaylward (a girl after my heart with a U2 song title!!)

Blackberry Sage Tea Herbal Bath Salt Tea by opheliasapothecary

Bohemian 'Fringie' - Fringed, Tiny Baby Blanket For Infant Portrait Photography Business - Prop for Professional Child Photographers - Newborn Nest for Photo Shoot - Image by DeeDee DiMarco by CricketCreations

DailyChallenge Sale -- Luxury art yarn moebius cowl, Fa

ded Spring Boho colors of dark muted pink, misty turquoise, and rusty orange, with silk thread accent by iWunder

Live, Love, Laugh - silver and black message necklace by themagpiesdaughter

blue crab felted purse by maddy and me designs....sapphire blue glitter fleck ruffle with crab pin....international shipping by Maddyandme

Spring Fling - Unakite with Celtic knot earrings by OnceUponARock

Blue and Tan Cotton Crochet Hannah Handbag--Great Market Shopping Bag by Meagansdesigns

My brush with a Celebrity!

2009-04-09T06:38:00.003-04:00

Yesterday started out like any other day. I went to work and stood in my position and talked to the same people I do everyday and then....a celebrity walked through the door. Laura Wright, who plays Carly on General Hospital, came in and did grocery shopping with her husband John. I am very, very shy so I just kept looking at her to see if I was really right and when she spoke I knew it was her. So then I tried to stay calm and said that she looked just like Laura Wright who plays Carly on gh and she told me that she was Laura. She said they were in the area visiting family. The conversation was very short and brief, which I want to respect her privacy. I did some research last night and did find out that Laura and her husband own a house in Pennsylvania and I have narrowed it down to Bucks County, Pennsylvania. When she was on Guiding Light, Laura and her family lived in New Jersey and spent weekends at the Pa house, but now they primarily live in Los Angelos. So that is my brief and sweet encounter with a celebrity!

Come and Meet Gwen from Gwen's Goods

2009-04-07T21:43:00.009-04:00

I have only recently "met" gwen from gwensgoods.etsy.com and she is already becoming a big supporter of my work and my blogging! As a 20 year crocheter, Gwen's shop Gwen's Goods is filled with amazingly, adorable crochet hair pieces, blobs (toys), jewelry and other unique items.

Along with creating for Gwen's Goods, Gwen is a wife and mom to an ultra cute 2 year old! The family rescued this cute dog, Elvie. Elvie loves to go on walks with the family but will not go in their backyard without them. (how cute is she??) In addition to her "part time" etsy shop, Gwen is a nanny to a 3 and 5 year old (wow!).

Much of Gwen's inspiration comes from her daughter. She also loves to use the colors of spring and fall. Her fellow crocheters on Etsy, make Gwen strive to be the best crocheter she can be and inspires her.
Gwen is a member of the Etsyhookers (where I met her), CrochetCreates and ThreadArtists and participates in the promotions and chats with the other members, who love to support one another is this Etsy adventure! This summer, Gwen is venturing outside of the Etsy world and also becoming a vendor at her local farmer's market.

Be sure to look around Gwen's shop: Gwen's Goods
and visit her blog: Gwen's Goods Blog

Little Girls Love Dolls-Fab Finds Friday

2009-04-03T06:30:00.010-04:00

As Danyella is hitting the age of loving baby dolls (Kaeleigh is growing out of the doll age), I decided to feature some pretty adorable dolls I found on Etsy:

Baby Gracie by cuddlemefriends

Princess of Hearts by Narayanworld

PAIGE Cloth Doll by cutieflair

Beautiful Sweet Petite Reborn Baby Girl by cbnursery

Ruby by Tulabelltoys

Here is my addition to the Fab Finds Friday blog:

Danyella the Yarn Doll by Kaedankrafts

Come and Meet Heather of BeadifulBaublesSC

2009-03-31T21:47:00.008-04:00

I met Heather, of BeadifulBaublesSC , through my Bittersweeets Daily Challenge Group and fell in love with her amazing jewelry and loving personality. Through thick and thin, this woman has the kindest words to lift your spirit and this is reflected in her works of art.

Besides designing beautiful jewelry for her etsy shop, Heather is a freelance floral designer in Southern California (the heart of LA county). She has been working with flowers for 13 years and loves to work for shops when the extra help is needed. Of all the beautiful pieces Heather has created, The Antique Elegance Necklace is her most prized piece because it was made with her great grandmother's lace.As a child, Heather learned to make gift for her family and friends "out of nothing". Her mom (yarrow1.etsy.com), was always very encouraging and supportative in teaching how to use different mediums. For her 10th birthday, Heather's dad took her to the store and she bought her first set of beads to make jewelry. The rest is history....

To get her creative juices flowing, Heather likes to take walks, listen to music, take a hot bath with OpheliasApocathary's bubble bath, and spending time with her friends and family. Nature and surroundings, help Heather find inspiration. She also likes to see what stars wear to the awards show to create a beautiful accessory to go with a dress. Of course, Heather is part of the Bittersweeets Challenge but she also like to donate her items to silent auctions for charity, wear her own pieces and hand out business cards wherever possible, to promote her jewelry business.

Fun Heather Facts:
Fav Colors: Blues and Purples
Fruit she would be: Mango, Watermelon or Strawberry!
If she won 1 million dollars: buy a car that runs (simple pleasures!), a house and help her family

Lastly, in 10 years Heather would like to be....a successful business owner of her jewelry line and her wedding and event floral shop. She would like her family to be healthy and happy and become someone else inspiration to be a handmade artisan.

Visit BeadifulBaublesSC to buy her great pieces of jewelry!

CafeMom Street Team on Blockheadradio Tonight

2009-03-31T06:45:00.002-04:00

The leader of the CafeMom Street Team, Rockerchic, will be interviewed by Blockheadradio!! The interview will be from 8-9pm EST.

Blockheadradio is all about being Independent! The radio features indie musicians and the talk radio is about artisans, family and life. They have an artisans showcase that you can pay a small fee to join each week.

So come out and support our fellow etsians and listen to the radio interview!!!

http://blockheadradiolive.com

Moderne Jacket Crochet A-Long--Week 1

2009-03-30T06:28:00.004-04:00

When I started this crochet a-long project, my goal was to crochet an hour a day but that did not happen. I received an order for 2 of my Hannah crochet bags and have been working on them, so the crochet a-long only got a small amount of my time and attention this week.

The pattern has me starting on the back, which requires shaping the back. I have gotten about the half of the back done. My goal for this week is the get the back finished and start on the front.

Here is Day 1:

Here is where I am at now:

Every Crafter Needs Supplies--Fab Finds Friday

2009-03-26T19:31:00.008-04:00

Here are some great supply shops on Etsy!!

Ocean Wool Roving Top 3oz by Yarn2Spin

Sno-Cone, Hand Dyed Worsted Weight Wool Yarn, turquoise, purple, pink, green, 4 ozs, 220 yds by iWunder

Irises Handpainted Merino Wool Roving by chimera

FREE FAT QUARTER WITH EACH PATTERN AVA BAG BY TANYA WHELAN FOR GRAND REVIVAL by 44thStreetFabric

Starter Mix Pink Enamel Flower and Pearls by CarDonCreativeDesigns

Shop Feature Wednesday

2009-03-24T20:43:00.003-04:00

I am compiling a list of Etsy shops to start my Shop Feature Wednesday. So starting Next Wednesday, April 1st, I will be doing interviews and featuring some really great shops. Make sure you come back and support our fellow sellers!

Calling all Etsy Shops who Want to be Featured

2009-03-23T21:42:00.000-04:00

I want to start doing Etsy Shop features on Wednesdays so, if you are interested in being a Featured shop please leave a comment here with your shop link.

My First Crochet Project of the Month

2009-03-22T21:59:00.004-04:00

I love to do endeavor big crochet project but tend to rip them out or not finish them because the small projects I can get done quickly and list in my shops. Well, I decided to take on 1 "big" project a month and devote 1 hour a day to it. Then on Mondays, I will update you with my status of the project and show you pics of my progress. I thought this would be a fun thing to do and read about!

This month I am participating in the Lion Brand's Crochet A-long and the project is a Moderne Jacket! The pattern was free to download and people all over the US and the rest of the world are making their own versions of this Jacket and I can't wait to see how each one varies. The flickr page for this is: http://www.flickr.com/groups/lionbrandcal/

The original pattern calls for using 2 different yarns and crocheting them together. I am using one yarn, Bernet afgan yarn, because I wanted to use what I have laying around the house before I bought the more expensive yarn (one they call for is cashmere yarn). I started this today and have only gotten the foundation row and a few more rows done so no pictures yet but I will definitely have more progress and pics next Monday, so stay tuned!

If you are participating in the Crochet along please let me know so I can post your finished product on my blog!

Meagan's Designs Etsy Anniversary--Plus Free Shipping Sale

2009-03-21T08:00:00.004-04:00

One year ago, on March 21st 2008, I listed my first item on Etsy and officially opened Meagan's Designs for business. So much has changed in this shop in one year and things have improved since I first opened. I have had 31 sales and now have 130 items in my shop.

In honor of my Etsy Anniversary I am offering free shipping in this shop! This includes International Shipping!!!

check out my shop: Meagan's Designs

Meagan

2009-03-21T08:00:00.001-04:00

Benefits of Natural Light

2009-03-18T20:40:00.005-04:00

Over the past year I have struggled with the pictures of my items. I mean I take a great nature shot(not to toot my own horn) but when it comes to the still life of my hand crafted items I have the hardest time giving the items justice. Well everyone that I talk to in my Bittersweeets group has told me to go outside because natural light is the best light for still life photography. They are so right and I am appreciative of their advice! Here are some of the pictures I re-took of my cotton handbags: (the pics are clickable to my shop)

Happy St. Patty's Day

2009-03-17T06:24:00.001-04:00

Not much to post today but to say Happy St. Patty's Day! I am making my traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage and drinking a little beer! Have a great day.

And the Model's Name is....

2009-03-15T08:01:00.003-04:00

Audrey Penelope Belle
I would like to thank everyone who entered the contest. All the names were beautiful and it was hard to choose just one name so I chose 3 names! And the winners are Jess of OnceUponARock for the name Audrey (after Audrey Hepburn), Kristin of kmaylward for the name Belle and Jenny of pennyleejenny for the name Penelope! So now I have lots of work to do making neckwarmers for the winners!

Find the Leprechaun Etsytwitter team Contest

2009-03-14T06:25:00.002-04:00

Top o’ the morning to you! We’re having a little St. Patrick’s Day fun here at the Etsy Twitter
Team blog! It’s time to “Find the Leprechaun”!

Ten leprechauns pictures (like the one above) are hidden in the item
listings in the shops below. Click through the shops to find the
leprechauns. When you find one, send an email to etsytwittert...@gmail.com with the URL of the
item displaying a leprechaun in the pictures. You may enter more than
once as long as you have a different URL for each entry.

No purchase necessary to enter or win. Entries must be received by
midnight EST on March 16th. Five winners will be chosen by random on
March 17th!

The Fine Print: Etsy Twitter Team members
and their immediate family members are not allowed to enter. Etsy.com is in no way affiliated
with this blog or contest. Must be at least 18 years old to enter.

List of
participating shops:

Threepeats
Art by Betty
Refour
In My Head
Studios
Sandi's Ts
Liv'nGood Jewelry
Firebird
House
Rhodes
Annals Designs
Jenco13
Emily
Claire Creations
Fat Daddy
Sweets
Joslin Jewels
Herban
Lifestyle
Peanut and
Tommy
Nikky Lee
Designs
Linda B's
Creations
Sox and
Patches
Angel
Kisses Jewelry
Imogen's
Garden
Ambient
Lights
Soap Rehab
Huayruro Peru
Bugs 'n Bees
Pretty Cheap
Aquarian Bath
Scrap With
Style
Bella Tu
Jewelry
Tamdoll

And what might you win? Our team
donated some very lovely prizes!

From Soap Rehab: Wasabi Ginger Soap
Bar is bright, green, and fresh--all the good stuff but without the
bite! Notes of eucalyptus, ginger, and top notes of lemon and a hint
of mint make for a refreshing clean feeling.

From Fat Daddy Sweets: Wonderfully buttery, creamy sweet
goodness. These soft vanilla caramels are handmade, cut and rolled
and will cure any sweet tooth!

From
Tamdoll: Fabric Button
Brooch - Frayed edged fabrics, button sewn on, pin on the back.
From Emily Claire Creations: Shimmery silver chimes with amethyst and moss green cat's eye
beads. A silver leaf toggle clasp completes this enchanted ensemble.
This bracelet measures at 7 1/4" (excluding the clasp). It is made to
wear a little loose, so it may shimmer with any wrist movement.

From Joslin Jewels: Faceted and
translucent beads of natural green chrysoprase, each adorned with a
sterling silver bead cap resembling a three-leaf clover, suspended
from handmade sterling silver ear wires.

Thank you to Sheridan, from Joslin Jewels, who made the great
leprechaun graphic for our contest!!

All images in this blog post are
copyright to the shops they represent.

4 Leaf Clovers for Good Luck--Fab Finds Friday

2009-03-13T06:04:00.008-04:00

I love to celebrate St. Patty's Day because my 3 children are Irish on their dad's side and I want them to embrace their heritage. So here is my picks for the Luck of the Irish:

Irish Heartstrings - Green V-Neck T-Shirt by ME2Designs

So Damn Lucky Card by maryrudakas

folk art vintage style Chenille stem St Patricks Irish Ornament by twinklehill

Party Pack St Patricks Day Decoration cake topper centerpiece cupcake picks magnets holiday brooch by ownbackyard

Irish Girl Brooch by humblebea

Come and Meet Kristin of Kristra Designs!

2009-03-11T05:24:00.009-04:00

I met Kristin of Kristia Designs or kmaylward (her etsy shop name), almost a year ago as an original member of Bittersweeets Daily Challenge. As each of us in the group listed our daily item, we also got to know each other and have formed a close friendship. Through this past year we have seen Kristin get pregnant, have a baby and still have time to create beautiful items for her shop or custom orders.

Since Kristin is a new mommy, her proudest accomplishment is her baby girl, Penelope. Penelope is a gorgeous baby girl who came into this world in late December. As an artist, Kristin's proudest accomplishment is her bezel set pieces with handmade chain. She just loves their beauty!

Like many of us Etsy shop owner, Kristin has a day job to go to everyday (or will when maternity leave is over!). Kristin is a licenced clinical social worker and works with teens at an alternative vocational high school plus she has outpatients. It takes a kind, strong woman to deal with teens everyday and Kristin deserves alot of credit for taking on teens with problems and helping them through these tough years.

Kristin is a woman after my own heart, she has the same favorite colors as I do! She love green because of nature and that is reflected in many of pieces and backgrounds. Plus, she loves purple!! Now as a kid, her favorite color was green and that loves has never faded. If Kristin could be any fruit it would be...an orange, because they are bright and sunny and sweet and tart and also have a nice tough skin to protect the mushy insides.

As Kristin works in the studio and throws ideas around with her fellow artisans, her creative juices flow from the interactions with others and bouncing ideas back and forth with them. Nature, is Kristin's primary inspirations but she also finds it from architecture and her fellow Etsyians. As a true artist, Kristin can also look and feel her materials and find inspiration from them. Sometimes the materials just tell you what they want to be!

As a kid, Kristin loved arts and crafts and has always been creative. As an adult, Kristin loves to work with copper and does a great job with it. Ten years from now, Kristin would like to be raising Penelope to be a proud young women who loves to create her own jewelry. With 10 years more artistic experience, Kristin would like to be making more advanced pieces of her jewelry.

One last fun fact about Kristin: If Kristin won the lottery, she would pay the bills, give some money to her family, set up a college fund, and open up an art studio to reach youth with emotional/social difficulties. The best of both of her worlds!

Kristin is having a March 15% off sale in her shop: kmaylward so be sure to check out all her beautiful pieces and feel free to buy anything in her shop!

Convenience of an Over the Shoulder Bag

2009-03-10T06:27:00.004-04:00

I love to go shopping at outdoor markets or go to the city (NYC or Philly) and walk around, and having a bag that is draped across you is great for convenience and keeps your valuables safe (no one can take the bag off your shoulder and run with it. I made a couple of these bags last year and with my attempt to expand my handbag line for the spring, I am making more of these. The bag will be small, medium and large. and in a variety of patterns and colors.

Here is my latest Over the Shoulder Bag that I listed in my Shop last night:The design of a large bag came from seeing my customers at my day job walking into town to do their grocery shopping. Some do this to conserve gas consumption, some do it for exercise and some do it for the environment and be "green". This bag sells for $25 and I can customize a bag with a different pattern or size. If you are interested in a custom order, please feel free to contact me through my shop: http://meagansdesigns.etsy.com

Awesome Treasuries Craftopolis

2009-03-09T06:54:00.007-04:00

I want to start off thanking everyone who has entered my name contest so far, remember you have until Sat. 8am to get into the contest!

With the creation of Craftopolis, I am loving the fact that I can find out what treasuries I am in without having to scroll through a ton of pages (sometimes 25+) to find out I am not featured in any treasuries. This new site lets you type in your shop name and find out what treasuries you are in or if you are alternate in a treasury plus links the treasuries for you to check out. I know that some people have had difficulties getting it to work but so far so good for me. Last night I noticed that Craftopolis will be doing a Gift Guide search, which I think is awesome because I never have the time to check out the Guides (yes I am to busy crafting things).

So I think I am at an all time high with the number of treasuries I am in with a total of 5 for both shops plus 1 alteranate.

Here are the treasuries (please feel free to click away and comment on Each one, Thanks)
Kaedan Krafts treasuries

Spring Ahead (EtsyNJ team): http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=44348
CEM Street Team: http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=44853
Flip Side Seasons: http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=45943
Hooker Heaven (alternate): http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=44631

Meagan's Designs
Spring Break Time: http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=44594
CEM Street Team: http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=44853

Thanks for Clicking! and remember to have a great day
Meagan

Name My Model Giveaway Contest

2009-03-07T07:48:00.003-05:00

This past week I received my new model in the mail and decided she needs a name and I am going to open this up to the public and my friends to pick out her name. The contest runs for 1 week, Saturday March 7th thru Saturday March 14th. The Winner will be drawn at 8am on the 14th.

The Model:: My model is a wire dress form that is about 5 feet 6 inches tall. She has flowers on her and crystals that hang at the bottom. (she is modeling one of my tutus)

The Prize:: A custom made neckwarmer! The winner get to pick out the color and I will make one just for you.

The Rules:: You must enter a name for my model only ONCE! You can put more than one name into the contest but it must be in your ONLY entry. When you enter the contest you must leave your email address or etsy shop address so that I can reach you.

Thanks for entering my contest!

Bring on Spring Flowers! Fab Finds Friday

2009-03-05T21:03:00.012-05:00

Living in the Northeast of the US I know that the winters will be cold but this year it was a record-breaking cold so I want to find flowers that will brighten my day (and yours). Lets hope that this bring spring much sooner!!

Vintage .. Verdis Gris Resin Flower Pendant or Focal by Dibabeads

jumbo sized 3-D Flower Applique in screaming bright red microfiber

super soft yarn, no animal fibers used by iWunder

Aceo Pink Hibiscus Bloom by Glory2727

Lavender Flowered Booties by BurryBabies

The Ellen-----------Think Pink with a Pink Rose Flower Pen Bouquet 25 percent goes to Breast Cancer Support and Research by fleurdeink

and here is my flower:
Wild Flowers 4 ACEO by MeagansDesigns

Go Vegetarian--My one week challenge

2009-03-05T06:13:00.005-05:00

After visiting the Philadelphia Flower Show yesterday and my want to become healthier, I decided to go vegetarian for one week. I am the person who grew up on the steak and potatoes diet and as an adult I do love my meat. Chicken, pork, steak, ham, you name it and most likely I have eaten some kind of meat or two this week. I know that there are certain benefits to eating meat, like protein and iron, but that is when it is in moderation.

My second eating habit is JUNK FOOD! I absolutely, without a doubt, love all kinds of junk food. From cakes to cookies to chips to candy and beyond. This is going to be where my challenge truly lies because junk food is a daily, if not a hourly, occurrence in my life. Since my day job is at a grocery store, the junk food is just there and is tempting me at every corner. Plus, I stand at my job all day so I need to eat easy, quick foods before the next customer comes thru my line.

Well, as I saw all the beautiful flowers and talked to the vendors who were giving food samples out (and who doesn't love free food!!), I realized that my consistent fatigue and sluggish maybe coming from my poor eating habits. The food vendors were selling all natural and organic foods and many of them told us how it is easy to eat healthier when we put our minds to it because healthy food all around us, we just need to open our eyes and see it and eat it.

Starting today and lasting until next Thursday morning, I am going to eat healthier by eliminating meat and junk food. I really want to see how I feel after a week of eating primarily fresh veggies and fruits. Come back in a week to find out how i do!!

My Neckwarmer Made from My Spun Yarn

2009-03-04T07:01:00.005-05:00

I never, ever thought that I would get into spinning my own yarn but I have and I love it! I bought a drop spindle and hot pink merino roving (just starting to get the lingo down) from yarntospin.etsy.com and she had wonderful detailed instructions on how to spin your own yarn. It took me about 6 hours to spin the yarn because I was doing a little at a time plus I did run into a couple of snags from my own inexperience and needed to walk away. Well we it was all done and I washed, blocked and twisted the yarn I came out so cute. When I bought the kit, I told myself that I would make myself something out of the yarn (it is something I don't normally do) and I made myself a neckwarmer!

I have bought more roving from yarn2spin.etsy.com and I can't wait for it to come in so I can spin more yarn and make more adorable items!

Surrounded by Tulle

2009-03-02T22:21:00.005-05:00

As a continuation from yesterday's blog about Danyella's tutu,I am surrounded by more and more tulle! I was told by many, many woman, who want to embrace their inner princess, that they would love to have a tutu of their very own to wear around the house, out in public or to a party. So I decided to make myself a tutu and list a custom tutu for women in the same colors (aqua and hot pink) as the one I made for myself.

I have to say that I think that the tutu gave me power and energy that I haven't felt in about 6+ months. All of a sudden, I got a ton of stuff done in one day that would normally take me about a week or more to accomplish! I love the power of a tutu.

Here is the picture and if you click the pic it will take you to the listing in my kaedan shop:

I also made a toddler tutu in peacock blue, aqua and yellow that is so adorable!

Next I am going to make matching mommy and me tutus, so stay tuned for that listing!

Danyella's tutu

2009-03-01T07:43:00.008-05:00

As you all know see Danyella grow up, you can see my different creations for her. My last creation is a tutu! See my best friend and non-biological sister, Bryann, is getting married in June and we had ordered tutu's that never came so I went looking to see how hard it would be to make the tutu's for flower girls. I came across this pattern posted on flickr by ambrosialove, that is so simple and easy with great directions and help. So on my journey to Joann's (the closest one is about 45+ minutes away), I bought some tulle and decided to try it out for Danyella first.

I worked and the tutu for about an hour and then I was done! It is that easy!! The only problem I ran into was that Danyella was asleep when I got done and I had to wait till this morning to put it on her and take pictures!! I love it on her and she loves dancing around in the tutu. Danyella's favorite movie is Happy Feet and as I am writing this she is dancing along with the movie and twirling around in the tutu! Thank you ambrosialove!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

for ambrosialove's easy tutu pattern click here: ambrosialove tutu

also I am thinking of making up a couple of these and listing them in my Kaedan Krafts shop, what do you all think??

Its Time to Write--Fab Finds Friday

2009-02-27T07:14:00.006-05:00

I love to find new journals to write in and here are some awesome ones that I found on Etsy. Check them out and feel free to buy one!

Ocean Relic - Leather journal with aqua seaglass and leaf swirl design. Soft chocolate brown cover, white pages, golden brass filigree motif with natural beach pale blue seaglass by AwakenJournaling

Pen Journal by DreaminginColors

Celt Dragon Cross Leather Journal by ArtisanGraham

The Optimist In Me Journal by redcofeydesigns

To Ebay or Not To Ebay

2009-02-26T06:39:00.002-05:00

A co-worker of mine is interested in selling here awesome photo albums on ebay and that got me to thinking, To Ebay or Not To Ebay? I know that some people do well selling on ebay but more often I hear of people not selling a single thing. So yesterday I decided to give ebay a chance and see how I do. I set my account and listed 1 item, the green and blue polka dot hobo handbag. Well in 24 hours I have not gotten a single bid and very few lookers. It costs me only $.35 so I am not that upset but I would love to know how people are successful at ebay. Do you ebay?? If you do please tell us how you fare at selling and any tips you might have.

Meagan's Designs on Facebook

2009-02-24T22:13:00.003-05:00

As a small business owner and a 20-something year old female, I am always looking at ways I can promote myself and my business on the internet and free ways are even better. Well, I have tried Myspace and got some lookers but no buyers. Now I am trying Facebook. Originally, I had joined Facebook to link up with people I went to high school with and other friends.

In an article in the New York Daily News, the talked about Facebook as an marketing tool for businesses. I looked more into and found that I could have my own business page and ads on Facebook. So I have set up a business page for Meagan's Designs (please click the name to see my page) and an ad on Facebook. I am going to give it a month or so to see how it does and whether it is really worth my time. I am looking for everyone to become a fan of Meagan's Designs Facebook Page (please click the link and join me!).

My new Sewing Machine and Creation!

2009-02-22T22:39:00.004-05:00

As I saw my bank account grow thanks to my tax return deposit, I knew that the first 2 things I wanted to buy were a laptop and a sewing machine. Well, I bought a Sony Vaio from Circuit City and a Brother sewing machine from Walmart. I love my new laptop but the sewing machine is out of this world. My old sewing machine is well, old. It is probaly about 15+ years old and really needs to be retired so that is now sitting in my sewing case and my new one is in its place.

The brother sewing machine sews as smooth a baby's bottom. It is wonderful and the first thing I knew that I wanted to create was a new handbag that I have had cut out. Well here is my first creation on my new machine: (the pics are clickable to my shop)

Look what I just bought from theGaudyGoddess Shop!

2009-02-21T19:14:00.005-05:00

I have been in a buying mood the past couple of days and I want to share with you the unique and absolutely beautiful necklace I just bought from thegaudygoddess etsy shop. I fell in love with this necklace the moment that I saw it and don't think I could NOT buy it. I know that when someone else saw that necklace they would want it and buy it before I could. So I just jumped at it and bought the beautiful necklace.
After I bought the necklace, I found this customizable ring that theGaudyGoddess creates and I bought one with a green background and my initial M. I want everyone to check out theGaudyGoddess Etsy shop and buy one of her unique pieces of jewelry.

Happy Birthday Danyella!--Fab Finds Friday

2009-02-19T21:29:00.007-05:00

It is my baby girl's 2nd birthday, so the items selected this week are things that my Danyella would love to get for her birthday.

Ready-to-Go Coloring Tote WITH Book and Crayons - Easter Eggs by Whimbrella

We're Going on a Bear Hunt Knitted Fingerpuppets

by kazzalblue

Waldorf Inspired Doll Mini Baby Raspberry Flower by PolarBearCreations

Purple Polk-a-Dot Pig Pull Toy by MarketStreet

Design your own Custom Fairy Princess Costume for Halloween, Dress up or Flower Girl by rockerchic

EtsyHookers Creative Challenge #5--Please Vote

2009-02-18T20:59:00.004-05:00

The newest EtsyHookers Creative Challenge is love, romance and friendship themed and my fellow hookers have created fabulous items. We are looking for everyone to come by the EtsyHookers Blog and vote for your favorite one.

To vote please click here: Etsyhookers Challenge #5

Cloth Menstruation Pads: Is it the hot new thing?

2009-02-17T18:42:00.004-05:00

For years I heard and seen the cloth diapers for babies, but cloth menstruation pads are a new one for me. I know that they say that the cloth diapers and the cloth pads are eco-friendly and much cheaper to use but I just think the clean up would be to much work for me. Well a forum discussion started by heidiandseek about this topic made me think twice about my decisions.

In this discussion, heidiandseek highlights these facts:
* In the US alone, 7 million tampons and 12 billion pads are sent to landfill every year - not to mention the packaging each disposable comes in. If I never buy disposables again for the rest of my life, that's going to make a significant waste reduction.
* It's cheaper
* No nasty, chemical-laden plastics against your skin. I imagine it just feels nicer, and you're less likely to have irritation issues 'down there'. Some women's privates react to the chemicals and they mistake the problem for 'just that time of the month'.
* It can help reduce period pain, and it commonly makes periods shorter and lighter.
* Support the little (and eco-friendly) guys - most cloth pads are made by self-employed, work-from-home women.
* Many cloth pads are made from natural materials, which means you won't be supporting the production of plastics and chemicals, which adds to pollution.

In a previous discussion, some of my fellow Bittersweeets said that they use the cloth not disposables so I am going to take the challenge and try them out. I think that it is something I can handle for a test run. I want to find out if the price is really worth it and how sustainable the pads really are. I will update my thoughts in a month or so.

So tell me your thoughts on this topic!

Internet Sales are Down but Local Sales are up!

2009-02-16T21:32:00.003-05:00

It has been a tough January and February for both of my shops on the Internet but luckily my local customers are pulling me through this slump. This morning I finished a beautiful baby blanket for a local customer and when I delivered it to her, I could just feel her excitement and delight in this gift for a new baby boy. With the extreme cold weather that has been hitting my region, my neckwarmers have become a hot item among the local customers.

If you would like to check out the items that are loved by my local customers...

click here for baby blankets and other baby/toddler items: Kaedan Krafts

click here for neckwarmers, scarves, cozies and handbags: Meagan's Designs

XOXO for Valentine's Day--Fab Finds Friday

2009-02-13T06:11:00.007-05:00

With tomorrow being Valentine's Day, I am showcasing some very beautiful Valentine's Day Gifts by my fellow street team members.

Kiss Me Altered Domino Pendant by inmyheadstudios

Sweet Hearts Rose Geranium Soap with Rose Petals by AquarianBath

Seahorse Soulmates Shadow Box by beachchik

Trendy Pink and Brown Polka Dots and Stripes Adult Apron by cozycabinmom

What happens off camera - rhodolite garnet and pearl earrings by OnceUponARock

Luck of the Irish $8 or less Sale

2009-02-11T21:18:00.002-05:00

For 1 month I am having a huge sale in my Kaedan Krafts shop. From now until March 18th, 2009 at 12am everything in my Kaedan Krafts shop is priced at $8 or less. This includes children scarves, diaper cakes, baby blankets and over 50 other items. So check it out and buy before the sales ends!

Support the Victims of the Australian Bushfires

2009-02-10T21:09:00.002-05:00

Unless you have been living under a rock, you have seen the horrific bushfires that having sweeping across Southern Australia. People have lost their homes, their belongs and most importantly their loved ones in these fires. With almost 200 lives lost and 5000 homes destroyed, people from all over the world are pulling together to help those affected by the Bushfires.

At Etsy, feliciafairy, has set up a shop to donate all the proceeds to Australia Red Cross called OzBushfireAppeal. The shops items have been donated by a variety of Etsians in an attempt to raise money and awareness to this tragic event. So if you are going to buy please buy from OzBushfireAppeal or search bushfire in the Etsy search engine because a number of other sellers are donating their proceeds to the victims.

Tis the Cold and Flu Season...To Get Sick

2009-02-09T07:21:00.002-05:00

As you can tell by the title of this blog I have been sick. I haven't been able to do more than my basic daily functions (eating and sleeping) for about 1 1/2 weeks now. The Doctor said that it could take 2 weeks or longer to recoup but I think yesterday I showed improvement because I actually sat in front of my sewing machine and made a handbag (which is ultra cute) and I finished knitting a scarf. I am hoping to get pictures done today and list them in my Meagan's Designs Shop tonight. Of course through out my flu, my shops and blog have been completely neglected and each day I am hoping to do a little work to improve them.

The thing I am most grateful for during this bout of the flu is that my soon to be 2-year old did not get sick at all. She was by my side during my coughing fights, sneezing and fever but has come out unsick *knocking on wood.

Keep your Head Warm--Fab Finds Friday

2009-01-29T06:09:00.001-05:00

I have declared this the year of the hat. I am completely in love with wearing hats and here are some of my faves from Etsy.

Adult Buckle Newsboy Cap - Taupe by TwoSeasideBabes

Earthly Fae Hood in Blueberry Twist by pixiebell

Crochet Flapper Cloche Hat Olive Grass Green Knit Roses Coral Pink Leaves by melissam4715

JAY Mans Cream and Brown Ribbed Hat by RomeoRomeo

Etsy Controversy: What is 20 cents Worth??

2009-01-28T18:37:00.003-05:00

Yesterday at 6:35pm (est) Matt from Etsy admin addressed the ongoing talk about sellers paying the 20 cent listing fee and what they get for that 20 cents. Matt told us that the 20 cents is a listing fee and being on the Recently Added Items is not guarenteed because of the amount of people selling and listing their items per day. Admin is working on featuring as many sellers as it possibly can but can't cover everyone.

In just 24 hours, 137 pages have accumlated on this subject. Some people understood Etsy's point of view and others got angry with Etsy. I do agree that the 2 lines for Recently Added Items should be upped to 3 or 4 lines and that there is alot of clutter on the FP that needs to be reduced. With that said, I feel that sellers should feel appreciative that the listing fees have not been inflated because in this economy the price of everything is rising and Etsy is run by humans who can't do all for everyone.

Use Etsy as an outlet to reach others in the world but don't solely rely on Etsy to sell your items for you. Look for other places to advertise. There are many free places to advertise like Twitter, Facebook, Myspace or put a free or cheap ad on a blog through Project Wonderful or join a Street Team (many of my sales have been through fellow street team members).

Triple or Treble Crochet Stitch Tutorial

2009-01-26T18:50:00.010-05:00

This has become a favorite crochet stitch of mine for afghans because it can cover a large area in shorter amount of time then the double or single stitch.

With a loop on your crochet hook, yarn over the hook 2 times
Next put the hook through the hole and draw up a loop (4 loops on hook)
Yarn over and pull through first 2 loops (3 loops on hook)
Yarn over and pull through next 2 loops (2 loops left on hook)
Last yarn over and pull through last 2 loops and you have your triple crochet stitch!

Give a Little Bit of Yourself

2009-01-21T17:06:00.002-05:00

One of my goals this year was to give either money, my time or something of value to charities every week. I started off my giving away 2 bags of clothing to the clothing donation bins, then I gave money to the American Legion Women's Auxiliary, next I gave 2 big boxes of gently used children's clothing, bottles, lotions and other things that my children don't or never used to a LifeChoices (a local charity who helps parents who need assistance) and this week I am donating 3 packages of diapers to LifeChoices. I have been really drawn to donating LifeChoices because they have helped me in my times of need by providing diapers, wipes, cereal, clothing and other things that I have needed for my daughter so it is just fitting to give back to them.

Now, if only everyone would catch this spirit of just giving back. In this trying time of our "recession" economy even the tinist bit helps and I think that donating your time can be an even bigger thing. Whether it is helping a child down the street do their homework or shopping for the your elderly neighber who can't get out or providing free babysitting to the single parent in your neighborhood. If everyone did just one thing each week, we can help get each other back on our feet and get out of this rut.

That being said I am now donating 10% of my sales to LifeChoices from now until the end of the year. So each time you buy from me you are helping a parent and child.

Here are some links to some charities you can donate to:
Charity Navigator-a database of charities
Top Rated Charities-Run by the American Institute of Philanthropy
America's Charities