Hide and Seek contest

The Diyscene street team is giving you a chance to win a huge basket of prizes. Worth over $300. All you need to do is play a round of hide and seek. More details to follow. Check out some of the prizes below.

New ideas new items

I've had these foam beads for quite sometime now. I finally decided they might just make some super cute bracelets. I was right! They are also very soft on your wrists.



Here is the other idea I've been playing with.

I've also had these animal beads lying around. I wanted to make a necklace that had a message. Something that a person could wear and show off their love for the animal. I finally went out and bought some heart buttons to use as beads and this is what I made.

DIYscene Team sale!

Today the DIYscene is having our TNT sale. Thursday night temptation!
Search "DIYscene team" on Etsy.com to find lots of great deals.

The Great Marketing Exchange

A couple weeks ago I was on the etsy forums and I ran into this thread. It was asking if anyone wanted to sign up for a marketing exchange. Basically a group of us are going to be promoting each other. Every shop gets a day to be featured by everyone else.. either on their blogs or in their shop announcements or anywhere else they can think of. I'll be posting the shop of the day on the left side of my blog. Be sure to come back everyday and see who is the shop of the day and go check out their awesome items! Thanks!!!

The Local Shout Out!

Our first shout out goes to: RockCreekCreations
RockCreekCreations creates beautiful bookmarks in a rainbow of colors. Infact her shop sections are mainly divided by colors. So if you have a favorite color you couldn't have an easier time shoppping. Her shop also contains other fun goodies including quilt patterns and hand woven yarn brooches. You can read her blog at: rockcreekcreations.blogspot.com

If you have any book lovers in your life I'm sure they would love a brand new bookmark.


I love these cute little paper clip ones.


This brooch is so fun and colorful!
(Each picture is directly linked to her shop.)

Thank you for checking out our first shout out.

Just listed

Hey look! I Just listed some new items.
Some destash buttons.


and I just moved this necklace over to the new shop.

My first alchemy request!

I logged into etsy the other day and I had a new convo. Convos are always fun, but I was extra excited to see that it was a special request. I'm not going to give out the details.. but it was a request for a custom magazine wall hanging like this one.

I'm starting to collect the pages for it and sortting them out. We agreed on Dec 13th for it to be done.. but I'd really like to finish before then. It's awesome to know that someone likes my stuff enough to ask for something special! OK that is all for now. Hope everyone is having a great day.

New banner and avatar

Since I redid my shop.. I had to make a new banner and avatar. This is what I came up with at 1:00am.

New bracelets

Today I listed two new button bracelets.

Yellow, orange, and blue


and orange, dark blue, and teal


I'm also working on another tutorial. Hopefully I can get that posted in the next couple of days.
Oh yeah! I also ordered some new business cards and a stamp. YaY!

New banner

Things are moving along quite well in the new shop.
I made a banner last night. Check it out! I'll probably change it later, but that's it for now.


I'm slowly moving my upcycled items over to the new shop. I'm not sure what to do about my mini wall hanging. Technically it should go to the new shop, but it's in the gift guide. It brings a lot of views into my shop. I think I would be stupid to take it out of there.

Featured Artist: Mandy B

Time for another feature! (I'm actually a little late this week.. ) Check out our featured artist for the week. Click on her links and show her some love!

What do you create?
handbags, baby clothes, nursery decor, home goods

What made you start?
While getting to know my mother-in-law early in my marriage, she'd teach me how to sew. One time, I sewed a skirt and it had a matching handbag. People kept complimenting me on it so I made more...and more and more! Then I designed a website and started selling them. Now I have a professionally designed website and my Etsy shop. What makes me stand out is that I only use vintage or recycled fabric, saving thousands of beautiful textiles from being thrown into our landfills. People also seem to really like my Design Your Own feature where they get to pick out their favorite vintage fabrics from my stash, extra pockets, longer handles, etc.

How long have you been crafting/selling/creating?
I've been creating my handbags since 2000 but have been "crafty" all my life!

Do you have any short/long term goals?
I'm in the very beginning stages of combining my handbags, baby stuff, and home goods line into one entity, called One Cozy Nest. I'll be offering lots of vintage items, things inspired by vintage items, and hopefully making most of them myself.

Describe your craft room/area in three words or less.
Organized, Girly, Peaceful

Where do you sell your product? (online and offline)
I sell them on www.onecozynest.etsy.com, www.mandybbags.com, www.mandybbags.etsy.com, www.mandybbaby.etsy.com, and at an occasional craft show.

Where can we find you on the net? (myspace, blog, etc.)
My blog is at www.mandybbags.blogspot.com and the websites listed in No. 6

Is crafting your full time job?
No, I go back to work full time in June as an ecologist (working with wetlands, threatened and endangered species, and other nature related stuff)!

What inspires you?
Things I see in thrift stores, antique stores, flea markets, magazines, my sister (www.thevintagesister.etsy.com), and people on the street (I'm an insane people-watcher).

Any crafts you would like to learn or are currently learning?
I'd like to learn how to use a Gocco printer. I'm thinking about going in on one with my sister very soon.

What is your favorite material(s)?
I like any fabric that has great color and/or texture. It could be a dish towel, bedspread, or old house coat from the 60's. I can turn a sofa cushion into a darn cute handbag in the matter of minutes!

Are you a self taught crafter or have you taken some classes?
I'm self taught and mom & mother-in-law taught!

What is the best gift you have ever received and why?
Oh my gosh, I'd have to say my son Cooper, who was born on July 30, 2007. But if you're talking about material items, I'd have to say the hot air balloon ride & dinner my husband surprised me with on our 5 year anniversary. I didn't know it at the time but I had just become pregnant with my son after having some difficulty concieving plus a miscarriage. Now when I look at myself in pictures from that day, I think of that tiny little baby growing inside me and how truly lucky we both are to have him in our lives.

Apples or oranges?
Apples

What do you listen to when you are crafting?
Usually 80's music, anything on HGTV, or complete silence, haha!

Are you a night owl?
Unfortunately yes. I stay up way too late a lot of nights. My son gets me up around 7AM but good news is that he naps three times a day so I have plenty of chances to nap too!

Do you have any other hobbies?
I love to garden, decorate my home, and browse flea markets and antique stores. I'm not so much into antiques as I am just old junk!

How many people live in your home town/current town?
My current town is huge. As of 2000, population was over 40,000. It seems like it's growing by leaps and bounds lately though. Unfortunately we lack a quaint downtown area...you know the sort of place I'm talking about. The parts of town where they have outdoor cafe's and wonderful little shops. I have to drive to neighboring towns to get that!

Read anything good lately?
I am not a big reader unless I'm researching something I'm interested in (like babies). I have been reading a lot of blogs of fellow crafters lately though.

Do you have kids? If so do you have any tips for other crafting moms/dads?
Yes, I have one 8 month old son. One tip is to never accidentally leave a pair of scissors on the floor near a newly crawling baby. If he's not supposed to have it, he will find it! Let's just say that I could enter him in a sword swallowing contest. Good grief...I know who's not going to be nominated for best mom of the year!

Featured Artist: Fashiongreentbags

What do you create?

Reusable bags from recycled clothing. I also make other items like watch bands, collar necklaces, ipod cases and whatever I think all from recycled clothing.

What made you start?

I started out of concern for the environment and to find something constructive to do while I'm on a (hopefully) temporary medical disability.

How long have you been crafting/selling/creating?

I've been creating and selling since the end of November, 2007-so not very long.

Do you have any short/long term goals?

Relating to this business, I hope I can earn enough money to pay for my investment.

Describe your craft room/area in three words or less.

Our dining room

Where do you sell your product? (online and offline)

Only on Etsy.

Where can we find you on the net? (myspace, blog, etc.)

You can find me at fashiongreentbags.etsy.com
and fashiongreentbags.blogspot.com

Is crafting your full time job?

Crafting is my full time job for right now.

What inspires you?

I get inspired by the articles of clothing I find. Sometimes I think of an item I want to create and I create it as I go. I'm sure that sometimes I find the absolute most difficult means to an end and pursue an even more difficult method.

Any crafts you would like to learn or are currently learning?

I'd like to improve my sewing. Needle felting seems interesting too. I'd like to do so many different things but if I knew too much it would only make my distractability worse.

What is your favorite material(s)?

Used

Are you a self taught crafter or have you taken some classes?

I'm self-taught. As I mentioned earlier, I usuallly just make things up as I go along

What is the best gift you have ever received and why?

There is no gift that compares to finding my husband and having the children that I am priviledged to know.

Apples or oranges?

Fruit salad

What do you listen to when you are crafting?

NPR, some TV shows, other radio stations

Are you a night owl?

Absolutely!

Do you have any other hobbies?

Swimming, biking, hiking

How many people live in your home town/current town?

About 30,000. We're a college town so the population varies.

Read anything good lately?

I'm currently reading a book about depression and anxiety that is teaching me a lot.

Do you have kids? If so do you have any tips for other crafting
moms/dads?

I have a 20 year old daughter and an almost 18 year old son.

They're both unimaginably wonderful. I'm a very lucky person.

Featured Artist: Debby Arem

What do you create?

I create jewelry ( pins,earrings and cufflinks),green office products ( clipboards of various sizes and styles including mini magnetic for post it pads! , keychains, bookmarks ), clocks, picture frames and suncatchers - all from recycled circuit boards. I add various other recycled materials - everything from vintage beads and cabochons to recycled metal from a scrap metal facility, and recycled brass stampings and recycled electrical components. And I'm always trying to think of new products to introduce to my shop that are made with recycled circuit boards so stay tuned!

What made you start?

My husband actually had a company many many years ago that assembled computers! I was in the back room one day and saw my very first circuit board and I thought it was just beautiful with all the intricate circuitry! I remember thinking " I could make some really neat jewelry out of these! " I was already a jewelry designer so this idea then became my new line which I named " Three Ring Circuits". We always joke that we were " green" before it really was fashionable !

Oddly enough, we had a neighbor at the time who owned a company that manufactured circuit boards! When they had a 'run' of boards that had a defect in them , she was more than happy to let me acquire them rather than have to have them disposed of ! That's when my favorite hobby of 'dumpster diving' began as she'd let me go out to the back and go through all the dumpsters to find 'treasure'!

How long have you been crafting/selling/creating?

A long time - since 1980 ! That's when I first began designing beaded necklaces for the Smithsonian Insitution's mail order catalog and museum shops as well as doing a lot of custom work. ( I sell a lot of these loose beads that I used in my designs in my other Etsy shop with is http://www.EurekaEureka.etsy.com )

Describe your craft room/area in three words or less.

Cluttered but organized

Where do you sell your product? (online and offline)

I sell not only on Etsy, but also on DaWanda and I have my own website
( www.debbyarem.com )
I also have a number of wholesale accounts and do some custom work from time to time which I really love to do.

Where can we find you on the net? (myspace, blog, etc.)

Well besides Etsy and DaWanda and my own website, I'm on Stumbleupon, myspace and my pictures are on Flickr.

Is crafting your full time job?

Yes it sure is.

Any crafts you would like to learn or are currently learning?

I've always wanted to learn how to make glass beads by hand ( lampwork ) and hope someday to find the time although I can't imagine when that will happen! I'm lucky these days if I can still find time to knit!

What is your favorite material(s)?

Recycled circuit boards of course with amazing circuitry!

Are you a self taught crafter or have you taken some classes?

I have my B.A. in Fine Arts from American University although my concentration was in silkscreen printing. My (3RC) Three Ring Circuits line ( which is what is on DebbyAremDesigns) is all "self taught " and still is as I come up with new ideas. My husband collaborates with me on this and is great at helping me figure out how to create something many times when I have the idea but can't envision where to start! He was the one , in fact, who came up with the clipboard idea and many of our green office products.

What do you listen to when you are crafting?

Country Western music!

Are you a night owl?

Most definitely!

Do you have any other hobbies?

I sure do! Almost too many to list! Knitting, gardening,cooking, refinishing furniture,dumpster diving ;-) for items I might use in my DebbyAremDesigns shop, and I volunteer with 2 dog rescue groups.

Help me pick a name!

Ok! I said this before, but I plan on opening a new shop. The new shop will have my screen printed items


and my handmade clothes.


I just can't decide on a name. I'd like to keep it similar to Glitterstar Designs.

Garb: –noun
1. a fashion or mode of dress, esp. of a distinctive, uniform kind: in the garb of a monk.
2. wearing apparel; clothes.
3. outward appearance or form.
–verb (used with object)
4. to dress; clothe.

Rage: 1.the object of widespread enthusiasm, as for being popular or fashionable:
all the rage, widely popular or in style
2. A burning desire; a passion.
3. A current, eagerly adopted fashion; a fad or craze: when torn jeans were all the rage

Duds: –plural noun Informal.
1. clothes, esp. a suit of clothes.
2. belongings in general.

You can help me by answering my poll. You can find the poll at the top right hand corner on this page. Thanks!!

Featured Artist: Penguin Love

Our featured artist for this week is Penguin Love.
Learn a little bit more about her and her craft below.

What do you create?
I mainly create journals from recycled books. I use the left over book insides to make pocket mirrors, light switch covers, and recycled envelopes


What made you start?
I saw a tutorial online about painting pages in old books white to make a sketchbook. I am way too impatient to do that, so I thought, “Why not make new insides!” So I learned Coptic stitch and started making new insides for my old books. I liked it so much I decided to start selling them.

How long have you been crafting/selling/ creating?
I've been crafting and selling for 3 years now. But I really started selling on Etsy in the past 7 months.

Do you have any short/long term goals?
My short term goal is to reach 200 sales on Etsy, I have 45 to go. My long term goal is to make enough crafting to be a stay at home mom once I have children.


Describe your craft room/area in three words or less.
Full

Where do you sell your product? (online and offline)
I sell mostly on PenguinLove.Etsy.com but I do occasional craft fairs in Virginia.

Where can we find you on the net? (myspace, blog, etc.)
You can find me on Etsy and on Myspace http://www.myspace.com/etsypenguinlove

Is crafting your full time job?
Nope, I am currently a full time student.


What inspires you?
I love vintage materials and drawings. My favorite thing to find is an awesome vintage book.

Any crafts you would like to learn or are currently learning?
I'd like to learn to knit but I don't have the time quite yet.

What is your favorite material(s)?
I love paper.

Are you a self taught crafter or have you taken some classes?
I'm self taught via the internet.


Apples or oranges?
Both, together.

What do you listen to when you are crafting?
Depends on my mood, but lately Sublime, Queen and Radiohead. Yes I know it's a weird combo.

Are you a night owl?
Yes, especially when I have an idea in my head. I have to make it right then.



How many people live in your home town/current town?
38,000 during the school year and about 5,000-8,000 in the summer.

mini-zine swap!

I keep forgetting to make this post. Better late than never though. A couple weeks ago I participated in a mini-zine swap for the Wisconsin street team (WIST). Basically 10 of us made mini-zines based on the theme "growth". Then we sent them all to oddstuffbyXanthe and she was kind enough to divide them up and send them out to everyone.


Xanthe even provided little boxes to keep our zines it. Which are made from magazine pages.. Perfect!


I thought this swap was a lot of fun and I hope to do it again in the future. I have also discovered my love of the zine. They were a ton of fun to make and even more fun to read. I haven't actually bought any yet, but I would love to in the future.

New treasuries!

Here are the latest treasuries I've been featured in.
The first one is by Shutterkate.



Here is another one by Bellebaby.



And this one by Custompaperdesigns.


You ladies ROCK! Thanks for featuring my work.