ETC Design Challenge "Enchanted"

I have entered two of my beaded bookmarks from Handmade Whimzy into September's Etsy Texas Crafters Design Challenge. The theme this month was "Enchanted".

I entered my Fire Breathing Dragon Bookmark and my Woodland Fairy Bookmark.

I think they're both "enchanting"! How about you?

To see all of the challenge items and to vote, go here:

http://etsytx.ning.com/page/sept-design-challenge

It literally, only takes 5 or 10 seconds to vote. You DO NOT have to be an ETC member to vote. We welcome all votes. The challenge items are listed on the page link above and at the bottom of the page is a link to go vote.

Of course, I hope that you will all vote for one of my bookmarks (oh please, oh please, oh please!) but I would never try to influence you in any way. LOL

psssstttt:

(Vote for my dragon or my fairy)

(Vote for my dragon or my fairy)

Raven Raven Red and Gray

ShannaMichele, a One of a Kind jewelry designer on etsy, has included my Vintage Black Rose necklace from Pink Pear Designs in her treasury entitled, "Raven Raven Red and Gray".
Her treasury is eerily striking and timely too - just in time for Halloween. To view ShannaMichelle's awesome treasury, go HERE.

Halloween always makes me think of Edgar Allen Poe.

ShannaMichele, your shop is lovely - I LOVE this piece:

I love the citrine and it's perfect for autumn.

Thanks ShannaMichele!

I WON!

Yay! I won Wise Impressions blog giveaway for this past week. It's a really cute pumpkin bookmark.

Thanks so much Cindy!

I can't wait to get it.

Remember all, Cindy is doing a blog giveaway every week. Go to her blog HERE to sign up. Signing up is very easy and she tells you how to sign up multiple times so that you have more chances to win.

To visit Cindy's etsy store, click HERE.

Free Stuff!! Blog Giveaway!!

One of our ETC team members, Cindy of Wiseimpressions is having a blog giveaway of a lovely fall bookmark.

Cindy makes sweet little pottery dishes, bookmarks, magnets, etc.
This is one of my favorite pieces from her shop:

Her prices are extremely reasonable for handmade and handpainted. Her pieces are very cute and would make lovely gifts.

I'm planning to give all my son's teachers a "handmade basket" of goodies for Christmas this year. So I'm already looking and thinking and trying to decide what to put in them. Of course, I will make something for the baskets, but I also want to put in some of the items I love from some of my team mates shops. I think they are going to turn out great. I have my eye on some magnets from Cindy's shop for my baskets.

Cindy is doing a blog giveaway every week in her shop, right now. This week, she is giving away a fall bookmark.
Go HERE to the WiseImpressions blog to sign up. Maybe you'll be the winner - or maybe I will :)

Deadline to sign up for a chance to win the sweet fall bookmark is Monday - that's tomorrow!! So do it now!!
And remember, she's having a giveaway every week, so keep checking back.

**(for some reason, blogger is not letting me post a pic of the giveaway prize but you can go to Cindy's blog to see it)

Divalicious Sample Boxes

The Divalicious Sample Boxes sold out in 1 day!!! That is so awesome!

If you are reading my blog and you got one of my samples, "Little Pumpkin Earrings", then I hope you loved them!!

Thanks to Robin and Penny at Divalicious!

If you are a delightful diva in business and would like to contribute to their sample box, click here for more info.

Also, I'd love to hear more comments on my new apron design!!

My Apron Design

Well all, this has been a long time coming. I've been meaning to post the pics of my new apron design for awhile and just haven't. I've taken it over to my MIL and she has approved it and thinks it's a very wearable apron. Although, she does think I should add a pocket which I am planning on doing. I'll probably work on that tomorrow.

There are so many things I want to get done and so many things I need to get done. I feel really "backed up" because of the health issues I've had lately. Hopefully, those are coming to an end and I can get back on track. I need to get some of these ideas out of my head. LOL

So here are my pics:

My apron as a half apron. The ties are grosgrain ribbon. I'm thinking about changing that for the next apron although, I do like the feel of the grosgrain. It's very easy to work with and to tie.

My apron as a full apron.

My apron with me wearing it.

So, what do you think? I would really like to hear your comments. Is there anything you think I should change to make it more wearable?

This is my own design. I made the top extra big to cover more chest area. I hate aprons that sink down between your boobs. And the skirt hits about mid thigh on me (I'm 5'4"). Do you think it should be longer? Also, the pockets will be added to the bottom portion of the apron - not the top.

(You might notice that my dress form has no legs. I got her at a yard sale but my husband is going to make her some legs. :)

Divalicious Sample Boxes are on sale now!

The Divalicious sample boxes are on sale now! Get them before they're all gone.

Click here to buy your very own Divalicious box.

Thanks again Robin and Penny for this opportunity! You will receive a pair of Little Pumpkin earrings from Pink Pear Designs with your sample box.

Click here to see the details.

Happy shopping!

GrandmaMarilyns rocks!

I received my Christmas bracelet today that I ordered last weekend from GrandmaMarilyns.etsy.com during her really good Labor Day sale (which also ran over into ETC's 1st Monday sale).

It is gorgeous!! Way prettier in person than in the picture and the picture was pretty good.

It is very sparkly and I know it will be noticed many times as I wear it during the Christmas season. It is delicate and sweet, which is just my style.

Marilyn does bead weaving and has some really awesome cuff style bracelets in her shop. Like this one which is GORGEOUS. But unfortunately, I don't like to wear chunky jewelry - not even something I've made. I'm sure I'm in a minority with that as I see people all the time with chunkier pieces which are absolutely beautiful and very noticeable.

Although, that stained glass cuff in her shop is so pretty, I'm tempted to buy it just to sit on a table, maybe in a stand or something and use it as an art piece.

So, once I received my gorgeous new bracelet, it came to me that Marilyn should be making these in all colors, not just Christmas. I would love to see this in white with purple crystals, or aqua and green (which I LOVE). So I'm going to email her and badger her with my idea. LOL

She has other, beautiful styles in her shop, but I love the delicacy of this one. Please don't get too mad at me when I badger you Marilyn!

I LOVE my new bracelet!!

(please forgive my crappy pictures - it's raining and dark here today)

Delightful Divas in Business

A few weeks ago, I was contacted through my Pink Pear Designs shop by the Delightful Divas in Business - an online community that promotes, connects, and inspires independent business women. They asked if I might be interested in contributing to their Divalicious Sample Box for September. I was honored to be asked and am very excited to be participating.

Their Divalicious sample box will go on sale September 15th at 8 am. I'm so excited! Go buy it!!

You can click here to see all the great participants for September - and there are some really good ones. They are still receiving shipments from participants and will add more banners as they arrive.

My "sample" for the box was actually full size earrings. I called them "Little Pumpkins". They are either faceted orange glass beads or orange cat's eye beads with antiqued brass bead caps and olivine Swarovski crystal bead "leaves". They hang from handmade antiqued brass earwires. I wrapped them in tissue and my handmade pillow boxes with a business card attached that has a description of the earrings and a coupon for 20% off a purchase at Pink Pear Designs attached with a ribbon.

Thanks so much Robin and Penny! I hope it sells out fast.

ETC's September 1st Monday SALE

All day Monday, September 7th is the Etsy Texas Crafters First Monday Sale!

30% off all items in Handmade Whimzy - all day!

25% off all items in Pink Pear Designs - all day!

For more great ETC shop sales, click here.

It's not to early to shop for Christmas - or just for yourself :)

Where have I been?

Well, I have been a bad blogger lately. I've barely blogged at all.

Several things have been happening in the past month or so that have kept me from being a good blogger.

We went on vacation.

School started back (and all the getting ready for back to school that goes along with it).

I was asked to donate samples to a sample box and had very little time to get all that together and get it shipped (more about that later).

And finally, I've been having some health issues that have forced me to take several different medications every day and they all make me tired, irritable and loggy. :(

Needless to say, I also haven't felt like doing any sewing or beading or really much of anything. Which of course, makes me very depressed and blah blah blah.

SO, anyhoo, I'm hoping that things will start picking back up now. I have a ton of projects that I've been SLOWLY working on that I hope to get finished.

I've been working on an apron prototype that I hope to get perfect at some point so that I can start making and listing them in my shop.

So please forgive my bad blogging. I hope to improve very soon. :)

Meanwhile, enjoy these great pics I took on vacation at South Padre Island of the rescued sea turtles. We spent a very enjoyable couple of hours at Sea Turtle, Inc., which is a non profit sea turtle rescue in S. Padre. If you are looking for a good donation site for Christmas donation gifts, saving the sea turtle is definitely a good one.

This little guy is missing his back right leg. If I remember correctly, there was fishing line tangled around him when he was rescued and his leg couldn't be saved.