Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Gift Guide for the Girls in Your Life



Erika is the creative soul behind this beautiful purple treasury filled with gift ideas for ladies young and old. Thank you Erika for featuring my purple monkey!




Blogging Business Artisans teammate, and Artful Rising shop owner Erika has THE shop to:
 Create.
Inspire.
Change Your World.




Erika has many different kinds of Journals, and much more!
>I am a sucker for journals! I love 'em all!<

From Art Journals, 
Art Journal - Believe in the Possibilities


& Blank Journals,
Vintage Flowers Sketchbook



to Lined Journals,
LINED Journal -- Be a Writer



She also has beautiful hand stamped keychains,
Dream Keychain



Cards and Envelopes,
Vintage Inspired Flat Card with Envelope Set



and elegant tags.
Soar Vintage Inspired Hang Tags with ribbon, set of 10


Stop by her shop today to see what other goodies you can find!



































Baby Girls Deserve Only the Best

I am behind on treasury promotion so you will be seeing a lot of shops and treasuries this week to catch up...I wouldn't want to leave any of these amazing handmade artists out of my blog :)

 

Livia is a mom of 2 children,

and her love and passion for her children reflect in the creativity of her work. 

She specializes in making personalized decor and paper art,

& she happily takes custom order ideas. 

Her inspiration behind her shop name is her daughter's nickname:

'Little Pea Pod' Crafts.



Here are a couple examples of her darling work found in her shop:


The 'A' was shouting out at me because my son's name starts with an 'A.' A is for Asher.
Children's Monogram Art


I love monkeys! In fact I decorated my son's nursery with monkeys!
Monkey Handmade Greeting Card



Livia was so kind to include my
in this oh so cute treasury with baby girls in mind: 


Monday, May 21, 2012

My Table Monday - 50 Party Favors!!

So it turns out that I took a short unexpected hiatus from blogging.  It started with Mother's Day weekend taking planned much needed time away, then last week I got 2 large custom orders. I love custom orders - they are my favorite. 

I missed blogging a lot while I was busy sewing so things will be back to normal and I will be posting more this week!

I'm pleased to share with you that I recieved a custom order request for 50 owls in 3 days.  The owls were ordered on a Tuesday and needed for a special birthday party across the country by Sunday.  This meant I had to be at the post office no later than 1:00pm Friday afternoon for express overnight shipping. Needless to say only 8 hours of sleep in 3 days, & 50 owls later I made it to the post office by noon with an hour to spare last Friday!

I still love making these cuties.  So - Let me know if you have any parties planned this summer, and I will get started on your order.  Preferably with a little more notice this time, lol. This was the best picture I was able to get in the mad rush to the post office. A special shout out to my mom who helped me out with my son, and helped me get the order complete in time.




Monday, May 7, 2012

My Table Monday - Party Favors



I worked on putting together a dozen owl party favors to drop off at Artisan's this week.  The last step is to stitch and stuff these lil guys, and they will be good to go! These guys are probably my most favorite to work on.  I love coming up with new color combinations.  What did you work on over the weekend? What is your favorite craft to work on?

Friday, May 4, 2012

Friday Five - May Flowers

Happy May Everyone. 
Flowers being this week's topic, prooved to be difficult to choose only Five. 
The reason being 'flowers' in general are always a favorite of mine...I found so many beautiful flower 'artists,' I could have shared flowers with you all day long...an never get anything else done.  
So - Congrats to these five artists that made the cut!
Enjoy these flowers and the ones that are bursting with beauty all around us this time of year, as you begin your weekends. xo







sweet May flowers hair pins
 RaleighWood treasures : VINTAGE and handmade gifts & accessories handmade with heart and soul in Raleigh, N.C.  Shop owner, Amanda has the sweetest treasures ever in her shop. 
If I had a little girl - these stylish hair pins would definately be found in her hair!!
She has a great quote in her shop from Picasso that I fell in love with & had to share with you all...

"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life."
~Pablo Picasso








May Flowers photography
Garden Capture ~ Garden and Landscape Photography by Liz Reed.
Liz resides in Pittsburgh & she photographs for home decor. 
Providing prints, for all your kitchen, bedroom, & living room needs,
as well as gifts for housewarming, gardeners, &  birthdays. 
I just love the black background (I'm fond of black) it really makes these flowers POP!











Tulip Glass Magnets

Over at her shop Kelly's Magnets, Kelly in beatiful Calgary Alberta creates...
 amazing magnets, bookmarks, purse hooks, wine charms ans more. 
Kelly's magnets caught my eye for three reasons:
1. Tulips are my favorite flowers.
2. I love pink and green together.
3. I like Kelly's style!

Everything in her shop is ready to ship with the exception of personalized items.

Follow her on Facebook
Visit her other shop: Gifts For Babies  











Dogwood's End
Karen, residing in North Augusta, has an eye for photography as you can see in her shop:
She is 'creating beauty in the blink of a shutter,' wherever she goes!
The beauty of this dogwood really caught my eye. 
This month on her facebook page she is currently hosting a sweepstakes to win any one of her photos.  Stop on by to enter & get to know Karen more in these various places:









Lily of the Valley ACEO (original linocut print)


VIZArt by Viza Arlington in (my hometown state) Spokane, Washington,
specializes in woodblock prints, etchings, drypoints, collographs, linocuts, lithographs, carborundum prints and ink bubble drawings. 
Viza is a very talented artist and has her work included in collections in various museums, and private collections around the world.  Stop by her store to see where you can find her exhibitions. 








Thursday, May 3, 2012

These are a Few of my Favorite Things!

Just Plush

Fifteen year old Brea Johnson, owner of Crochet Best Friends, (did I say she is only 15!?) living in Arkansas - to brighten your day she is creating amigurami plushies & dolls!  Just look at this girls talent! Amazing, at such a young age. This girl is sure to make it in this world! 


For example:
Cute kawaii mini toys,








 
and little pets.
Kawaii Amigurumi Blue and Dark Blue Speckled Wooly Soft Owl Baby Tiny Plush Toy



She currently offers free shipping in the U.S. (you don't want to miss free shipping)
and happily takes custom orders.


Where else can I find her, you say? You are in luck:



She is also a fellow 'Just Plush' teammate who created this 'Just Plush' treasury to welcome us newbies. She chose my Hoot the Owl to include in this cute collection of plushies. 
Thanks Brea. You Rock, girl! Keep following your dreams...








Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Boys Boys Boys

Sarah Moore,
mother of three boys,
lover of all things crafts,
also residing in Washington State, (small world)
and brilliant owner of Fly Guys provides "all things super for your little hero." 

If you have a little boy in your life you must check out her shop. 
You are sure to find all your super hero needs and more...
I have a three year old son, & I know first hand this is the stuff that little boys LOVE! 
I will be soon purchasing a gift for my little superhero from her in the near future!




From satin superhero capes,
Superhero Cape, Mask, and Cuff Set









to tee shirts,
Blue Capitan America organic cotton tee shirt in size 3t with Cape








baby blankets,
Large SUPERMAN Cotton and Minky Baby/Toddler Blanket








and unique superhero products.
Comic Mask and Cuff set
     
Sarah created this lovable 'Boys, boys, boys' treasury! (Thanks Sarah)
She kindly chose my Super 'A' to be part of the collection. 

Super 'A' is made to order can be made in any color combination,
and customized with your child's initial.

Enjoy this treasury you are sure to find some more great gift ideas for the little boy in your life!





Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Shop Feature : Karin Grow

Please welcome Karin from Karin Grow on Etsy.  The moment I layed eyes on Karin's work I fell in love with her paintings immediately a few weeks ago.  I knew I had to feature her cherry blossoms & sweet chickadee prints in a Friday Five post.  I am super excited to share with you her amazing work.  I am loving the bright colors, and the color combinations she chooses in her art. 
:::Thank you Karin for your creativity and agreeing to an interview:::

Princess Boooooodika Print
-Name 3 random things about yourself:
1. I love to garden

2. I have a dry sense of humor and quick wit so you better be on your toes when you're with me.

3. I could never imagine living without animals in my life.
-Where are you from?
I'm born and raised in San Diego. Even bought the house I grew up in with my husband. It's been a lot of work and I don't see the home projects ending anytime soon, but we love it. The best part is that now I get to throw lots of family parties.
-Name the first word or image that comes to mind:
via September Wren

Ice cream......I'm craving something sweet right now and ice cream sounds perfect.


-What's your favorite part of running an Etsy shop? 
It's just so easy! Having run busineses before, Etsy is a breeze with a much lower risk factor and overhead.
-What made you fall in love with Etsy?
Meeting other artists has been the best part. You feel like you're a part of a community of creatives. It's very motivating. Also, it gives me so much freedom to really live and enjoy time with my friends and family.
Lil' Bird
-What comes easiest for you pertaining to your shop?
The easiest part would be painting because I enjoy it and it doesn't feel like work.
-Do you prefer to create or 'run the business'?
Create for sure! Although I love some aspects of running my shop(s). I used to have a brick and mortar vintage/gift shop years ago, so that really helped me figure out all the ins and outs of business.

Sweet Gray Bird
-Are you super neat and organized in your craft room?
Yes!!! I have to be or I'd go nuts! I work on so many different kinds of projects (painting, jewelry, repurposing furniture, teaching classes....). If I'm not organized, it would take twice as long to finish my work. I use the word work lightly cause it's so amazing to be able to do what I love rather than working for someone else.
-What is your favorite material to work with?
Right now I'm really enjoying painting on wood. It's very different from canvas and you can acheive really neat effects.
-What is your favorite listing in your shop?
Original Artwork, because I personally prefer originals when I buy from other artists. It's just more special to know that only one person can have the original. But I have been known to buy prints when either the original is gone or way out of my price range.

Butterfly Original Painting
-What are your favorite flowers to receive?
Dahlias....they are like giant firecrackers and come in the most amazing colors!
via September Wren
-What is your favorite sweet snack?
Uh....duh......ice cream!


via Dirt Kicker Pottery
-Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years with your business?
Hopefully doing what I'm doing now....just maybe a little more famous or sucessfull. I don't mean traveling the world or being on TV famous......just would be nice to have my shop sell out regularly. Is that too much to ask? ;)
Discover Karen's vintage goodies here: