William's Gift Shop On Etsy

I have to tell you I spend wayyyyy too much time in the forums on etsy. Hours that may be better spent creating stuff but then again I have to say that they are probably one of the most helpful and nice forums to be found on the web. They have certainly provided me with a fount of information that has shortened my learning curve about online selling probably by years. And I have also made some great friends, found some fabulous artists and some people who are just consistanly kind, honest and down to earth.

Having said that this shop pretty much embodies what the etsy community is all about but the reason I really noticed this shop (other than the above mentioned accolades) is the fact that she make some seriously cool asthma inhalor carriers. My son has asthma and is constantly looking for a better way to carry his. So of course my interest was immediately piqued when I ran across BeaG in the forums. Check out the great variety of inhaler carriers that she makes! Something for everyone in a huge variety of colors. She also make lip balm holders, wine bottle covers, cell phone holders and more, many of which come with a key chain so they are easy to access and keep track off. Mind you this is just a tiny sampling of the items in her shop and she not only does wonderful crochet and knit items but also has some other items for sale including some eclectic jewelry. But if you want a glimpse of those you will just have to go to her shop here and check it. Hint, Hint, PERFECT for gift giving this holiday season.

Trip to Put in Bay Ohio

We decided to do a spur of the moment trip to Put In Bay as the last of summer is slowly moving out. This was of course a last minute decision and since it is a two to two and half hour drive to get to the ferry and a half an hour to get to the island we left it a bit late (we left our house at 1 pm lol). So we get there (the ferry was just pulling out as we parked, they run every half an hour.) and it is now three thirty. I'm asking when the last ferry comes back! They said 8:30 which was fine that is plenty of time to go to dinner and drive the golf cart around the important parts of the island. Off to the island we go. It really is a pretty trip over and it was a beautiful day. Not to hot and not too cold. Until you get on the ferry and get out on Lake Erie. Brrrrrrrrrrr! I was wishing for a jacket the whole way over lol! Fortunately the scenery was lovely and it is always nice to be out on the water. We get to the island and rent a golf cart for the remainder of the day. (got there about four so we got a discount on the cart Yay!) Headed over to the tourist side of the island to get some food at the boardwalk. (They are famous for their lobster bisque, which they make on premise). We then left the touristy parts of the island and just took a slow cruise through the residential areas (very slow, those golf carts are painful, I wanted to get out and push a couple of times lol) and checked out some of the great bed and breakfasts that are available on the island. We made a quick stop and Dairy Queen (gotta love it lol) and then decided that if we wanted to make the fairy we should at least head in the direction of the dock (since the golf carts are soooo slow lol). All in all it was a very relaxing and low stress day, and since it was my husband, me, my mother in law and my 18 year old son that ranks as an excellent day in my book! If you are ever in Ohio and close to Marblehead you should plan at least a day trip to this island.

Another Great Esty Artist Find

Yes I know I have been on it this week lol! Hope I can keep up the momentum. Here is an awesome etsy artist who as far as I can tell has totally unique items for people who sew. Her shop is LoveLaurie and you can find her here. These
needle threaders, pin cushions and seem rippers are so fun and funky even if you don't sew you may want to start just so you have an excuse to have one lol! And by the way these would make excellent gifts for friends and family. And in case you don't think about it, needle threaders are useful for people who make beaded jewerly since a lot of that involves needle and thread. All of her designs are original and can you believe they are made from polymer clay!?! So cool.

Looks Good Enough To Eat!!----->

Here is what Laurie has to say about why she started this whole thing.

How The Sewl Mates were born:
One night while my husband and I were out with friends, I happened to mention that I love to sew and craft. They all looked very surprised, and one of them said, “Really? You don’t seem like the type.” This started me thinking, is there really a”type?” If so, I couldn’t put my finger on it. My family, for example, consists of stay at home moms and women with various careers who sew, craft, and scrapbook. An RN and a PHD who are very talented quilters, a businessman who is a woodworker, an engineer who loves to needlepoint…… I could go on and on. I was thinking about this while putting pins into the dress form pincushion that I had recently made, and the Idea for The Sewl Mates was born. Each one is inspired by a special person in my life, and I hope you will cherish her as much as I do. Can't find your SewlMate? Not to worry, just convo me and together we will create one just for you!

As you can see by the photos these are definitely a unique product. I think this is a must have for anyone who is looking to make sewing a little bit more fun. I know that I smile everytime I see the items in her shop.

Another Treasury

So I finally had the time to catch another treasury over on etsy. Check it out and let me know what you think. It kind of caught me by surprise since I wasn't really trying for it. Not too bad for an on the fly attempt. If you want a really good look at just click on the picture and it will take you to the original. Which looks way better than the screen shot lol!

Mini Scrap Book Challenge On Etsy

So I ran across this thread in the forums and as soon as I saw the word challenge I just had to click on it. As you know Designed by Lucinda, Santiam Design, and I hosted two beading challenges so of course my interest was immediately peaked lol! And sometimes I'm just nosy. So here is the original post by Designed by Lucinda. As you can see all of the basics were provided by Sewphisticate.

Ever wonder what Scrappers will do with the same basic material? This is a Challenge to see how YOU can turn a mini-scrapbook into a Showcase item! Sewphisticate (http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5318640) has extra mini scrapbooks she is willing to mail to you FREE of charge just to see what you can make of it! No rules, no guidelines, just a free mini scrapbook to decorate and then send her the pictures to feature on her blog (HOW COOL IS THAT? Free book, free mail, free blog publicity - - AND you can sell the finished product here on Etsy to recoup your labor costs!)

I am going to show you one photo of one of the entries (sorry to be such a tease lol) and then I am going to give you the link to sewphisticate's blog since she has all of the pictures and BONUS she has also interviewed each person who entered. It's a great read and wonderful way to get to know some of the people behind the shops at etsy. It's also just fun to see what they came up with. So here is one sample by Coffee Monkey. To see the rest you will have to go to Sewphisticate's blog. How cool is that! The creativity and diversity that people continue to show is just amazing! So go look, what are you waiting for!

Featured Etsy Store

So I am hoping to be a little more active with posting since school is now back in session and things are "hopefully" settling down a little bit. Although my daughter has decide to go back to ballet (she is 15) so that is one night a week from 8:30 to 9:00pm and I am taking a twelve week metal smithing class one night a week from 6:30 to 9:30 pm. Life never does seem to slow down as much as I would like. Next year she can drive herself YAY!

Anyhow I have been meaning to do this feature for 2 and half months so here it is. I ran into Little Bugs Boutique in the forums and while she does jewelry it is a much different style than the jewelry that I make. She has a bright, cheery shop with great prices and lots to choose from. She has an excellent eye for color.Her polymer clay bracelets are bright, colorful and really adorable. And each one is unique since the polymer clay figures are made by hand for each bracelet. Her pendants are awesome and she has a great selection to choose from. Her stuff is way cute for the younger kids and tweens and she has awesome custom photo pendants. Definitely a shop that you will want to check out for your holiday shopping. Her custom photo pendants would make a great gift for grand parents or moms. So go check her out and get some of your Christmas shopping done ahead of time. You will be glad you did!