Go Teams!

Way Awesome Cool Stuff From You've Got Maille's Way Awesome Cool Teams

(decided to include Artfire teams this week)

Etsy Chainmaillers' Guild:
Long JPL Earrings by Mailled

I have a thing for JPL, and in sterling, with labradorite... magic.

Etsy Wire Artisans' Guild:
Victorian Miss by Follow The Red Brick Road

When you're done ogling this gorgeous pendant, go look at Marcy's other amazing creations. Sooo much detail there. Only problem is causing people to stare at your chest so much. ;)

Fantasy Artists of Etsy:
Floating Fairy House by Centaur 1201

This is positively dreamy. I imagine having an enclosed patio to put this on... maybe some day. It looks like a glowy fairy lives inside.

Etsy Bloggers:
Mel Marry Jack Puppets by Mia Rae

Are these not adorable!? You could do Sesame Street at home!

Etsy Twitter Team:

Teacher's Apple Beaded Paperweight by Red Bess Bonney

If I was a teacher, I'd totally want one of these.

Artfire Chainmaillers' Guild:
Flowers and Byzantine by Nightmaiden

She shows just how un-geeky chainmaille can be. A garden for your neck!

Blogfire:
The Tree 2 Sided Stained Glass Pendant by Almond Tree

I see a lot of tree pendants but nothing quite like this!

Artfire Tennessee Artisans:
Cucumber Cantaloupe Soap by A Woman With Scents

Yum! This sounds so delightful. A reason to get out of bed in the morning.

Teams Rule!

I really am going to do this one weekly. No really. See, I belong to some of the awesomest teams on Etsy and I thought I'd feature one item from each of them weekly. Since I'm on an odd number of teams I'm throwing one in at the end that I wish I was cool enough to be on.

Wire Artisans Guild - Twelve Rays Ring by Pippi Jewelry (go LOOK at the band! It's amazing!)
Chainmaillers' Guild - Rainbow Necklace Spiral Weave by Fun Toys For Kids (this is a new guild member... I am SO impressed with his work and photography. He's 11.)
Fantasy Artists of Etsy - Empress Wrist Cuff by Craisfrod Leather (I want half the stuff in this shop!)
Twitter Team - Ferns and Daisies Card by RoseBushDesigns (cute!)
Etsy Bloggers - Sally the Seal Bead by NanjoDogz (not only the most adorable critters, but one of the nicest people on Etsy)

[Cool team of the week that I'm not on] WHOA team - Draft Horse in Harness Print by Cindy Price Art (WHOA team sneaks in because I won the giveaway on their blog! Look at the pretty Saddlebred ACEO I won from Gail Ragsdale, and definitely check out her shop :) ]

Check out these teams' treasuries this week!
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=18390237
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=48143

The Muse's Return

Tangaroa by Second Renaissance

Well, I finally got an idea for my Emerald Isle contribution this month. It's still in progress and I'm not telling what it is :) I also got the urge to maille a whole lot and have been cranking out bracelets (why is it, whenever I try a new weave, it turns into a bracelet?). I can't find my sketch book but the doodle sheet at my desk is working overtime. And I signed up for CWJ's Year of Jewelry inspirations and have ideas for the first several. Ideas, yay! I also finally settled down and photographed a bunch of my stuff yesterday so expect to see lots of new listings in both shops over the next few days (including the bangle above, named after a Maori god of the sea, and the cuff below).

Aurelia by Second Renaissance

My shops are undergoing something of a re-organization. I've decided to move most of the wire work to Second Renaissance (except for ear cuffs, circlets, and anything else that has more of a Renaissance feel... I know, it's kind of ironic). There they'll be joined by Obsession Number Three -- bead weaving. I've done four of these peyote cuffs in other people's patterns, and the next one I do will be my own design. Like chainmaille, these have to be touched to be fully appreciated. I'm also doing some net-weave chokers that will have a very Victorian feel.

Projects on the bench and in the doodle pad:
1) Secret Emerald Isle item - See The Wire Artisans Guild blog and be blown away by the ones already there, or the guild Flickr page
2) Secret Romance Blossoms entry for The Chainmaillers' Guild spring contest
3) More braided wire bangles and viking knit in colors, copper and silver
4) My first Year of Jewelry contribution, based on this painting by Katushika Hokusai
5) In the process of graphing my first original design peyote cuff
6) Finishing a net-woven necklace with Swarovski crystals in amber and wine - ordered the wrong color crystals though.
7) Whatever chainmaille strikes my fancy :) I'm doing a beaded choker in electric blue enameled copper at the moment.

For sneak previews of all the new items that will be headed to my shops in the near future, check out my Flickr page.

Craft Envy [EBT Carnival]

The Carnival theme for Etsy Bloggers is: What item from another seller's shop do you secretly wish you had thought of first?

Well... it's not that I secretly wish I'd thought of this stuff. It's more like, I wish I had time to dabble in similar crafts. Mostly. So here's a feature of some of my favorite insanely talented people on Etsy whose crafts I wish I could play with. Except the first. The first qualifies absolutely and completely for the actual question here, since I do some similar stuff.

When I saw Karla's shop at Thyme2Dream,
I confess I swooned. I'm a Renaissance and fantasy fangirl and if I was wandering around a Renaissance Faire and found a booth with her stuff in it I'd spend half the day there. It was really tough for me to choose a picture of ONE thing I love in her shop. Then I discovered her brilliant circlet-making husband at PernCirclets. They are definitely on my top 5 list of Etsy heroes. What I envy the most here is that when you see one of her listings, you know instantly who made it. I think I will never have that trademark style.

The rest of these are simply masters of crafts I wish I could do. I waded through most of my 99 pages of favorites (!!!! at least I got to weed out the dead ones) to find them for you.

I am so horrible at sewing that my son insists on sewing on his own buttons. Still, I'm pretty sure it's something I could learn, given time. And a sewing machine. Which I asked for for Christmas several years ago and did not get. So I am still thread-challenged.

If I COULD sew, I would sew costumes. Mostly Renaissance costumes. It would be a long, long time before I could sew anything as gorgeous as the stuff in Spooky Kitten Couture's shop, though. If you've got a touch of Rengeek go look. Another favorite costumier is Damsel In This Dress, partly because the name is just brilliant. :)

I'd never heard of needle tatting until I discovered TotusMel's shop (and blog!) and she's the undisputed queen of tatting in my mind, although I have found a few other shops recently that do more with beads and I LOVE it. This is definitely on my to-learn list, and I definitely want to make Victorian-looking stuff with lots of beads.

There are some leather mask-makers on the 'net. I don't think I'd get very gung-ho into leatherworking, although the stuff IKOW Designs is doing with leather and maille is stunning, so I'd probably play with something like that (I want to try some leather bracers with scalemaile overlay). I wouldn't mind being able to make amazing things like these Knights Templar bracers, at Mojo Leather, either.

One thing I have wanted for a very long time is a good camera(long enough that the camera I once wanted was 35 mm. but is now a digital SLR) , the knowledge to use it well, and opportunities to walk into nature and capture its mysteries. So naturally, Nature's Art is my hero. Their nature photos are breathtaking.

I'm sort of a hippie at heart, so I've always loved macrame (except those ugly plant hanger thingies, which seems to be what most people think of when you say macrame). I still have a gallon ziploc full of hemp, and I can do a basic sinnet (plan to try it in wire one of these days!). Macrame has come a long way since the 70s, though, as evidenced by Glass Dancer's absolutely gorgeous "micro" macrame. Anything tiny and intricate catches my fancy. I'd love to learn to do this one of these days.

There's a lot done with seed beads that's too busy for me, but I love peyote cuffs. I had long admired Sand Fibers' work, and then I featured Time2Cre8's Obama cuff on my blog. She offered a trade, and I am now its proud owner, and made a friend in the process (Mary Lou is a gem!). I'm venturing into this arena a little, with 3 cuffs under my belt so far (they take a LONG time), which I'm sure I will blog about soon. Mary Ann has been helpful getting me off the ground here. She's great! The cuff at left is hers. Go look at the wondrous creations in her shop, or check out her blog or the amazing Etsy BeadWeavers' blog.

My hubby offered me another crafting class this year as my Christmas present, and if I'd done it, I'd have chosen lampworking. But I thought, I know how to do some metalsmithing from last year's class, and don't have the tools to do it - I don't need another class and no tools. So I asked for tools. I still would dearly love to work with glass though, I've thought it was a magical process since I saw glassblowers working at a living museum in Ohio. But I still spend lots of time perusing the lampworking on Etsy, and there are a lot of brilliant people (I'm partial to these lined large-hole beads) but partly because of the luminous, intricate quality of her work and partly because the photography done here is AMAZING, Elysium beads is still my favorite. I'm planning on purchasing one of these mini works of art in the near future to put on a viking chain.

When I first opened my Etsy shop, I intended to do some calligraphy and illuminated manuscripts, as well. I hadn't counted on getting COMPLETELY obsessed with chainmaille and wire, so I haven't spent much time on this, but it's still on my to do list. I can do some calligraphy fairly competently, but what I really want to learn is the gorgeous illumination. Basically, what Bygone Arts is doing. You can get any text you want illuminated for an incredibly reasonable price.

I know, it's a lot of stuff. I doubt that I'll ever be the master of any of these crafts that the people I've featured are. And that's cool.. I want to dabble, use some of these things to complement the crafts I'm already doing. I'm a compulsive learner and creator. I could probably find a lot more crafts I'd like to learn some day but these are at the top of the list :)

How to Add Your Etsy Mini to your Facebook Page [EBT & BF Carnival]

Etsy Buy Handmade youvegotmaille

Hey imagine that, both Etsy Bloggers Team and Blogfire Guild are asking me to do a How-To for my carnival. Two birds, one stone, but no one dies!

I'm stealing the info from Handmadeology. If you haven't looked over there, you should, there's tons of great info. You can go watch the video but I'm gonna tell you how to do this, and you don't have to keep up with a video.

1) Go to this link for the application

2) Tell it you want to add the application to your Facebook page (obviously, you must have one). No really, you want to add it. It's okay, allow it to access Facebook. Really. Go.

3) Type in your shop name, and "6" for the items to display. Go for the max. Got no shop? Add your Etsy faves.

4) At the top, go to Settings/Application Settings. Choose your Etsy app and click Edit Settings.

5) Click "Profile", then next to Box "add."

6) Go back to your home page. Click on your "Boxes" tab. Click on the little pencil in the Etsy box top right corner. Tell it to add Etsy app to your Wall.

That's it! If you have more than one shop, you can only add one of them.

If you're on FB give me a shout :)

EtsyBloggers Trunk Show Tomorrow!

EtsyBloggers is having a live trunk show tomorrow at 9 EST. If you've never been to a Trunk Show, they're a lot of fun! The Virtual Labs on Etsy is a really cool interactive chat room. Not only that, but the Bloggers have a huge variety of items so there's sure to be something for everyone!

Click on the banner at left to see our Team page, which features the Trunk Show shops, all of which are having a sale. Especially if You can't make it tomorrow!

Click on your "Community" link, then virtual labs, then the Gallery to find us.

So Very Helpful

I was taking some pictures of some chain bracelets to sell on Etsy. What you see at the bottom is my kitten Otto (8 months old) "helping" me display them :) Silly kitten loves chains more than string... the mere sound of chainmaille brings him running. It makes more noise, it's shiny (he loves shiny), and mom plays with them more. Last night he gagged himself on a piece of wire so he is hereafter banned from the bench while I am working wire.

Here he is "talking" to the birds. Handsome, isn't he?


I have a houseful of other animals; 4 other cats who despise this interloper, 2 Sheltie mixes and a Senegal parrot. I'm sure they'll find their way into one post or another at some point, but none of them are as "helpful" as Otto is (although Clio the parrot certainly would be if I let her).


Being helpful is very tiring.

Bella Casa Etsy Party!

Bella Casa is hosting an Etsy Party January 26-30. Several amazing and talented Etsy artists have donated items to be given away. Given away!!! All you have to do is go look at this amazing stuff, visit the artists' shops, and then starting Monday go tell Bella which of the sellers' items are your favorites. Then win!

For this event You've Got Maille has donated a custom stretchy chainmaille bracelet, so be sure to visit. Definitely check out the other neat stuff, too.

Thanks for hosting Bella!

Inauguration Sale and Blog Feature (yay!)

Patriot

I've decided to offer 20% off anything in my shop now through Wednesday in celebration of this historic inauguration, including gift certificates and custom orders. Happy Bushisgone week!



An addendum so I don't end up doing 3 posts in one day!

I just discovered (accidentally) that NanjoDogz has Second Renaissance featured on her blog! Thanks so much! It's an awesome feeling to find someone appreciating my work, when it's someone whose work I've appreciated for ages. Go check out her Etsy shop too. You cannot resist the cuteness!

Tagnabbit!

Kat over at Candles, Crafts and Whatnot tagged me. So cool to be meeting new bloggers via Entrecard.

So you're stuck with eight random facts about me.

1) I'm a horrible sleeper. I'm restless, turn constantly (when I had long hair I had to put it up because it kept trying to strangle me), flip my pillow to get to the cold side (does anyone else do this?) and have stretches where I can't sleep much at all.

2) I'm also an incorrigible morning person. Usually cheerful in the morning. But past 11:00 at night I'm not terribly pleasant.

3) I really don't do movies. You know how some people are restless and can't read for very long stretches? I can't seem to sit through a movie without occupying myself otherwise somehow.

4) I'm kind of the same with TV, although I make an exception for Heroes (I still chainmaille during the show though)

5) I'm a nerd. I need to do a whole post on this, but in addition to my Renaissance geekiness, on weekends I play D&D or Star Wars RPG. I used to be addicted to Guild Wars but I substituted an addcition to making jewelry. I think it's more productive. I don't LARP, though.

6) I read the Lord of the Rings trilogy at least once a year and have read the Silmarillion, or parts of it, several times. I also keep coming back to other beloved series: Dune (Frank Herbert), A Song of Ice and Fire (George R.R. Martin), the Assassin/Live ship books (Robin Hobb), and the Outlander series (Diana Gabaldon). I want to re-read the Foundation series some time soon. In between all of these I read books I've never read before. I don't have an attention deficit problem with reading :)

7) Whenever I lie on the couch I usually have an average of 2 cats lying on me.

8) I'm anal retentive about cleaning out my keyboard. It never looks like I am, though.

There, that's me. Here's the rules:

1. Each blogger starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog post, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
4. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged and to read your blog.
5. For the recipients, leave a comment for the person who tagged you, so they can go and read your answers.

Here are my peeps!
1) The Costumer
2) Theresa's Treasures
3) Delavande (I tagged her before but I don't think she did it)
4) A Rose By Name
5) Five O'Clock Somewhere
6) Spotted Cow Soaps
7) The Copper Cauldron
8) Rose Works Jewelry

My apologies if this has been thrown at you several times. This is my second but since I have a lot of new bloggy friends, I figured I'd do Take 2. :)

Wait, it's 2009? - Carnival

Okay, so I'm a little slow coming to this resolution/goal thing. I know the month is half over. For one thing, I'm a little resistant to resolution (it's the nonconformist streak in me... I refuse to resolve to lose those lbs. along with a million other people, and then fail with them). But I do have goals for the shop, and even if I bore you with them, it's good to have them out there in the public eye if only to remind me throughout the year. Besides, the alternative was talking about taxes, and you don't want that, it'd be a whiny post. So here goes.

1) New techniques, new materials. I'm not bored with chainmaille. I keep coming back to it. But wire intrigues me. I have a box of cabochons that beg wrapping. I have new books and tools. So these will include:

• Lots more cab wrapping using new techniques
• More precious metals for the new shop
• Viking weave
• Braided and woven wire
• Soldered wire filigree
• Bezel making
  
• Branching into some metalsmithing
• Peyote and other bead weaving
• Maybe some micro-macrame

It's a lot of directions, in some ways, and I fear I will never have that distinctive "style" that lets you look at something and know it was made by me. I think I've decided that's okay. I'll never enjoy making lots of the same or even very similar items. It has to be done sometimes, though.

2) Craft shows. I'd like to go to some bigger/more expensive ones and work on building an inventory for the 2010 Renaissance Faire.

3) Website. It needs work. It needs to be easier to order from. And maybe a new look entirely. By the same token, I intend to increase my web presence and make better use of social networking sites. You like my social networking avatar?

4) Time management. This is the big one. I want to get my "real" work done in some sort of time that lets me create in those normal off-time hours most people have at the end of the day. People have those, right?

5) Manage inventory and "the books" better. You might be getting the idea that I'm not that great at this "management" thing. You'd be right.

6) Develop some leads on local distributors.

7) By the end of the year, I'd like to have the business where it makes (even a very small) profit, rather than costing the family money. I'm making significant strides here.

There, I committed!

Naked Against the Sky ... Etsy Picks for the Week

I have always believed that if magic exists in the world, it exists in trees.  Every aspect of their yearly death and rebirth is glorious and magical.  They sleep now in my part of the world, and this is my tribute to them and to several very talented artists of Etsy.

Glass Wine Carafe, Hand Etched by DayDreemDesigns

I think perhaps my wine deserves this beautiful etched carafe.  This isn't the paste on stuff you buy for etching at the craft store... these are diamond-tip etched.  Check the store for matching candle holders.

Papercuts - Picnic by PaperCutDieCut

Go now and look at the other pictures for this item (and the rest of the store!).  This was cut BY HAND, every angle.  If you've ever done any decoupage you know how hard and time consuming this is!  There were so many things in this store I could have included but I liked the reflection in this one.

Sterling Silver Pietersite Tree of Life Bracelet by Shellamie

There are a lot of "tree of life" pendants and other jewelry out there, but no one does them better than Shellamie.  I love the delicate simplicity of this bracelet, so that the focus is on the stone and the tree adorning it.  This is wirework at its best.

A Place of Dreaming (original painting) by Jaime Best of BestArt Studios

Another shop I had a heck of a time picking something from.  If you like trees, Jaime has all sorts of them, with both prints and originals available.  I chose this one because the eerie light of the moon behind the trees, which they seem to be embracing, enchanted me.  A place of dreaming, indeed.

Magic Hands, Magic Soap

Winter Grapefruit Soap Bar by Magic Hands Soap

If you've been reading my blog for a while (has anyone?  *echo, echo*) you know that I discovered the wonders of handmade soap a while ago.  And I'm hooked.  The lather, the scent, the luxurious feel of it.  Since I discovered it, I've been so excited to try handmade soap that I keep jumping from one soap seller on Etsy (and at a few craft fairs) to another.  I haven't returned to any.

Of course, some are better than others.  My very favorite of the many I've tried has been Magic Hands' Mulled Cider Shea Butter soap.  The lather was sinful the way a chocolate cake is blissfully sinful, and that homey, spicy scent filled not only my bathroom but my adjoining bedroom, as well.  I bought one of her salt bars and a couple of bars for my mother-in-law, as well (haven't used them yet).  I think - and I hope I'm wrong? - that the mulled cider might've been a holiday promotional scent.  I sure would like more of it, but I'm also happy to try some of her others.  My husband would love the one pictured.

At any rate, I will be buying from Magic Hands again.  I have a little bag (a Bath & Body Works bag... I find that somewhat ironic and amusing, since I will probably not buy anything but their foaming hand soap from them again) almost full of Etsy soap, so once I use some of it up I'll be back to her shop.  My advice to you is... try it!

December Specials & Free Stuff

For the month of December you'll get a free gift from my shop with any purchase over $5. These will tend to be earrings or rings, so if you have unusually sized fingers or earring preferences (i.e. nickel sensitivity) let me know when you buy.

Also for the month, gift boxing and wrapping is free! Please send me a convo or email when you order to request gift wrapping if your item is a gift. One less stress this holiday season! I've been told I do very nice gift wrapping, by the way. It's kind of an obsession of mine. I may post a picture if I get to wrap the stuff that's hiding in my closet today.

Don't forget I do custom items, so you can visit www.youvegotmaille.net to create the perfect present, or request a gift certificate in any amount so your recipient can design their own jewelry.

Happy holidays from my household to yours!

We'll Miss You Sara :(

Up until now I have been very happy with the organization that is Etsy, and really hardly any complaints at all. Sadly, that changed this weekend.

I found out that Etsy (for reasons they are unwilling to disclose) is terminating the position of Sara (sarawearsskirts) who has been Teams liaison. It occurs to me that Sara is the reason my opinion of Etsy personnel is so high. In the months since I've joined and shortly thereafter started Etsy Chainmaillers' Guild she has been the "face" of Etsy for me. A real person I can contact when I need something Teams-related (which is usually what I need), super helpful and friendly, and professional.

So needless to say I was disturbed when I heard that not only are they letting her go, but they're eliminating her job as liason. Now, Teams leaders cannot go in and edit their team page -- that's one thing Sara did -- so my first question is, who's going to edit the pages (personally I think Teams leaders should have been able to do this themselves a long time ago).

Most disturbingly, no teams leaders were notified of this, it was discovered backhandedly via Sara's blog and then Etsy forum thread. Why the secretiveness and lack of communication?

I think Etsy is a wonderful place to do business, but if there is no one to step up and take over what Sara has been doing, it will lose a lot of the "homey" feel that makes Etsy so beloved to me. I really hope they're not going for more of a corporate feel. :(

Sadly, there really aren't any non-vague answers from admin, although to their credit, it is the weekend. We'll see what Monday brings. All that was said was that another guy will be working with us and teams will be taking "a slightly different direction" in '09.

Needless to say, Sara, if you chance across this, you will be very much missed. To me, you ARE Etsy and so much of makes it what it is. I wish you all the luck in whatever you choose to do next; whatever it is, they will be very fortunate indeed to have you.

Oh, and here's the thread if you're interested. http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5942855&page=1

And Sara's blog if you know her and would like to tell her she will be missed. http://girlscantell.typepad.com/all_things_girls_can_tell/2008/12/end-of-an-era.html

Peppermint Twist

Our featured EtsyBlogger inspired an entire feature on the wonders of peppermint and candy canes. Feast your senses.

Christmas Elf Stocking PDF Pattern by LifeBarn

There have GOT to be sugarplums dancing in that head. Hey, it's cold out there, and if you've got a little bald-headed thing you carry around on occasion, it needs one of these! Knit yourself some elfy goodness. Bet you'll never forget baby's first Christmas.

Candy Cane Lampwork Icicle Ornament by RuskinDesigns

I have a kitten. This is sad, because I adore glass ornaments, and in particular handmade glass ornaments. I have several similar to the one above that are clear. I got brave and put them (and the one made out of an egg with a snowy scene inside it) on my tree this year despite the insane 6-lb. furball I live with. Cross your fingers for me, so far he's been more nice than naughty... well, since I removed the tree skirt so he couldn't play hide and pounce with his kitty toys.
But I LOVE this ornament... candy canes and iciciles... it seems like a natural combination now that I think about it, but I've never seen anything like this that I can recall. So cool!

Peppermint Candy Cane Tutu by Hannah's Tutus

Wow I have a baby thing today. I think it's cause my 15-year-old isn't really that into it this year.... sadness. Wish I had a handful of Christmases to look forward to with a little one. But there will be nieces, nephews and grandkids, one of these days!
So if you've got a little girl, here's what you're going to do. You're going to buy one of these A.D.O.R.A.B.LE. tutus, you're going to make an appointment at your local professional photographer, and you're going to make this your Christmas card this year. Everyone you send them to will treasure them forever. And you'll also have something to drag out on prom night to embarrass the heck out of her.

Candy Cane Silver-Cored Lampwork Bead by Elysium Beads

Yeah, I know, more glass. Can't help it... I love glass, and you have to admit it lends itself to candy cane imitation.
These are some of the BEST lampwork beads on Etsy. I spent about half an hour looking at them yesterday, because I intend to try some Viking Knit in anodized niobium and sterling silver with a focal lampwork bead on the necklace at some point in the very near future. So, rest assured, I will be buying from these amazingly talented people. If you're a glass addict like me you owe it to yourself to look at these little works of art.

Peppermint Bark Brownies by Edith and Ethel

I had to put some sort of food in this feature, since, well, peppermint is food, and I said "feast your senses." So I searched Etsy's food section for peppermint and as soon as I saw these... oh man.... I stared. I drooled. Chocolate and peppermint are a match made in heaven. If, on the off chance that you want to buy me a Christmas present.... there ya go. Instant holiday bliss.

Peppermint Stretchy Chainmaille Bracelet by You've Got Maille

It occurs to me that I never do any shameless plugs in these feature bits, so here it is. My holiday item for the year since I somehow haven't had time to do all the other sugarplum ideas dancing in my head. I'll even put a big jingle bell on it for you if you want. :)

December's EtsyBlogger

Limited Edition Candy Cane Soap

Being a peppermint fanatic, I promise I'll be trying that soap. One of the best things about the holidays, is Peppermint.

I used to frequent Etsy's forums. There, I came across a soap maker asking the question: "Have you tried handmade soap? If not, why not?" Couldn't really answer that. Then Naiad kindly sent me a sample bar, and I was... am... hooked.

So I'll ask you the same question. Have you tried handmade soap? If not, why not? It's much gentler on your skin than store soap. The lather is dreamy. The scents are amazing. You'll stand around in the shower longer because it's so great. You'll never go to Bath & Body Works again. I swear to you I have laid in bed in that twilight between awake and asleep, trying to think of a good reason to get out of bed, and there have been a few times that handmade soap has been that reason.

I haven't tried Spotted Cow's soap yet, but like I said, I need that peppermint soap, so... I will be. But if I haven't, why should you?
1) Free sample with every order
2) 8 bars ship for the same flat rate
3) She does gift wrapping and gift baskets
4) On your gift list... who couldn't use soap? She has guy stuff too.
5) Not just soap... spa/bath accessories, bath bombs, kid soap, sugar scrub, crochet bath accessories, soy candles...

Seriously. If you haven't tried handmade soap spring for the 5 bucks, do yourself a favor, go buy. Your holiday stress (that you're not supposed to be having... see post below!) will wash away.

Oh, and check out her blog too! http://SpottedCowSoaps.blogspot.com

Interlude [EB Carnival]

The question: How are you going to prepare your business for the holiday rush?

The short answer: I'm not. Not really.

The long answer:

So far, I've done four craft shows in the past three months (two of them "holiday" shows), all with moderately pleasing success but nothing to write home about. Sales both online and at fairs have definitely picked up since the onset of the holiday season, which is great because it means I can afford more materials.

On the other hand, it has also meant cranking out massive amounts of the same thing, something I do not particularly enjoy and that turns art into drudgery. The last thing I want. This is still a hobby before it's a business and I'm honestly not sure I want that to change.

I really wanted to do this Dickens of a Christmas Victorian show in "historic Franklin Tennessee" thing, but I'm too late to apply for it. Besides that, the booth fee was $165, it's a drive, and if it decided to have a blizzard on December 14, 2008 in Franklin, Tennessee... well, sorry, no refund.

That's a bit scary.

But I have decided that it's time to prepare myself for bigger shows with bigger advertising, bigger attendance and therefore bigger booth fees, so that is the direction my business has decided to take. I think for the most part, unless one comes up and bites me like it did last week, I'll skip most of the upcoming Christmas craft shows. I also am considering setting my sights on Middle Tennessee Renaissance Faire and will need to work on some themed things for that.

One thing I HAVE done is prepare a custom item catalog where you can pick a design, pick your colors, choose a focal pendant or your beads, and I make your design to specs. More info about that on my website: http://www.youvegotmaille.net The great thing about that is that there's no stress of building up a stock. I love doing custom orders, too.

Reason two: I'm suffering a little burnout. I have wanted very much to try some new techniques, new stuff, new designs, and have had to back burner everything to make sure I had enough stock for craft shows. So the near future holds for me some experiments in macrame, peyote bead weaving, wire wrapping, polymer clay, wire tree making, and a wacky idea I had "Christmas Ornaments for Geeks." I used to paint Warhammer miniatures and I have half a closetful (well not quite) and I thought they might make cute and amusing Christmas tree ornaments if adapted. They will show up on Etsy, maybe even in time for Christmas decorating. A lot of the above may get integrated with my first love, chainmaille. I love the way wire wrapping looks but doing it is stress for me (especially when, as with the pendant above, the results are nothing like the picture in my head), whereas weaving maille is like needlework: mostly mindless and relaxing, once I know the weave well.

But I've decided not to stress about ANYTHING related to the holidays, because that takes the fun out of them for me, so I am going to have a chat with my inner child, sit down at my workbench and play instead of working. The results of that are usually better, anyway.

Etsyblogger of the Month: Storybeader

I just love donut beads and this one looks so native. It's brought to you by Storybeader, and the letters O and W, and the number 0.

Deb (aka Storybeader) is a super nice person and I'm thinking she's visited my Blogger Carnivals more than any other single person. Not only that, but she makes beaded jewelry that isn't your run-of-the mill (there's a lot of mill out there). Best of all, every one comes with a haiku! Here's the one for the item above

Union, the joining
Together of elements
From both earth and sea.


I love this item too.

Colorful disks, side
By side, form a long strand that
Matches all your shirts.

Heehee... and they look like a pack of Necco wafers!

Go check out her shop and her blog.

New FAE Exhibition

Please check out Fantasy Artist's of Etsy's latest Exhibition with New Beginnings as it's theme. I thought this one was really interesting to see the way our members interpreted it.