etsybloggers

When I first joined etsy I found the etsybloggers team - and immediately joined and immediately loved it. I then got busy and didn't feel like I could keep up with the requirements - but now I am BACK and focused on etsy again - and am thrilled to be a part of the etsybloggers team once more!

To celebrate - here's a treasury I made with just items from fellow etsybloggers. I think it is pretty darn gorgeous if I do say so myself.

January blog carnival post

While I am at it, let's do some blog carnival posting, ja? ja!
This month the topic is...
1) What are your new year's goals for your blog and/or shop

How timely, eh? I have so many goals I don't even know where to start. I think this post is going to be in grocery-list form, just because there are a lot I want to remember to post. So without further ado, here are my etsy/blog related goals!
1. Be better organized about my listings - put info label on bottom of ceramics, for example.
2. Put more information for ceramics, including how much liquid they hold (get ounces or is cups enough?)
3. Work on a new series of cups - the "possible lives" cups and the "things to do before I die" cups
4. Make soap with Amber
5. Make ceramic soap dishes
6. Make felted coin purses with needle felting tools
7. Have booth at farmers market
8. Organize my computer photos - take from laptop and work computer and put on home computer, organized by etsy>big category>item
9. Put blog carnival dates on my calendar so I do BOTH carnivals a month instead of just one
10. Do more themed photo shoots - e.g. ceramics with candy hearts inside, for vday, etc.
11. Work on a portfolio - using Julie's project as a start, and other photos of pieces I am proud of
12. Acquire potters wheel (from Wilhelms?)
13. Acquire kiln...or place to fire...
14. Use portfolio to sell pieces in stores such as Art4theSoul and Fern's Garden
15. Write more about the processes of doing things here on my blog, including in-process photos!
16. Put in bookshelves in my art supply room so that I can organize my materials better.


I don't think any of these goals are new, exactly - but it sure is nice to have them all in one place to look at. I am making some progress on some of them, but definitely need to step it up a notch. Amber and I need to order lye for soap (we can't buy it in California...) and organizing photos is something I just need to remember to do a little of every day.

Some of my etsy fervor might have to be placed on hold for a little while in the upcoming months. My boyfriend is about to start Police Academy, and the last two days I had a little glimpse of exactly what that's going to take for me to be supportive. Nothing horrible - I just forsee making all of his lunches, picking up his drycleaning, and doing all of the household chores that he did, in addition to my usual housecleaning, a Life Drawing class, karate, work, etc. I am also planning on getting a puppy sometime - I think the next month or so is going to be a period of great adjustment, and I am going to just have to see how it all works out.

I am actually looking forward to being strong, staunch, supportive, etc. When he decided to go for this job that required police academy, we talked a lot about what it would entail from both of us, and I definitely agreed to go along with him and do everything I needed to do to help him succeed. This mostly involves staying out of his way and not asking ANYTHING of him. That's going to take a little getting used to - but in a strange way, I am looking forward to reclaiming some self sufficiency. He will be getting nothing but discipline at boot camp, and I am eagerly anticipating some increased discipline in my own life as well. I need to be dependable. I can't say that I will pick up his dress uniform from the dry cleaners and then forget, for example. Who knows how many pushups that would make his whole team end up doing.

I have it in me. I know I do. I'm nervous and excited though, both for him and for me. I have a few really big projects coming up that will consume a lot of my energy, but I know I am going to miss him. I just have to put that off for 6 months. Some of my other goals involve making sure our home is still a warm, welcoming home to come to after 10 hours of getting his butt kicked by the academy. I also have my academic goals and my professional goals that will definitly not get lost either.

Today I figured out a new organizational tool I am going to use, and I have included etsy goals, housekeeping/cleaning/errands, work related things, and other stuff. I am inspired all over again. We can do it! Hoooooray!

etsybloggers team - featured blogger!

One of the neat things about being a part of this etsy bloggers team is getting exposed to folks that you might not have seen before - reading random people's blogs, getting a chance to feel like you're walking in their shoes for a while. And it's funny how all these totally random people from totally random places and experiences all can feel like they are relevant to YOU. I always find something about each one that I can really connect with.

This month's featured etsy bloggers team blogger is Rose Works Jewelry. I was reading her blog, and she was making a very proud announcement about her new shob - KSjewelery. KS stands for Kindred Spirits...know the phrase? I sure do. I am not an avid reader of Lucy Maud Montgomery for nothing!!!

In any case, in addition to her also being an Anne fan, and a much-beloved etsian, she also is a prolific blogger and has received oodles and oodles of awards and recognition for her blogs. So please oh please, go check out RoseWorksJewelry, her blog, and her new shop KSjewelry!

featured etsy blogger for December!

I have been feeling a bit disconnected from the etsy world lately - I have been so busy at work I rarely had any time even on my lunch breaks to stop by, and I didn't have an internet connection at home. However, my little sister's boyfriend set up the computer he made (and gave me) with a wireless router today, which means...drum roll ladies and gentlemen...I HAVE A COMPUTER!

So the first thing I want to write about now that I have this wonderful little set up is about the etsy bloggers team. First off, I love being a part of this team. I love having a reason to blog, and a feeling that there is an audience, and a group of people supporting each other. Not to mention - it's amazing to me how even when you've never met somebody, you can get SO caught up in reading their blog - even when they are just writing about the ins and outs of their daily lives.

I wanted to post about the etsy blogger's FEATURED team member today - because I just spent a fair amount of time getting lost in her blog! Spotted Cow Soaps' blog can be found here, and her etsy shop can be found here. Go get lost in her shop - tons and tons and tons of wonderful soaps and bath things. One thing I love about her shop is that I saw from her blog that she really tries to collaborate with other etsians, for example - getting someone else to crochet soap bags. She's very interactive - has contests for her shoppers, etc. Her products look wonderful, her blog is enticing - she's going to be a Grandma! Go look!

Thank you Spotted Cow Soaps, and thank you etsy bloggers!

Hi everybody! It's November! Woohoo! With November comes Thanksgiving, my birthday, no change in the weather (Orange County, CA), and time for a new team etsy blogger update! First things first, this month's featured etsy blogger is storybeader! Her jewelry is fantastic - the photo is the piece of hers that caught my eye right off.

One of the most unique things about her pieces, though - is not just the beautiful jewelry, but also that each piece comes with a haiku, written specifically for that piece! It makes me want to order some just to see what she writes about them. :)

Storybeader is also a huge help for the etsy bloggers team, and, of course, keeps a blog! You can read all about her jewelry, see photos of dogs in costume and more, here: her blog.

Really - go check out her stuff, I am a huge fan of blogging, a huge fan of etsy, a huge fan of haikus, and a huge fan of jewelry - so when they are all combined, it makes magic. :)

etsy bloggers team carnival for November

This etsy carnival post the topic is Veteran's Day - I am either to post about my favorite Veteran, or what I am going to do with my day off!

Sadly, sadly, sadly, that day is not a holiday at my place o' employment. Know what I'll be doing that day? I'll have a meeting with one of the interns I supervise, and probably go to karate that night. I'll be getting more and more excited about Thanksgiving, and my birthday (which is the day AFTER Thanksgiving) and... in all other respects it will be a normal Tuesday.

Speaking of Veterans - the only one I know also happens to be one of my favorite people in the world, and luckily, I get to be related to him too. My Uncle Timmy - married my Tia Julie when I was....12 or so, and who I thought hated me for the first year - is one of the greatest people I know. I thought he didn't like me because he has that habit of teasing you INSTANTLY as soon as you meet him. Now I understand that it's all from loooove, but man, back then, I wasn't so sure. Now I tease back.

Politically he is incredibly different from where I stand - he'll be the only person in our family voting the way he votes on Nov. 4, that's for sure. But in my life, he's the person who makes me stop and realize that people who believe different things than I do also have valid opinions. (I tend to think I'm the rightest righteous person of all time, can you tell?) I've never really stopped to talk to him about his experiences in the armed forces, but this blog topic sure has inspired me to do just that. Maybe in a few weeks I will do a follow up post, and talk more about the specifics of my uncle tim's experience.


on a slightly different topic, I do get a day off tomorrow (well, half a day off) due to the fact that I am working on Sunday. Tomorrow also happens to be Halloween - and I have NOTHING planned! My cousin still works at the daycare I used to work at, so I think I will go visit them - it's hard for me to visit since I work during the hours they are open, but I miss the kids and would love to see them all dressed up. I also have my first test in my online abnormal psychology class, so I am going to make sure I am prepped for that, annnddd maybe I will go hang out with my dad and have some low-key halloween handing out candy to the 5 kids who show up at my parent's door.

Saturday, Adam and I will be getting up early to go to the APPLE ORCHARDS! I am so excited. This is where my family and I used to go in the fall when we were younger. Its up near Oak Glen, and it's sort of like wine tasting, except it's in orchards not vineyards, and you can get out and hike around in all the fall leaves and go eat different types of apples and press your own cider and pick chestnuts... when Adam and I first became friends, I wanted to go there with him, but he said no, on the grounds that it was too much like a date. So now, since we've been In A Relationship for two years, we are finally going!!

I live in Huntington Beach - land of the large sunglasses, the day spa and the 24 hour fitness. We've got ocean - but not past 10pm - and we've got...yeah, we've got ocean - but we don't have much in the way of green. We don't have that air that hits you when you get up high, the cold that gets in your lungs, the smell of greeeeen. I miss green. I want trees. I cannot wait to go to the apple orchards.

October Featured Etsy Blogger!

This is my very first post about a featured etsy blogger, so first let me tell you exactly what that is!

Once a month, the etsy bloggers team chooses someone to be their featured blogger. They get to bask in the warm rays of appreciation and blog articles for an entire month - the rest of us each post an entry about them, their blog, and their etsy shop. I love this idea - love supporting other etsians this way!

So without any further ado... here is October's Featured Etsian Blogger!

bfbeads.etsy.com- baby friendly beads! Jewelry, necklaces,bracelets - for nursing mama's!

I love this idea. I am not a mother yet - but I have held my fair share of grasping-pinching-flailing babies...I have a love of dangling earrings and also have a nose ring, which can be problematic. I have witnessed first hand the importance of baby-friendly jewelry!

Bfbeads jewelry is not only functional but really beautiful as well. One of my favorite aspects of it is reading the titles of the pieces - you can tell that there is a lot of thought put behind each piece.

So three cheers for baby friendliness! bfbeads.etsy.com!

etsy bloggers carnival post

What do I do to reeeeelllaaaxxxxxxxxx....

I had to think about this for a while. I never think of myself as either particularly stressed or relaxed. Neither one of those words is frequently in my vocabulary. But, yes, I guess there are times when my shoulders ease up, my neck is less tight, and I might even actually let a sigh of relief issue forth. There's one moment in particular I can think of that it happens every single time I do it --

the moment after I have pulled on my swim cap, adjusted my goggles, sit down at the edge of the pool, and slip in. There's a chill of yuck for a second, then I push off, and that first 25 of my warmup is always, always, always pure relaxed bliss. For some reason, the first 25 and the last 25 of my workout are effortless. I watch my hands and fingers in the water, and just sort of...marvel at this crazy thing the human body, and how it can get me from one end of the pool to the other.

Swimming. That's what I do to relax. In the ocean, in the pool - any sort of water. I love it.

I also spend an inordinate amount of time just staring at yarn. :P That's kind of hypnotizing and relaxing as well. heehee. (That's where the photo comes in...can't you just stare?)

I sing a lot - sing loudly and without embarrassment. Something about that is relaxing as well - just kind of emptying myself of everything except my throat.

It's funny to talk about relaxing right now, though - because I am a little anxious. The wind was kicking up today and it was wonderful. All I wanted to do was be out in it- except I also wanted to curl up warm inside away from it. Except for one little walk and a trip downtown for lunch, the latter won. So tonight I am not so interested in relaxing. I'd rather be up and doing something - except I need to go to sleep early tonight. So I am going to try to purposefully relax...maybe put on different music and curl up with crocheting. ja. go team!

carnival schedule

September 29th - A Keeper's JackpotTopic one:Autumn. Blog about the season, memories of the past, plans for this fall. Fall decorations, fall crafts. Apple picking, back to school, foliage, as examples.Topic two:"In summery" ;-) get it? Instead of summary... Sum up what you did this summer. Highlights, activities, vacations. Things you accomplished.October 13th - Joey & Aleethea1). Work: Blog about anything to do with your work (past, present or future) which is outside of Etsy.2). Relax: Blog about what you do to relax. October 27th - A Keeper's JackpotTheme 1) Spooky:Tell a spooky story, real or made up. Or present a Halloween crafting project or something in your shop that will give us the creeps Theme 2) Recipes!It's never too early to plan your holiday dinners. Share a recipe for something that we can share with our loved ones. If you have pictures, that's great too! November 10th - ShellMitchell1). What are you working on? Post about the fabulous creation you are currently working on.or2). Veteran's Day - Veteran's Day is November 11th. Share a story about your favorite veteran or what you will be doing with your day off. November 24th - Jersey Girl Design1. What is your favorite tradition for the Thanksgiving holiday? 2. How are you going to prepare your business for the holiday rush?December 8th - Home Made OriginalsDecember 8 is "National Brownie Day" and "Winter Flowers Day". 1.Post your favorite brownie recipe and or memory about brownies2.Post about winter flowers, flowers in winter.December 22nd - Stormy Designs1. Christmas traditions & recipes- Share Christmas traditions or your favorite holiday recipe.2. Christmas spotlight- Show & tell of a Christmas item in your shop or your favorite gift idea in someone else's shop.

Etsy bloggers carnival Post

Scarf-wearing-weather is my favorite time of year. Except for when the days suddenly turn longer and longer and it's summer. But really, autumn is my favorite. My birthday is in November - so I am sure that helps. But there is something else... the air turns a different color, an exciting color! I am always inspired by fall.

I lived in Madison, Wisconsin for about 6 months once. I was there for the end of summer, fall, and some of winter. Madison was an amazing place to be during the fall - I remember walking down the street I lived on (east johnson, I think it was) and all at once there was this huge gust of wind, and suddenly I was walking in swirls and swirls of leaves, and that was it - all the leaves were off the trees and on the ground! That was the street with an art supply store, art galleries, coffee shops, and the pizza place that was open from "11am-late." I remember walking by one of the textile shops on that street and there was a lady sitting on the front steps knitting. Everywhere I went in Madison, there were people knitting. That was where I really learned how to knit. I had a friend who I stayed with part of the time I was out there whose mother used to own a yarn shop, and had basically been knitting since before she could walk. It was perfect - I'd knit, and when I messed up, instead of getting frustrated, I'd hand it to her, she'd fix it, and then say "okay, let me show you what I did."

I didn't have a car then, but when we could talk one of our pals into it, we'd head to one of the two most amazing yarn stores I've ever been to - one had a coffee shop attached to it, and we'd buy yarn, buy tea, and sit and knit for as long as we could. We also took the bus around the lake to the knitting guild once a month - 300 ladies and 1 sweater-making-machine-man. It was a good time for me and knitting. I wasn't working, so I could spend my time going to farmer's market, the library, the amazing feminist bookstore on state street, the coop..... I walked everywhere... wow, I am remembering things right now that I didn't even know I'd forgotten.

I started working on my first sweater in Wisconsin. It was going to be green tweed with a gray stripe. I bought tons of yarn. Never finished. Nosiree.

The first thing I ever knitted to completion was that fall was a shawl that I sent to my little sister for her birthday. I learned how to spin that fall also - bought 100% wisconsin roving and spun the yarn for a beanie, which I also knit. I remember working on it sitting on the steps of the capitol building, FREEZING, in october, during the "knit out."

Here in Southern California, where I've been for all the time I wasn't in Alaska or Wisconsin, we might not have dramatic seasons - and people might look ridiculous wearing scarves here - but it's still an exciting time that makes me crave pumpkin pie and sweaters and knitting knitting knitting!