Hot Shop of the Week!

Congratulations to Julie from StitchesByJulie -- she has been selected as our Hot Shop of the Week! So sit back, grab a cup of coffee or a glass of iced tea, and enjoy Julie's interview and a few of her lovely creations.


Who is StitchesByJulie?
I am a mother to 3 great, grown-up kids and 2 adorable grandsons....my greatest blessings. I have 3 cats and 2 dogs, all of whom were rescued from the streets or shelters. I was married for 21 yrs. but am single now and own my own small business. I am one of 9 children, grew up in the midwest and now reside in Corpus Christi, Tx. I have been creating for more years than I can remember, since I was little! And I am proud to say that I am a Breast Cancer SURVIVOR....12 yrs. this March!!!


Do you have any other shops on Etsy? If so, please tell us a bit about them as well.
I have my art store on Etsy....NatureInPastels. Most of my work is done in pastels and there's a couple of acrylic paintings.


Where else can you be found around the internet (blog, facebook, twitter, etc)?
I am on facebook, and I have my own site -- that's where I blog and post pics and promote my shop as well as others. If only I had more time, I could update it!

(Editorial note: Julie also has an Artfire shop)


What do you create and how long have you been doing it?
I do so many things but my main interest is in knitting and crocheting. I make things from New Born to Adult, from head to toe. I usually will make something because I've seen a picture and love it, many times coming up with my own patterns. Right now I'm making some "opera gloves" for my youngest daughter, I saw a picture, and I can't wait to see how they turn out.


Where do you find your inspiration?
My inspiration comes from God, His beautiful creation that surrounds me and all of us and from within. Another group at etsy that I'm a member of had a blog and asked a number of artists why they create, and you wouldn't believe how similar most of the answers were...."Because they have to...it's something inside of them that just has to come out"....that's the within part.


What is your favorite medium?
'd have to say yarn, I love the look of it, the feel of it and working with it and taking a loooooong piece of something and making it into something....it's just an awesome feeling to see the finished product. I've told my kids, I wish they could take one of those things filled with balls that kids jump in, and fill it with yarn....all colors and textures...I would jump in with the biggest smile on my face and it would be like heaven on earth. Then of course I would bag it all up, take it home and get to work making stuff! I'm getting excited just thinking about it! :))


Is selling on Etsy your full time job, or just a side project?
It seems like a full-time job but actually I could not pay the bills if it was. I have another small business that I run from my home which I enjoy, but only because I have to pay the bills! If it were up to me, my Etsy stores would keep me busy and happy aaaaall daaaaaay looooong.


What is your favorite thing to do with the Etsy Texas Crafters team?
I really enjoyed participating in the gift swap! It was fun to receive a variety of little gifts that someone else made and sending out my handmade stuff to them. The Hot Shop is also a great idea, focus on one vendor and promote them. When you know a little bit about someone, you form a relationship with them, buying, selling, convoing, encouraging. It all helps and makes you feel connected.


Any tips for other Artists / Crafters?
Most artists will tell you, you gotta do what you love! You want to sell it, but if you don't, it's ok because you loved doing it. I've given many things away to charities because they didn't sell and that brings just as much joy, if not more! And it's using the talents God blessed you with, to better the world. You'd be surprised, those gestures come back as blessings to you too! Sometimes, even in sales.

Tell me a Secret about yourself.
I really don't have to many secrets. "What you see is what you get" with me. And I don't mean that I just say what ever is on my mind without thought or care for others. I usually try to help someone to feel better about themselves, build them up and encourage them. With my kids, I tell them what I think they need to know and sometimes they don't "appreciate it', but it's not to hurt them, it's actually to help them. They won't see that sometimes until later. But as mothers, you never STOP being a mom.



Thank you, Julie, for such a wonderful interview! We love getting to know our team members better, especially our newer ones, and checking out their fabulous creations!

If you would like to be considered for next week's Hot Shop of the Week, simply go to StitchesByJulie or NatureInPastels and pick out your favorite item. Post back here with the link to the item & why it was your favorite -- and don't forget to post your shop name as well! And if you have more than one favorite item, it is perfectly fine to post multiple times, as long as you post all the requested information each time. Then, I'll use a random number generator to pick a new Hot Shop for next week from everyone who has commented on this post by 6pm on Thursday, Jan 31st, and will post the next interview on Sunday, 1/3. Yes, we are skipping next week, in honor of Christmas -- plus this gives you twice as long to get your posts submitted!

NOTES:

>> EVERYONE is welcome to comment on this article, but only ETC members will be eligible for selection as a Hot Shop. Thanks for understanding!

>> Comments by ETC members that do not include the requested information (link to favorite item, why it's your favorite, and your shop name), will not be eligible for selection.

Friday Feature: Christmas Ornaments!

One of the things I LOVE about Christmas is all the beautiful ornaments! I am one of four children, and my Mom kept every ornament we ever brought home from school. And we had a habit of buying new ornaments for her every year also, so we soon had way more ornaments then tree! That's when Mom began pulling some of the beloved handmade ornaments, as well as some of the purchased ones. Rather than throwing them out or putting them in a garage sale, she created boxes of ornaments for each of us, giving us back the ornaments we had given to her. This way, by the time each of us left home and had our own Christmas trees, we had a box of ornaments to put on those trees...ornaments that represented family and love. I still buy ornaments every year, and a few years ago, I began collecting antique Christmas ornaments as well. I probably have enough ornaments to decorate a dozen trees....but who's counting???

Anyway, there are some amazing ornaments available from our ETC folks, so this week's Friday Feature celebrates Christmas Ornaments....


Members featured, from top to bottom and left to right, are:
KelseysKorner, HossLass, CorkyCrafts, VixensNaturalJewelry, KatsCozyKrafts, FlutterBugCreations, LavenderLizard, SumpnSassyTassels, WhiteThistleDesigns, Inpatria, GoGoGirlz, LindaGJ, McCordWorks, SpiritMama, DuctTapeAndDenim, and ShadowsWolf.

Want to see more Christmas ornament listings by Texans & Texans-at-Heart? Just click HERE!

Have a favorite Christmas ornament, either one listed above or one that wasn't able to be included? Feel free to post a comment with a link to it!

Etsy Texas Crafters is in the Box!

That was the headline posted yesterday by Ricki on the Handmade Guru blog, the blog started by Kim, the owner of The Little Black Boxes, where they review handmade items they stumble upon and love as well as features and interviews from several indie artists, designers and some wonderful vintage finds.


The above photo shows the contents of just one of the 100+ goodie bags I sent in for the December issue of The Little Black Boxes (in the top right corner of the photo is one of the packaged goodie bags), and as stated on the photo, no 2 of the goodie bags sent in were just alike! In fact, there were 10 bags that were very Christmas-y and included items primarily sent in during our team's Holiday Promo and Sample swap! It is one of these Christmas-y bags that Ricki opened and reviewed:

"One of my favorite things in this month’s TLBB was the goodie bag from Etsy Texas Crafters – it was like its own little sampler. I kept pulling out fun things from it, including stickers from Katie’s Scrap N Supplies and a note pad from Crown Bindery, both of which I immediately put to use. The store is on vacation at the moment, but when they are open, they have sell sample bags of items from their crafters. I am totally going to order one!"

What a WONDERFUL review! And CONGRATS to Katie’s Scrap N Supplies and Crown Bindery for being specifically mentioned in the review!

As I have mentioned in a couple notes....

1. If you receive a purchase and the buyer notes that they heard about you through "ETC and LBB" then you had a sample or coupon in these December goodie bags! I'd love to hear from you if this happens!!!

2. The January LBB is going to feature ONLY Bath & Body and Candle items. This is an EXCELLENT way to get your product into the hands of folks who LOVE handmade items! I have committed to sending in at least 20-25 ETC goodie bags for this LBB, so if you are interested in participating, PLEASE read this information and let me know what you will be sending in or if you have any questions.

3. We need more samples/promos for our own Taste of Texas samplers! Read HERE for more information, including a current inventory of samples & promos and suggestions for types of TofT samplers we'd like to be able to offer (you need to scroll down to the second post on this thread). This is an ongoing team project, so we ALWAYS need samples and promos...sometimes we just need them more desperately than others.

WOOHOO for awesome reviews of our team samplers and our team members!!!

Tuesday Tutorial - Fused Plastic...with a Twist!

If you've been around Etsy very long, you've seen many items made from fused plastic bags, and possibly even seen this tutorial or this one on how to fuse plastic bags. We even featured a Fusion Bag tutorial on this blog not that long ago.

As you may have guessed, I am quite fascinated with fused plastic bags, but have never quite had the nerve to try it myself. WELL, I finally found a project that may help me overcome my fear!

How cool is this ornament?!?!?

Julie Finn of Crafting a Green World posted this tutorial for making ornaments using zip-top sandwich bags and some pretties, such as tissue paper left over from previous presents, glitter, very small bits of broken crayons, and very small scraps of fabric or felted wool. A little bit of melting magic, some cookie cutters for patterns, and you have some very easy, very inexpensive ornaments that look like they'd simply be a blast to make!

♥ What's New with Etsy Texas Crafters ♥

Today is our day to introduce our newest team members and to show off our newest creations. We are welcoming 39 new members today, bringing our total membership to 841 shops! So, please join us, say "Howdy!", and check out our latest goodies! You're sure to have a great time!!!

And don't forget to join us tomorrow for a great new Tuesday Tutorial!

Hot Shop of the Week: CrazyForCollars!

Congratulations to Suzanne from CrazyForCollars -- she has been selected as our Hot Shop of the Week! So sit back, grab a cup of coffee or a glass of iced tea, and enjoy Suzanne's interview and a few of her lovely creations.


Who is CrazyForCollars?
My name is Suzanne and I live in Abilene, TX. I actually grew up here, went to college locally, met my wonderful hubby of 33 years here, and raised 2 amazing children right here in Abilene.


Do you have any other shops on Etsy? If so, please tell us a bit about them as well.
I actually have had 3 shops at once on Etsy, but when "Crazy" became the mainstay, I placed the other 2 on vacation. My other shops were venues for my other various crafts (Suzanne's Perfect Treasures) and for my vintage finds (A Joyful Find).

What do you create and how long have you been doing it?
I create collars and apparel for pets--mainly dogs. I also have written several "how-to" tutorials for the items that I produce. I started making dog collars over 6 years ago, selling them locally at craft shows and in my "pet boutique" booth at a craft mall. I actually began making collars at that time because our family included 7 dogs (not all living at home with us, luckily). My daughter wanted matching collars from some ribbon she had seen. Well, the next thing you know, I'm making collars by the hundreds!


Where do you find your inspiration?
Every fabric I see can be an inspiration, ribbons too! The fabric's print must be something that will work on a small visible 3/4" area, so that can be a challenge. I love creating "holiday themed" collars, so I guess the yearly calendar could be considered one of my inspirations, as well.


What is your favorite medium?
I prefer a great quality quilter's cotton for my designs. Unfortunately, Abilene is "fabric store challenged", so I frequently visit quilt shops whenever we are in larger cities. I love grosgrain ribbon for my bows. My button bows have become my "trademark". They are time intensive, but customers seem to be drawn to them.


Is selling on Etsy your full time job, or just a side project?
Selling my pet related items is my "day job" now. I do help some in my husband's medical office, but as little as possible. I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to make things that I love, share them with others, and make a little money at the same time.

What is your favorite thing to do with the Etsy Texas Crafters team?
I really enjoy the Design Challenges. I have only participated once, but I love seeing everyone's entries. I also love to participate in the various sales: First Monday, $5 Fifth Monday, etc.

"Summer Magic Pet Collar", Received 1st Place in ETC's July Summer Magic Design Challenge!

Any tips for other Artists / Crafters?
a. Make things that you love.
b. Set aside time where you can spend quality time doing your craft.
c. Never throw out anything that might be useful in a future craft! I know that sounds ridiculous but if you can, then save it, at least until your next garage sale!


Tell me a Secret about yourself.
I had a facelift at age 40 (my husband did it)! Now at age 56, it is probably time for another....



Thank you, Suzanne, for such a great interview! We love getting to know our team members better and checking out their fabulous creations!

If you would like to be considered for next week's Hot Shop of the Week, simply go to CrazyForCollars and pick out your favorite item. Post back here with the link to the item & why it was your favorite -- and don't forget to post your shop name as well! And if you have more than one favorite item, it is perfectly fine to post multiple times, as long as you post all the requested information each time. Then, I'll use a random number generator to pick a new Hot Shop for next week from everyone who has commented on this post by 6pm on Thursday, 12/17, and will post the next interview on Sunday, 12/20.

NOTES:

>> EVERYONE is welcome to comment on this article, but only ETC members will be eligible for selection as a Hot Shop. Thanks for understanding!

>> Comments by ETC members that do not include the requested information (link to favorite item, why it's your favorite, and your shop name), will not be eligible for selection.

Friday Feature: Snowmen!

In honor of the recent snow in Texas, I decided Snowmen would be a wonderful topic for this week's Friday Feature. So, after searching Etsy for both "Snowman" and our team tag, TeamEtsyTx, and trying very hard not to include anyone from recent Features, here are the amazing snowy selections I have chosen for you...


Members featured, from top to bottom and left to right, are:
SassySoapsNSuch, TheArtfulFlamingo, CottonEyedJo, FabricArtist21, HumbleBeads, TCsTreasures, WiseImpressions, JL67, SumpnSassy, GigglesAndGlam, TCornell, Whimbrella, 2SleepyHeads, Yarnabees, KatiesScrapNSupplies, and AmyJosCreations.

Want to see more Snowmen listings by Texans & Texans-at-Heart? Just click HERE!

Have a favorite snowman, either one listed above or one that wasn't able to be included? Feel free to post a comment with a link to it!

Tuesday Tutorial on Thursday....

Sorry about not having Tuesday's Tutorial up on time.....my family had a medical emergency and spent a couple days at the hospital. All is well now. Thanks to those who knew what was happening when it was happening and was praying for us -- those prayers were greatly appreciated!

I have a great Tutorial picked out for you today, another one to help you decorate for the holidays...a Ruffly Felt Wreath!



This project was designed by Kristen at Domestifluff, who was influenced by the Pillow With Rosette Clusters From Felt Furnishings article from The Storque - "Etsy's handmade blog". And Kristen says that if you use the How to Cut Felt Circles tutorial by Maya*Made, you should be able to cut the time working on this wreath in half....at least! Once all the circles are cut, the rest of it is a breeze. And YES, it can be worked in a variety of colors to suit the season, holiday, or your decor. Enjoy!!!

Last First Monday sale of 2009!

That's right -- in just about an hour, the last First Monday sale of 2009 will begin. Remember, this is a one-day-only sale and will end at midnight tomorrow night.

We have 107 shops participating this month -- and with only 18 more shopping days until Christmas, now is the perfect time to buy those holiday presents still on your list. Get some great buys now on some wonderful handmade items, vintage treasures and crafting supplies!

Join us in the Etsy forums to learn more about this event, check out the participating shops, and just share in some holiday cheer!

Happy Monday, and Happy Shopping!!!

Hot Shop of the Week!

Congratulations to Marilyn from GrandmaMarilyns -- after a bit of a hiatus, she is our Hot Shop of the Week! So sit back, grab a cup of hot cocoa, and enjoy Marilyn's interview and a few of her lovely creations.

Who is GrandmaMarilyns?
My name is Marilyn. I am a wife, mother, grandmother, bead artist, and bead designer. I live in a little town in the middle of nowhere in south Texas called Freer. We are the crossroads of Hwy 16, Hwy 44 and Hwy 59. If you go south on Hwy 16 from San Antonio, we are about 115 miles south. When I was first thinking of a business name, I was doing all sorts of crafts. After much thinking, I named my first business Grandma Marilyn's because when you think of lots of crafts, you think of a grandma and my grandchildren called me Grandma Marilyn.


What do you create and how long have you been doing it?
Oh, I have been crafting for as long as I can remember. The first crafts that I can remember were making potholders with loops and loom and making long strings with a spool knitter made with a spool and nails. My mother tried to teach me various crafts but for some reason, I could not learn from her. Then when I went overseas in the 70's and had nothing to do, I bought some yarn, needles and a book and taught myself how to make granny squares. I tried knitting but found I didn't like it. I also upgraded my junior high sewing class and learned to make clothes for my son and myself at that time. In the 80's, I learned to make earrings with beads and wire and creating with plastic canvas. I lost track of my beading but continued to advance my crocheting skills. Beading came back to me in 2005 when I needed a way to earn some money. From there, I have gone into designing and selling beading patterns. I also learned to quilt from my mother-in-law but got burned out when someone asked me to make a queen sized quilt. My other crafts have gone by the wayside for the time being since beading came into my life. Will they return? We will have to wait and see.


Where do you find your inspiration?
Everywhere. I will see something and think I wonder if I can make that into something for beading. Originally, I would see a pattern that I fell in love with and think of ways to vary it (usually just the colors because I didn't think I had a creative bone in my body). Since then, I have let my creative muse loose and I can create beautiful jewelry and beading patterns.


What is your favorite medium?
I love to work with Delicas or Crystals and Japanese seed beads. I love the sparkle of the crystals and am trying to come up with some designs to use them.

Is selling on Etsy your full time job, or just a side project?
For me, it is a full time job along with selling in other venues since I live in the middle of nowhere and cannot find a job. I take my bead art and designing very seriously. I would love for it to become profitable at some point in time. Also, managing my GrandmaMarilyns (beadwork and jewelry), GrandmaMarilynsToo (bead patterns & destash), and AngeliquesCreations (all other crafts, such as crocheting) shops doesn’t leave me much time to do much else. LOL!


What is your favorite thing to do with the Etsy Texas Crafters team?
Admitting members and when I get the chance, talking with my friends on the forum.


Any tips for other Artists / Crafters?
Don't let people push you into a niche. If you don't like creating something, don't. Love what you do but make sure that when it is complete it looks like something you would want to buy. Take good pictures of your items so the buyer can get a good look at what you are selling. If you find yourself in a creative block, try something else and come back later.


Tell me a Secret about yourself.
I was a semi-truck driver with my husband for 9 years. I sure do not miss that. LOL! Driving a big truck like that with a 54 foot trailer behind you can be very stressful. You never can tell what the vehicles around you are going to do, how the weather will affect your driving and whether you will be able to keep safe so that you won't harm your husband and puppies in the bunk. My biggest fears were that I would run over one of the vehicles where the driver was being stupid or laying over the truck and hurting or killing my husband and puppies. That kind of stress I don't need.



Thank you, Marilyn, for such a wonderful interview! We love getting to know our team members better and checking out their fabulous creations!

If you would like to be considered for next week's Hot Shop of the Week, simply go to any of Marilyn's shops -- GrandmaMarilyns (beadwork and jewelry), GrandmaMarilynsToo (bead patterns & destash), and AngeliquesCreations (all other crafts, such as crocheting) -- and pick out your favorite item. Post back here with the link to the item & why it was your favorite -- and don't forget to post your shop name as well! And if you have more than one favorite item, it is perfectly fine to post multiple times, as long as you post all the requested information each time. Then, I'll use a random number generator to pick a new Hot Shop for next week from everyone who has commented on this post by noon on Thursday, 12/10, and will post the next interview on Sunday, 12/13.

NOTES:

>> EVERYONE is welcome to comment on this article, but only ETC members will be eligible for selection as a Hot Shop. Thanks for understanding!

>> Comments by ETC members that do not include the requested information (link to favorite item, why it's your favorite, and your shop name), will not be eligible for selection.

Two Friday Features!

OK, so I forgot to post last Friday's Feature post.....and I had such a great one picked out, that I just had to save it! But I didn't want to just miss a week at this great time of year, so this week, we have TWO Features for you to enjoy!!!

In honor of Black Friday, here's last week's Friday Feature brought to you by the word BLACK:


Featured shops, from left-to-right and top-to-bottom, are OutOfTheBlue, IraisBloom, Craftiness, DakotasVintage, Jenni20, WhiteThistleBridal, GigglesAndGlam, DonnasDesigns, PinkLemonadeBags, Kimee, Steel, CraftyAngi, CaraBeads, UnkamenGifts, BlondieBeads, and TexasBeadz.

Want to see more Black listings by Texans & Texans-at-Heart? Just click HERE!


And now for this week's Friday Feature, this time brought to you by the words CANDY CANE:


Featured shops, from left-to-right and top-to-bottom, are KeepsMeInStitches, MyPocketfulOfPosies, KorkinKute, LucyMaeDesigns, PixieDustFineries, HandmadeWhimzy, GlassNWood, JLilyHandmade, PeculiarParchment, ClearlyTangled, DuctTapeAndDenim, MenagerieStudio, CarylsCreations, HopscotchAustin, TheYellowRoses, and BailliesBagsBaubles.

Want to see more Candy Cane listings by Texans & Texans-at-Heart? Just click HERE!

Please take a moment to post a comment and let us know your favorite Black and/or Candy Cane listing, either featured above or in either of the search links. And if there's a topic you'd really like to see for a Friday Feature this month, let us know that as well.

Happy Holidays from the ETC folks!

Christmas Project for Kids in Hospital

Passing along a request from Brandy of BrandyInTheSky....

Many years ago I was in the hospital 2 Christmases in a row. When I was 10 & 11. I recall the wonderful presents and decorations people brought to my room to give me some Christmas cheer. It meant a lot, and still does. There was the mini tree, the handmade stocking, the teddy bears, handmade cards, etc.

With Christmas almost upon us and a loved one in the hospital now, I have remembered those times and wish to brighten up the rooms of children here who will be in the hospital on Christmas. We have several hospitals here, including Driscoll Children's Hospital. My hope is to make and receive donated handmade Christmas decorations, ornaments, etc. to take to the hospital (or hospitals, if I can) so that the children will have a pretty room and some of that Christmas cheer we all enjoy so much at home.

If you can help in any way, please contact me at brandyinthesky@me.com. I am looking for fairytale, storybook style decorations, but any donation is greatly appreciated.

Thank you and God Bless!