http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5624375 SmallSO has been beading for a few years now for fun, and she loves to work with natural stones, mixed metals (sterling silver, gold filled, antique finished brass, etc.), crystals and vintage findings. "Some of my best finds I get at antique fairs…I find piles of under-loved chains and strings of pearls, then the ideas start to pop in my head of how to put them all together differently." "I got more serious after a long project with my daughter, making beaded bookmarks for her entire class. They were so popular with the kids, that some of the parents started asking for them…and before I knew it, I was opening up a shop on Etsy, selling all kinds of things. Jewelry, key chains, bookmarks, beaded bottles – if you could stick a bead on it, I wanted to make it." Because she loves to do things that are new and different, she always has things that are one of a kind. Every now and then though she will make multiples of an item if someone has requested it for a wedding or something else but even then there are some variations. SmallShinyObjects makes an assortment of items from earrings and necklaces to key chains, bookmarks, and bead chained glass bowls. If you are looking for something unique and a great buy, stop on by SmallShinyObjects!
Hi! Since I'm doing spotlights, I thought I would do one on myself for the heck of it. Also, so that those who come here can know a little about me as well.
Recently I got more involved in blogs and in the etsy forums, and I thought it would be great to "spotlight" or in otherwise "feature" other etsians on my blog so they could get some notice and also so I could get some traffic to help them and me.
I started selling things on etsy not even a year ago, and it was incredibly slow at first. Now that I've put myself out there a little more its been picking up little bit by little bit. My mother had a closet FULL of fabric and it was almost taking over the house so I decided that I would make some quilts to get rid of it. Well, I made over 50 quilts and it barely made a dent in the pile! :) Also, to make some money I decided that I would I would sell them. I went to some craft fairs with a friend, and it was horrible! Hardly anything sold.
I also had a lot of beads and other things laying around the house that I didn't want to just have sit there so I made some jewelry which a lot of people like. I like to work with plain old beads and line, but I think I am going to start making friendship bracelets as well since I like them a lot. I will probably try to put beads on them as well. My shop is set up on the kitchen table and moved when I am not sewing. Everything else that I do, I work on wherever I feel like it.
Recently my father has been trying to branch out his own work with jewelry and other things to make some money, and he used to make seashell necklaces that he would paint really beautiful designs on when he was a kid. He had a few left over so he asked me to post them on my etsy so they would not mix with his other makings. His shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5759861
Right now I am a college student and this whole etsy thing has become a way to make some extra cash while I am taking a break from work while in school - which will end soon. I also am an artist in the sense that I draw as well. I LOVE to work with pencils, especially black and white and I have submitted some pieces and gotten some awards like the Congressional Art, and.. .I forgot the other one. But over the years I have also had some work displayed in the Fort Lauderdale museum of art which was really cool. ^_^
This black and white piece was actually something I won an award for. It was the Congressional Art Contest for High School Students. I have not drawn anything for a very long time, so I hope that that is something I can start to do, and it would be neat if I could also sell some pieces. I usually take pictures of my work then post it on deviantart.com --> http://iwakami.deviantart.com/ and even have little copies made so I can put them in a scrap book, but the pieces themselves are usually big and there is not much that I can do with them. I am a drawing, not a painter, so at least I just have a can filled with pencils instead of boxes with lots of smelly paints :)
Well, I think that is it for now. I will update later with another spotlight - but for someone else that is from etsy! I may start doing more drawing and painting spotlights as well. What do you all think?
Here are a few uses for vinegar that I thought were quite interesting or useful. Try them, I found most of them work!
1. Clean rust from tools, bolts, and spigots. Soak the item in undiluted vinegar overnight. 2. Itching: put vinegar on a bee or jellyfish sting - a spritz or a douceing. Also Mosquito and other bug bites with a cotton ball and vinegar. 3. Hiccups - swallow 1 Tablespoon full. 4. Rub hands with vinegar to get rid of fruit stains. 5. To get rid of lint add 1/2 cup of vinegar to rinse cycle. 6. Remove sweat stains from clothes by applying one part vinegar to four parts water then rinse. or putting through regular wash cycle. 7. Keep eggs from cracking when you boil them by adding 2 tablespoons of vinegar before it boils. 8. Unclog a drain: pour a handful of baking soda down a drain and add 1/2 cup vinegar. Rinse with hot water. 9. Clean the microwave - by boiling a solution of 1/4 cut vinegar and 1 cup water in the microwave. Will loosen splattered on food and deoterize. 10. Buttermilk - add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to a cup of milk and let stand for 5 minutes to thicken. 11. Soak a chicken bone for 3 days in a cup of vinegar and it will bend like rubber.
StonyCreek --> http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=9472 StonyCreek has been spinning wool for about 10 years now, and she taught herself to do it. Over time it accumulated and she decided to open an etsy shop to sell the wool so it wouldn't take over her house! Her knitting just isn't quite quick enough to keep up with her super speed spinning.
"I enjoy spinning a balanced two ply yarn the best, and rarely spin 'art yarn'. Besides my own shop, I also spin for Crown Mountain Farms' 'Sock Hop Yarn'."
"My hand spun yarns and spinning fibers are completely hand processed from the fleece of local sheep. My rovings are dyed in the wool and triple carded for ease of spinning. Colors are blended rather than painted on. My merino yarns are spun from hand painted commercial merino rovings. All the hand spun in my shop is two ply and balanced to insure a successful completed garment."
StonyCreek has been a seller on etsy for nearly Four years now. Her shop is filled with an assortment of beautiful colored yarns at a great price. She also makes hats, shawls, purses, and other items from time to time. Stop by her shop to find the perfect handmade yarn item for you.
STLvintage ---> http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6509355 STLvintage is great seller with many neat vintage objects. She is new to etsy and hopes that things pick up and that she will be able to turn this into a ful time business for her. She loves etsy and the direction her life has moved in and is hoping to have continued exposure to new people that share the same love of vintage that she does. She loves high end vintage from the 1940's and 1950's as well at antiques. So stop on by her shop and take a look. I am sure you will find something that you love!
LuLuMae --> http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7090197 "I really only started working with felt a couple months ago because my sewing machine broke and I needed something to keep my hands busy . . . I love working with felt because it is very forgiving and has a nice thick texture to it. In the past I spent a lot of time making jewelry for myself and for friends. Some of the newer items I've posted in my Etsy shop are necklaces. I think I'm making a natural transition back to my jewelry. I like to try new things and look for interesting creative projects to work on." "In addition to my felt pieces and jewelry I make all my own cards, which I haven't posted on Etsy. I also have done a lot of painting on canvas and silk. When I have the time and a working sewing machine I like to make things for around the house such as drapes, pillows, quilts." "I love Etsy because it inspires me to see other creative people. I am always really impressed with how artistic and wonderfully nice people are on Etsy; it's a supportive and creative extended family."
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Now, here are some random tips I thought were neat from FamilyCircle Magazine May2009! Berry Nice- "An aesthetician at Splash Spa in New York City told me the easiest skin treatment ever" says Senior Fashion Editor Christine Bibbo Herr, "Slice a fresh strawberry in half and rub the cut sides on your clean face. Wait a few minutes, then rinse. The berry is loaded with natural alpha-hydroxy acids that help clear up blemishes and slough off dead skin cells."
Handle With Care "When I'm doing my laundry I usually have only a few delicates. Instead of washing them seperately, I just stash them in an old pillowcase and add them to my regular load - Nancy Cleason, Port Arthur, TX"
Apricot-Honeydew Smoothie 1/2 cup honeydew melon, cubed 1/2 Cup strawberries, cleaned and sliced 1 1/2 C apricots, sliced 1 C low-fat vanilla yogurt 2 Tablespoons apple juice, frozen concentrate Whirl all ingredients in blender until smooth
MooreMagnets Your name/business name? April owner/creator of Moore Magnets
Where do you live? I live on 7 acres in central North Carolina surrounded by cattle and horse farms.
What products do you sell? Mainly I sell Magnet boards, but I am starting to branch out into office accessories, and I will soon be collaborating with a vinyl graphic artist for another look on my magnet boards.
Where can people see/buy your work? (include links so that people can find you) Currently my most stocked shop is at Etsy - but you can also find me at Artfire, my personal website, and various craft shows in North Carolina.
http://mooremagnets.etsy.com/
http://mooremagnets.artfire.com/
http://mooremagnets.com/
What do you do in your spare time, other than crafting? I would love to spend more time scuba diving. I am a certified stress and rescue diver and master diver, but having children has made that past time a little difficult. I love to garden, swim, visit with friends, and play with my 3 boys. I am also an avid pool (billiards) player.
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5920457
MooreMagnets' magnet boards come in various beautiful patterns, they are great for any environment and would be a great addition to your household. Go take a look! http://mooremagnets.etsy.com/
She also has another shop with supplies! --> http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6330389
8 Superfoods for Stress Relief Asparagus
This green veggie is high in folic acid, which can help stabilize your mood. "When you're stressed, your body releases hormones that affect your mood," says Geise. "Eating certain vitamins and minerals like folic acid and B vitamins can help keep your mood steady because they're needed to make serotonin, which is a chemical that directly affects mood in a positive way."
Recommended Serving Size: 7 spears, 1/2 inch thick, cooked, 25 calories
Beef Even though beef often gets a bad rap, it's a great dinner option for a stressed-out family. Beef contains high levels of zinc, iron, and B vitamins, which are also known to help stabilize your mood. "People think they should stay away from beef, but it's very nutrient rich, even compared to chicken," says Geise. Ask your grocery store butcher for a lean cut if you're concerned about fat content.
Recommended Serving Size: Scant 1 cup of raw lean ground chunk, 137 calories Scant 1 cup of regular ground beef, 310 calories
Milk Milk is high in antioxidants and vitamins B2 and B12, as well as protein and calcium. Have a bowl of whole-grain cereal and low-fat milk in the morning to start your day with a stress-fighting breakfast.
Recommended Serving Size: Whole cow's milk, scant 1/2 cup, 66 calories Two percent cow's milk, scant 1/2 cup, 46 calories
Cottage Cheese and Fruit Cottage cheese is high in protein and calcium. "Foods with high protein content that aren't loaded with sugar won't cause a spike in blood sugar and will keep you satiated for a longer time," says Geise. Try mixing the cottage cheese with a fruit that is high in vitamin C like oranges. Vitamin C plays a role in fighting stress because it's an antioxidant that fights the free radicals that get released when you're stressed. These free radicals have been shown to cause cancer.
Recommended Serving Size: Creamed cottage cheese, scant 1/2 cup, 79 calories One percent fat cottage cheese, scant 1/2 cup, 72 calories 1 orange, 60 calories
Almonds Are you ever looking for something you can really dig your teeth into when you're stressed? Try crunching on almonds to get some aggression out. A good source of Vitamin B2 and E, as well as magnesium and zinc, almonds are high in fat, but most of the fat is unsaturated. Like vitamin C, vitamin E has been shown to fight the free radicals associated with stress, and in particular, those free radicals that cause heart disease.
Recommended Serving Size: Shelled almonds, 1/3 cup, 306 calories
Blueberries Very rich in antioxidants, blueberries offer a high-fiber, low-calorie fruit option that is also rich in stress-fighting vitamin C. Try them with cottage cheese or as a snack on their own.
Recommended Serving Size: Blueberries, 2/3 cup, 30 calories
Tuna A great lunch option, tuna is high in stress-fighting vitamins B6 and B12. Tuna is also a good low-fat protein source. "Don't load tuna down with fat by using a lot of mayonnaise," cautions Geise. "Choose a light mayo instead."
Recommended Serving Size: Tuna canned in brine, 3.5 ounces drained, 99 calories Tuna canned in oil, 3.5 ounces, drained, 189 calories
Cornflakes or Crispy Rice Cereal Although they aren't low in sugar, cornflakes and crispy rice cereal are fortified with B vitamins and folic acid to help reduce stress. Have them for breakfast with milk. Geise also recommends having them dry as an afternoon snack.
Recommended Serving Size: Cornflakes, 1 cup, 108 calories Crispy rice cereal, 2 cups, 111 calories
Nowadays it is difficult to get more popular on networking and also selling sites - such as etsy and here on blogspot. As others have done already, I am going to give it a try: "spotlighting". I will feature a seller from etsy on this blog and show one of my favorite items from there shop and include a link so that everyone can go ahead and look into that shop. Everyone wins! ^_^
CristinaRTC Cristinartc's shop consists of felt and crotched items, of which I particularly like the felt items like this "Braun the kitty". Her items are cute, and would be great as a gift for pretty much any age. Deffidently a shop to look into. http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6019575
Also, I ran into some AMAZING tips for Easter Egg decoration on the Better Homes and Gardens website. Here is the link (just copy and paste into your browser): http://www.bhg.com/holidays/easter/eggs/quick-and-easy-easter-egg-decorations/ Here are some of my favorite eggs, and they tell you how to make them as well! I am deffidently going to give this a try!
