February 28, 2012

Product of the Week

The next few products have yet to make their debut on Etsy.com, but will be going live in the upcoming weeks. That means you, dear readers, get to see them first ~ that's right, exclusive viewing rights go to you gals and guys out there in blogging land!!

First up - Etsy debut - February 29, 2012 

Bubbling Brown Sugar Refining Scrub

and then, we have.....

CocoHoney Soothing Salve - Etsy Debut March 1, 2012

and finally, in today's previews...

Layer Soaps (part glycerin, part goats milk) - Etsy Debut March 2, 2012

January 13, 2012

Here's your only clue to today's Promotional Frenzy Team Leader Tribute - Mary Tyler Moore was a young, Exuberant, "girl-about-town". Always available to perk up your day, even when hers wasn't going so well, Mary was the epitome of young career women during the 70's. So now forty years later, we have our very own "It Girl", a fashion icon in the making, our very own Magda of MagdaMagdaFashion!

In her own words, "Being a self-taught designer from Romania, I enjoy and try to make the most of my uniquely novel experience in India where I live, love and create at the moment! I love the creative process, to sink deep and go far and get to a surprise destination can bring so much inner satisfaction - so that's my favorite game!
I inherited sewing genes from my grandmothers, so it was just a matter of time till I started sewing. One of my grandmothers taught me how to knit by the age of 4 and that’s also when i started to fervently fill notebooks with dress designs. In primary school I was filling my spare time with a bit of everything – fashion sketches, knitting with brushes (coz my mother used to hide the knitting needles from me – yes, I was the ultimate threat to useful thread, and yes I was that determined!). Also curtains were transformed into skirts, skirts into tops thanks to my voracious and obsessive talent:. I love that I dared work on bags and accessories also and added new flavor and glamor to projects that included recycled materials. It’s hard to pick a favorite out of my blouse designs, its a different experience that leads to each one of them and I’m always looking forward to my next one."

Here's some of the exciting items you can find in Magda's shop



Magda is our team's Information Station - need to know about something, need some pointers on how to get a task accomplished, not sure what that darn button does over there - Check with Magda! A seemingly tireless, plethora of information, she's always willing to lend a helping hand when she can, even when it's the middle of the night in her part of the world!

Here's to a wonderful woman. Don't forget to tell all your friends, "we knew her when...." Thanks, Magda for all you do for the team and your teammies!

January 10, 2012

Product of the Week

Week of January 8-14, 2012

Novelty Bling Decorative Soaps

Handmade honey butter decorative soaps. Perfect for shower gifts, wedding favors, teacher gifts - the possibilities are endless! Snowflake designed diamond and silver glitter "bling" accents are added to these creamy honey butter soaps. Add to a gift basket or stuff a stocking!
As shown these are Diamond Snow Blings. Each order comes with 2- 3.5oz soap bars in a sheer gift bag.

These soaps are not intended for children under the age of 4. 

January 6, 2012

Okay, so with that fabulous intro, let me tell you about today's Featured Artist. As promised, she is one of the Promotional Frenzy Team leaders. I have read so many wonderful things about this woman from other team members, customers, random Etsy artists. When I first joined the team and was let loose into the threads with reckless abandon, this calm spirit came to my rescue....or maybe it was to the team's rescue...hmmmm.....

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you ~

Sewing Granny

By her own hand, she has this to say about herself and her lovely Etsy shop....

"•*¨)¸.•*¨)... I am a correctional officer and a grandmother. I took up sewing a number of years ago when I started working nights. At first they were given as gifts, then all my family had quilts and it was getting very expensive, so I started selling a few to people at work.

.•*¨)¸.•*¨)... I really like to sew especially hand stitching. I now place some of my items at craft stores here on consignment but really like to sell my items personally.

.•*¨)¸.•*¨)... I make a number of different items - quilts, baby bibs & burp pads, aprons, placemats to name a few."

To name a few is quite an understatement, here are "just a few" items from Sewing's shop.....





To quote a customer, "her stitching is impeccable", "the pictures don't do her work justice", "timely shipping"...the list goes on and on. Stop by Sewing Granny.etsy.com and pick up a few things...you know you want to ^_^.

Have a great weekend! See you on Monday!

January 3, 2012

Product of the Week

I set up a challenge to myself this year and here is where you will hold me accountable to that challenge. It’s the “52 Weeks” Challenge. I will post an item here each week of 2012. I am challenging my “Frame Of Mind” partners to do the same.  Do you have any goals you’ve set for the New Year?

So here is Week One - January 1 - 7, 2012

Limited Edition Massage Candles

Slip into something a little more comfortable with these dual use massage candles. Once lit, these candles melt to a warm pool of massage oil. Simply blow out the flame, wait till melted pool is warm to the touch (approx 60 seconds) and massage into the skin. Move over Hot Stone Massage, these 3oz wonders are for when you want a hands-on application that moisturizes as it relaxes. 

Two heart shaped candles come with each order. Multi-packs are available via convo for order as well.

Scents available: Limited Edition Hot Cinnamon, Limited Edition Strawberry Vanilla, Limited Edition Roses and Raspberries. If you have another scent in mind, convo me with what you are requesting.

December 15, 2011

Social Media Thursday

 During the month of November, I participated in a campaign sponsored by American Express called “Small Business Saturday”. It occurred on the Saturday after Black Friday and before Cyber Monday. It was a push to draw the consumer to invest some of their holiday spending in small businesses. Part of the campaign included $100 (one hundred dollars) of Facebook Advertising. For FREE. I applied and my little ad was accepted and then, quite honestly, I forgot about that part of the push. I put up information on my Facebook fan page, business page and my personal page. Tweeted about Small Business Saturday and placed signage about it in my booth during the Christmas Wonderfest in Detroit.

I have had an increase in sales (slight, but still even one new sale is better than no sales, right?), but I still didn’t make any connections to AmEx and their campaign. Yesterday I received the following email (excerpted here) :

We are happy to report that with your $100 in free Facebook advertising, your campaign reached 134,036* potential customers. (*Reach is defined by the number of unique impressions delivered within your geo-targeted area.)

To keep the momentum going, American Express OPEN offers a variety of helpful resources on OPEN Forum^®, including social media tips and tools for businesses like yours. It is all part of our ongoing commitment to the success of small, locally owned businesses.

Wow!!! The ad ran on Facebook for approximately 15 days (I got in on the deal late) which meant I was able to spend more per day than I ever would be able to afford (almost $7 per day)on a regular basis. At the same time, Facebook offered a 50% match of AmEx’s $100.00, again FREE, so that meant I was virtually spending $10.00 per day in Facebook Ads- YOWZA! 

Of course, I am, indeed, a small business and so obviously could not keep those ads running. I cancelled my ads, but I have had an increase in my Facebook fans and more specifically, a request from an international company to possibly market one of my products!!! Double YOWZA!!

Check out the open forum and think about saving some of your advertising dollars for one or two times a year to invest in Facebook Ads. You never know how the results will pay out in the end!

See you tomorrow ^_^

November 21, 2011

Fun With Music and Video Monday

This week's video is a mini tutorial on miniature paper roses. I was looking for some cool ideas for my Valentine's Day gift boxes and came across this wonderful little idea. She makes it look all so easy. I can't wait to try them out. I'll be posting the trials next Monday for your critiques.

November 18, 2011

Friday is Talent Round-Up Day!

So let me introduce you to one of the men inside one of my favorite Etsy teams - the Promotional Frenzy Team. I first came across Martin while looking for balloon pictures for a treasury and I found this:

So I was pleasantly surprised when a few weeks later, I saw that Martin was a new member of the PFTeam.

Martin's shop is called GraphMagics. A cool shop full of acrylic and metal necklaces, brooches, pins and earrings in funky shapes, many of which evoke memories from my growing up years.

As a graphic design student Martin started experimenting design with different tools and materials. But he's not a limited artist. Not only does he play the guitar (music is one of his passions), he has been learning contact juggling and uses it to relax in his free time.

Hailing from the beautiful Buenos Aires, Martin has also been learning how to work with epoxy resin and polyester resin in many different ways. According to him, "This became more than a hobby, almost an obsession with shapes, colors, light, perfect roundness of my resin pieces. I dedicated a lot of time to it. I love spending all the afternoon paper-sanding and polishing pieces if they look perfect at night. Currently I am working on metal most of my time in my home studio."

Martin wants to share his creations and hopes people like it and get inspired by them. So I was inspired to put Martin to the ABC test. I asked him to choose several random letters from the alphabet and use them to describe himself (yes, a short version of the The ABCs of Me). Here's what he came up with (in random order):

M - Musician, J - Juggler, I - Independent, G - Graphic Designer, S - Skater,
G - Guitarrist, R - Resin Crafter, A - Artistic, D - Drummer, T - Twenty Three Years Old,
D - Dog Lover, S - Shower Singer, M - Metal Crafter

 He forgot one...F - Fantastic!!

Take a moment and drop by GraphMagics. I think you'll like (read LOVE) what you find there!

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Social Media Thursday

These awesome images are from my Pinterest "Breathless" board.

What makes you speechless...takes the breath from you simply because it's beautiful, fantastical, inspiring....What makes your mouth drop open and your eyes open wide, like you did when you were a small child seeing holiday lights for the first time.....What makes you reach out, unconsciously, and hold his/her hand, so that you know someone special is sharing a special moment with you....What makes you....Breathless?

Pinterest is a great place to indulge your ultimate wish list. Go shopping, find a new book, read a blog, try something new, find a recipe...whatever. It's all there waiting to be pinned!

November 15, 2011

Hello there and Hello Tuesday! The second day of a lovely week. I have two items that I'm posting today, both of which I found on other blogs that I follow. Since this is LL's Guide to Renewal - I guess I need to get back to the renewal part of the blog. First the ABC's of me - I thought this was a great way to get to know some things about someone. I saw this first on Edi Royer's blog, memoriesforlifescrapbooks.blogspot.com and decided to try it here.

 

The ABC’s of ME

A – aunt to 5 wonderful nephews, B – bargain hunter, C – choreographer,  

D – dancer/dance teacher, E – ex- tax preparer, F – forty something,  

G – God fearing, H – happy (much of the time), I – Internet addict, 

J –jelly beans (2^nd favorite candy), K – kids (four of them), L – Lostlemonade

M – multi-tasker, N – Nerd for life,  

O – Operations Manager (for art shows/festivals),

P – popcorn (favorite snack food), Q – quiet, R – rebellious,  

S – sister (second oldest),

T – tinkerer, U – upbeat, V – violet (favorite color), W – Wii Player,

X – xenodochial (isn’t that a cool word? Means hospitable)

Y – yellow roses (favorite color to receive), Z – zealous

This was so much fun to do. I am a list maker as well, so this was a task right up my alley. Try it and let me know how it goes (you can post your link in the comments).

The second thing I borrowed is from VictorianSwag.blogspot.com. She talks about personal progression and goal keeping. In this particular, she mentions a professor she had that required the students to daily chart their progress in each of five areas:

1. Spiritual - Examples: Reading Scriptures, Prayer, Meditation
2. Mental - Examples: Learning a new word, starting a new book, watching a documentary
3. Physical - Run a mile, Do 30 lunges, run the stadium steps, eat a healthy breakfast
4. Service - Call an old friend, find a way to get involved with community, volunteer
5. Other - Come up with something on your own, something you've been putting off

This was so simple and life changing to me, I have decided to adopt it into my own life (thanks, VS!). So last week, I added this plan to my Renewal process and here's what I've done so far this week.

• 1. Spiritual - Meditated 10 minutes each day, returned to Women's Bible Study classes on Thursday.
• 2. Mental - Read two new books, learned a new word (see X above)
• 3. Physical - Added work out portion to Monday night dance class, walked 7 total miles this week
• 4. Service - Involved in two fundraising activities with sons' schools (two schools)
• 5. Other - Staying away from my bad habit (I'll tell more about that at later date)

I've set up a little bulletin board on the wall (right behind my trusty laptop) and I've added my ABC's and my Personal Progression Goals Overview List to it. It's my Daily Motivation Board and it's simply fabric covered foam core board with some bricbrac edging, double sided foam taped to the wall so that I can "push pin" and "thumb tack" and "post-it" everything I need to follow my path towards renewal.

So far, so good! I ended my week with a positive affirmation of things about me, a refreshed zeal and a positive attitude about the week ahead! 

How do you "re-new"? Any ideas that you use to keep yourself going on those days you don't quite feel like doing anything?

November 14, 2011

So many things going on this week, I decided to try a new trick for my blogs. What's the trick you ask? Okay, hold your breath, it's an amazing thing........"Plan My Blogs"! I know right, calm down, settle down over there in the back. Never in a million would have seen that one coming, right?

For you regular bloggers, I'm sure this is no world trade secret, this planning, but for me - goodness knows, I'm usually typing frantically, trying to decide on a topic at about 4am, bleary eyed and stumbly fingered. But no more! Or at least I'm gonna try for "No more".

If I come up with a suitable plan, which I think I have, this will ultimately make blogging not only easier but much more fun for me and hopefully interesting for you.

I'm still working out the kinks of this (what kinks, you say? I hear you scoffing in the background) but I tried it last week and it was cool and I'm going to do it again for the next two weeks. It should be a habit in no time and smoothly transition into part of my weekly "run-around-like-a-chicken-with-two-heads-where-one-head- is-cut-off-and-one-leg-has-a-bum-foot" routine. You don't know that routine? Really? You must not be a semi stay at home, trying to be self employed, mother of four (ages 21-15-13-6), with no car and multiple obligations....no...no one....anyone? Alrighty then (big sigh)

from www.outersketcher.com

So my first blog for the week is this one - obviously - and you'll just have to check back for the rest. I know you're thinking - Yeah, cause she doesn't have a plan. Hah, I do to - I'm taking my cues from the Original Mickey Mouse Club plan -
Them                                                                                                    

• Mondays - Fun With Music                                                       (LL101) Fun with Music and Video

• Tuesdays - Guest Star Day                                                        (LL101) Getting To Know Who

• Wednesdays - Anything Can Happen Day                                 (LL101) Anything Can Happen

• Thursdays - Circus Day                                                             (LL101) Social Media Day (Pinterest, Kaboodle, etc) 

• Fridays - Talent Round-Up Day                                                (LL101) Formerly known as "Artist to Know"

So, now you that you tortured my plan from me, here is today's fab video -

Enjoy and see you tomorrow!

November 10, 2011

51 Stops on a Treasure Map – Can you find all 51 Treasure Icons?

1. Trinkets N Whatnots – www.galla15.etsy.com
Handmade Button, Crystal and Pearl Jewelry

2. Sewinggranny – www.etsy.com/shop/sewinggranny
Sewn items – baby, kitchen, home decor, holiday

3. CalliopeAZCreations – www.calliopeazcreations.etsy.com
Handmade Jewelry, Medicine Stones, Decorated Feathers

4. jQ jewelry designs – www.jQjewelrydesigns.etsy.com
Gemstone Jewelry that is Classic … with an Edge

5. KrystalsJewelry – www.krystalsjewelry.etsy.com
Intricate Handmade Jewelry of all styles for all tastes

6. Rooee – www.rooee.etsy.com
Quilts & quilted things, cloth dolls, fabric postcards

7. Painted Memories By Ros -  PaintedMemoriesByRos.etsy.com
Fine Art Note Cards and Prints

8. Peelirohini – Peelirohini.etsy.com
Colorful and Unique Sterling silver , Gold fill Jewelry with Genuine Gemstones and/or Polymer Clay

9.  Sunny Crystals -  www.etsy.com/shop/SunnyCrystals
Crystal Tumblestones, Natural Gemtone Jewellery & Decoupage Cards plus a bit of Vintage Jewellery

10. Symbolic Imports – www.SymbolicImports.etsy.com
Handmade Bath & Body – Lip balms, Sugar Scrubs, Handmade Soaps, Perfumes & more!

11. Beautifulswagstore – www.etsy.com/shop/beautifulswagstore
hair accessories, dog toys, baby gift sets, home decor, gift wrapping

12. Bijibijoux- www.etsy.com/shop/bijibijoux
Handmade jewelry/ beads/ supplies -

13. Newcreationz – www.etsy.com/shop/NewCreatioNZ
Fine art and photography craft

14. BountyOfBeads – www.etsy.com/shop/bountyofbeads
Handmade Bead Dangle Drop Charm Sets and Trinity Brass Findings
Jewelry Making Supplies

15. Fair Lady Boutique – www.etsy.com/shop/fairladyboutique
A Beading Boutique with vintage beads + components, Czech glass, gemstones, and custom made bead mixes

16. HollysFollyGlass – www.etsy.com/shop/HollysFollyGlass
Fine and fun Lampwork Glass Beads by artist Holly Dare.

17. Glitterbird Glass – www.etsy.com/shop/GlitterbirdGlass
Home decor and jewelry made from beautiful fused glass.

18. CrochetedbyCharlene – www.etsy.com/shop/CrochetedbyCharlene
Beautiful crocheted afghans, accessories, and much more.

19. Camillescloset- www.etsy.com/shop/Camillescloset
Handmade jewelery items.

20. Prittify – www.etsy.com/shop/Prittyfy
Handmade Jewelry, Modern, Altered Art, Steampunk

21. Crystalphotography – www.etsy.com/shop/crystalphotography
Fine Art Photography Prints and Greeting Cards

22. iaFlowerPower – www.etsy.com/shop/iaFlowerPower
Whimsical Crocheted and Knitted Baby Hats and more

23. Gabby’s Quilts – www.etsy.com/shop/GabbysQuilts
Handcrafted Quilts, Tablerunners, Wallhangings and Embroidered Gifts

24. CNJ Ceramics – www.etsy.com/shop/CNJCeramics
Contemporary Clay Jewelry and Home Decor

25. LostLemonade – www.etsy.com/shop/LostLemonade
Body Care Products made to cleanse, moisturize and soothe

26. RomanticThoughts – RomanticThoughts.etsy.com
Handcrafted Jewelry, PreMade Scrapbook Pages, Vintage Items and More

27. Ooh Leela! – isabelafelix.etsy.com
Handmade dish towels and trendy accessories

28. KatersAcres – katersacres.etsy.com
Polymer Clay Creations, Trinkets, & Treasures with a Whimsical Feel

29. Magda – magdamagdaFashion.etsy.com
custom clothing, accessories and supplies

30. Ugly Duckling Beads – www.etsy.com/shop/uglyducklingbeads
Handmade glass beads, digital collage sheets, tutorials, and jewelry

31. BellaTheBead – www.bellathebead.etsy.com
Handcrafted jewelry and supplies with vintage soul

32.IdeasBloom – www.ideasbloom.etsy.com
Handcrafted decorative wreaths

33. Greenhouse Glassworks – www.greenhouseglassworks.etsy.com
Fused Glass Jewelry, Stained Glass Home Decor, and Handmade Cards and Tags

34. Five Supplies – Five0101.etsy.com
All the supplies you need to create

35. TheMayFlower Fashions – themayflower.etsy.com
Fun & Stylish Fashion Designs for Women

36. Something Wyrd- www.SomethingWyrd.Etsy.com
Handcrafted jewelry and beaded charms

37. iluvmarin – iluvmarin.etsy.com
Greeting cards, scrapbooks, cupcake toppers, & festive banners

38. Lexilouflowers – www.etsy.com/shop/LexiLouFlowers?ref=si_shop
Hair Accessories, Feather headbands, and Hair ties

39. Mt Baldy Glassworks - www.mtbaldyglass.etsy.com
fused glass jewelry and home decore

40. LexiekinPrints – www.etsy.com/shop/LexiekinPrints
Personalized, customized and Printable Invitations, tags, cards and more!

41. Turtlexiii - www.turtlexiii.etsy.com
Sterling Silver Jewelry with Swarovski Crystals and Pearls, Gemstones & more.

42. IsabellesAttic- www.isabellesattic.etsy.com
aprons, accessories, baby items and more

43. AshlynDesign – www.ashlyndesign.etsy.com
Artisan handmade lampwork beads, metal charms, and finished jewelry

44. eveyinorbitshop – www.eveyinorbitshop.etsy.com
Mixed media art, original aceo and zines.

45. Suzie Tenzer – www.susietenzer.etsy.com
Original fine art paintings and prints

46. LindaB – www.lindab142.etsy.com
Artisan crafted beaded and wire wrapped jewelry, Jewish jewelry and accessories, wire beaded kippot

47. DellCoveSpices – dellcovespices.etsy.com
hand mixed spices, magnetic spice kits, cocktail sugars & margarita salts, organic popcorn, popcorn toppings & other treats

48. OverTheMoonGifts – overthemoongifts.etsy.com
personalized gifts, accessories, and home decor

49. craftycreations81 – www.etsy.com/shop/craftycreations81
Peacock feather items, wedding items and items for newborns/children

50. nan gates designs – www.nangatesdesigns.etsy.com
Fabric handbags, totes and accessories

51. ProdigyCrafts – www.prodigycrafts.etsy.com
Crocheted Clothing, Accessories and Gifts

November 9, 2011

Treasure Hunting!

 

In the spirit of "All Things Treasure Hunting", here is a little something to get you in the mood!

10 of the Best Treasure Hunt Movies!

Reprinted from  ScreenJunkies.com Saturday, March 26 by Andrew Jett

Treasure hunt movies prove that there’s nothing better than a good adventure. Full of action, intrigue and danger at every turn, treasure hunt movies feature a climactic objective no other film genre can match.

TrinketNWhatnots

1. “National Treasure.” Nicholas Cage became a bona fide action star with this treasure hunt movie. Cage plays a historian with a knack for solving puzzles. When he begins to unravel clues to a secret treasure dating back to the Revolutionary War, Cage has to steal the Declaration of Independence and use it as a map during his hunt.

EveyInOrbit

2. “The Goonies.” If you can manage to suspend disbelief, this treasure hunt movie is full of campy, improbable fun. Sean Astin leads an ensemble cast of young misfits whose parents are in danger of losing their homes to foreclosure. Astin just happens to find an old pirate treasure map in his attic, and soon the cast is surrounded by booby traps on their subterranean hunt for the gold.  

SymbolicImports

3. “Sahara.” This treasure hunt movie stars Matthew McConaughey and Steve Zahn as treasure hunters in search of a Confederate boat stuffed with gold coins. Their quest eventually leads them to Africa, where they tangle with a power-hungry businessman.

CalliopeAZCreations

4. “Romancing the Stone.” Michael Douglas was at his best in this treasure hunt movie. This film tells the story of a mysterious map that reveals the location of a priceless emerald in the jungles of Columbia. Danny DeVito also provides a hilarious performance as the bumbling antagonist to Douglas’ rugged hero.

CNJ Ceramics

5. “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” Likely the most beloved of all treasure hunt movies, this film introduced the world t Indiana Jones. Harrison Ford stars as the iconic hero in this first installment of the franchise, and there’s no shortage of action here. Ford spends the movie evading Nazis as he hunts for the ultimate treasure: the Ark of the Covenant.

jQjewelryDesigns

6. “Three Kings.” In this strange and unique version of a treasure hunt movie, George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg and Ice Cube star as soldiers during the Gulf War. This film follows the trio as they hunt for hidden bunkers that are rumored to contain stolen gold bullion.

SusieTenzer

7. “Trespass." Bill Paxton stars as a fireman who gets tangled up with a street gang in this treasure hunt movie. While searching for a secret cache of treasure in an abandoned building, Paxton witnesses a gang murder by kingpin Ice-T. With his cover blown, Paxton must hunt for the gold as Ice-T and his gang chase him throughout the building.

BijiBijoux

8. “Jewel of the Nile.” As the sequel to the successful film “Romancing the Stone,” this treasure hunt movie already had a winning formula. Former adversaries Michael Douglas and Danny DeVito team up to find a valuable jewel in the African desert, dodging shady characters and spine-tingling danger throughout their hunt.

TurtleXIII

9. “The Deep.” Once you get past the jaw-dropping opening scenes courtesy of Jacqueline Bisset, this film is one of the more interesting treasure hunt movies you’ll find. Nick Nolte stars alongside Bisset as a novice treasure hunter who stumbles upon an old Spanish medallion. Their hunt for the medallion’s origin leads them to a shipwreck off the coast of Bermuda, where they acquire the attention of a dangerous local drug kingpin.

DellcoveSpices

10. “City Slickers II: The Legend Of Curly’s Gold.” Probably the least appreciated of all treasure hunt movies, this sequel took a different direction than the original. Billy Crystal stars as a middle-aged father out for one more adventure. He finds it in the form of a treasure map hidden inside a cowboy hat. With his friends in tow, Crystal embarks on an epic hunt for gold in the desert o the American Southwest.