The Ocean Calls....

Ahhh.....I can't wait to be sitting right here:

I'll be posting two new Candle Embellishments and a new large frame (using that cool belt buckle I posted about awhile back) in my Etsy shop over the next couple days. Then I'll be taking a little break to enjoy some fun in the sun. I'm sure I'll have some beach-inspired crafts soon!

TGIF, Let's Have a Parade!

Come join me in the Polka Dot Parade!

On the Dot Creations is a darling website that celebrates all things Polka Dot, and who doesn't love Polka Dots? Come see all the featured Etsy sellers in the Polka Dot Parade! Here's my personalized frame and memo board that have been featured:

Tins on the loose...

Rainy days make for very productive crafting! I haven't posted in several days due to being busy working around the house and running errands and, well, frankly there's just not much exciting going on! I did, however, make some time in between picking weeds & washing clothes to work on some more tins. Here's a peek at the designs I've come up with so far:

I'll be posting the first two in my Etsy shop, but the other two have already been given away to friends & family. Luckily, I just received a new shipment of tins yesterday, so I'll be able to make more and more!

My mom and I just developed a new soap for her company, along with the help of a fellow Etsy seller, Whimseygraphicdesign. I'll be showing it to some of our local accounts, so I can't wait to see what they think. We think it will be a best seller, because it combines two of the hottest sellers around our town right now. I'll post pics of it as soon as I take some, stay tuned!

In Honor of Spring...

I found this pic from last spring, these are the two most beautiful flowers in my garden:

The girlies are so glad the warm weather is back, I'm sure I'll have many more photo ops soon as they love to bask in the sunshine side by side in the backyard. Have a great weekend!

Happy Spring!

The first day of spring has arrived, finally! Spring is my favorite season (besides football season of course!) because my garden is coming back to life and the temperatures are perfect! I'll be taking a break from crafting this weekend to spend some time in my yard and try to get my business a little more organized. I did finish another Candle Embellishment today and I'm about to post it in my Etsy shop.

I'm really thinking about trying to sell some of my creations at a local craft show that is held once a month. Has anyone done this or have any tips for me? If I decide to do it, I'll have to get busy making more samples to fill my booth! The prospect of being out a lot of money (booth rental, supply cost, etc.) is a little daunting, but I suppose it will be worth it if I'm able to get some regular business....

Welcome, welcome

I've received some positive feedback on my Candle Embellishments, thank you all so much! I will be posting more designs soon.

Here's the newest item in my Etsy shop:

I think these would be so precious on the door of a cutesy boutique or store, how cute would it be to have one below with the store hours? I went to a local Jr. League market today and didn't see anything like this, so hopefully I can sell some to some local stores soon. My mom has already requested two for her doors!

I've got two colors available right now, but I went to Michael's today and got some really cute spring ribbons, so I'll be making some in different colors soon. These are really fun to make, because each one is different, and there are so many color and font combinations!

Drumroll please......

Well, after a 24 hour tease, I have completed a prototype of my newest craft. Introducing.........the Candle Embellishment:

I was inspired by a fancier version of these "candle corsets" as they were called at a department store. Now mind you, the department store versions retailed from $100-$175!! I'm sure they must have been made of Italian leather, diamonds and 24kt. gold or something, but mine are just made with an old belt, wood cutouts, glitter and Swarovski crystals. (Obviously the belt in these photos is different than the one I pictured in my teaser post yesterday).

Once again, the possibilities are endless with this! I'm working on a brown and gold cross version now which will be complete after one more quick trip to Michael's! I just posted this on Etsy and hope it sells! So go get those old belts you've been meaning to get rid of and start "embellishing" your candles!

Working on a new craft...

I've been inspired again! Actually, I was inspired to make this new craft quite awhile ago, but I'm just now getting around to starting it. I'm making something totally new & different from my frames & plaques. I'm not quite finished yet, but here's a look at some of my materials before I got started:

And, no, it's not going to be a belt buckle. Confused? Here's another hint:

Stay tuned to see what develops!! Oh, and it will definitely be in my Etsy shop!

Etsy Treasury: Breakfast of Champions

I was able to make an Etsy Treasury this morning! Guess I was just in the right place at the right time when a spot opened up. For those of you not familiar with Etsy or the Treasuries here's a little bit about it from Etsy:

"The Treasury is a member-curated gallery of short-lived lists of 12 hand-picked items each (plus four alternates). It functions as a high-demand (and pretty!) promotional tool that many devoted Etsians fight to get. Members can feature their favorite items, items selected on a theme, or just however they like. The Treasury is not intended for self-promotion, but instead to acknowledge and share the many cool things for sale on Etsy. Admin often choose an exceptional Treasury list to promote on the home page and occasionally make them to tie into Storque articles or special events and occasions."

I was inspired by this bacon keyring from MajestyInc's store that I saw last night while in a chat room:

Now, bacon just happens to be my hubbie's favorite food group, so I was inspired to find a whole collection of bacon/breakfast-themed items on Etsy, and here's what I came up with:

My TREASURY

Please check it out, give it clicks & leave comments!

Birthday goodies from a fellow crafter

I got a couple handmade gifts yesterday from my Mother-In-Law and just had to share. She is so talented....she can sew anything and crochets too! And she loves to use her embroidery machine to personalize everything from purses to baby bloomers. Here's a pic of the cute satin sachet she made, it's filled with lavender and smells heavenly!

She also crocheted these washcloths for me in my two favorite colors, purple and gold! She says these are great to use in the kitchen. I know a lot of fellow Etsy sellers make these as well. I can't wait to try them out!

And if that's not enough, she just made about 5 clothing items for my best friend's little girls. The woman is unstoppable I tell you! Here are a couple pics, I wish I had some better ones.

Here is one of my favorite items she makes, it's a skirt that she hand-embroiders with beautiful brightly colored flowers:

It's for sale in my other etsy shop, http://christyj001.etsy.com. I think she has her own Etsy shop, but I have to find out the name for her. She should inspire us all!

Custom orders are fun!

I had the chance to do a custom order for someone on Etsy and I really love the way it turned out. She is going to put the baby's birth info. on the second tin and hang this on the hospital door and then in the baby's room. I had a lot of fun playing with the beads and bow and coordinating it to her decor. Thanks to my pal Jessica for being my "extra set of eyes" on this one. The possibilities are endless for these custom tins. They're not just for baby's rooms, there for kids of all ages! I think I'll work on a more grown-up version in more neutral colors to use as a "Welcome" sign.

The details on this really make it special!

Switching gears....

I've just about used up all my creativity making cute frames like these:

So I've decided to switch gears and work on a new personalized tin. Here's how the antique ceiling tiles start out before:

And here's what the finished product looks like after:


I added the little rhinestones at the last minute and really think it adds the perfect finishing touch. The possibilities are endless with this one! Hang it in your little girl's room, on your front door, in the kitchen.....I can personalize it and coordinate it to any decor! I just added it to my Etsy shop so come take a look!

Pug Love

Just a break from all the craftiness....here's a little pug love!

Estate Sale score!

I came upon this "gem" at an Estate Sale on Friday:

It's actually quite large because it was a belt buckle on a lovely aqua polyester dress circa 1960. I think I will use it for my first 8x10 frame.....

Stay tuned for new items in my Etsy store next week. I'm working on my first custom order and some new personalized antique tins.

Happy crafting!

New Creations!

As promised, my inspirations have turned into new items just posted in my Etsy shop. I think these frames are so fun for spring, the flowers really pop and look so cute on the bows. And the fleur de lis and vintage earrings really lend a more sophisticated feel to the larger frames.

Of course, I've still got some more pieces waiting to use to embellish more frames, but I've really got to sell a few before I invest anymore time and money into them! Below is a sample of what you'll find in my Etsy shop.