Creature of Craft

Image courtesy Saquan Stimpson

With more business and a couple of craft shows looming on the horizon, I’m taking the leap into one of the oft-overlooked parts of selling your wares — how to package them. (more…)

If there is one thing I’ve noticed after spending some time on Sayo’s blog, “Working Title,” it’s that she’s a woman after my own heart. (more…)

I came across CREATEaTHOUGHT’s blog through the EtsyBloggers group, and her fun line of rings, created from buttons, beads and components.

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First came Mother’s Day, then came Father’s Day — really! Father’s Day was initially scoffed at as a humorous afterthought to Mother’s Day, but why should Mom get all the credit? My dad’s a cool dude — he’s a tinkerer, a pen-and-ink artist, a great cook, and a hard worker. He deserves just as much accolade as my mom in teaching my siblings and me how to be good kids — good people. But enough of my stories — I want to hear yours! What makes your dad especially awesome?

Lately, I’ve been in the planning stages for summer, and I’m trying this new thing where I don’t try to create my entire inventory last minute =) My new essential accessory is the crochet hook; any time I’m on the T, I’ve got my crocheting with me, zipping up bracelets at warp speed! (Ok, maybe not warp speed, but it’s a good thought.) And so, the theme of my summer shop is bracelets — LOTS of them — in great summer colors:

[Images courtesy Fire Mountain Gems and Shipwreck Beads]

I’m currently planning for a couple of shows, one in June and one in the fall, so I need to build my inventory quite a bit, not just for my shop, but also for my table — this is an exciting time for sure!

This week’s artist feature is Robyn of Shibang Designs. Please click through for the full interview!

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This week’s Etsy feature is all about sweet, bright candy colors:

Tammy Antoinette of paintedmetal had her saffron earrings featured in my Mother’s Day feature last Wednesday, and to my surprise, I found her on the front page this morning:

Congratulations Tammy! Looking again now, it seems they have sold. Ah, the power of the front page.

The voting has begun on the Etsy BeadWeavers’ Red Carpet Challenge, and this time, I’m in it! I’m #20, “Gladiator”, and you can view the listing on Etsy (with additional photos and info) here. Please take the time to look at the entries; the challenge pieces all came out beautifully, and I’m proud to be in such glamorous company! Here’s a shot of my necklace (I was a happy model for this one!)

Voting ends on May 15th, so take a trip over to the Etsy BeadWeavers site and vote today!

Let’s face it: my mom is a superhero. She raised four children and made it look effortless somehow. While I can’t always understand how she did it (and still does), I can try to appreciate all that she’s done for me, and show her how much I love her. While I’m a firm believer in expressing your appreciation EVERY day (you heard me, Hallmark holidays), I found some things this week that would make great gifts for Mom — regardless of when you give them to her!