Whatever Wednesday

I'm featured and I'm doing a giveaway! Enter to win a 20 dollar gift certificate to my shop, just by leaving a comment.

See it all here: http://www.how-tostudio.com/2008/11/win-20-gift-certificate.html

Also, don't forget about my sale beginning on Friday! See yesterday's post or my shop announcement for details. :-)

I'm off to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday with my family, and I'll be back to blogging on Monday. Happy Thanksgiving!

Take-a-Look Tuesday and a SALE!

This week, I got a delivery of about 200 antique clock hands. They are gorgeous, and some of them are so detailed it's amazing.

My first thought for these clockhands was to make them into earrings. So that's what I did!

The ones that aren't suitable for earrings are being used to embellish my paper items, and I'll probably think of more uses on down the road.

Now, for the sale...
Mark my shop now because my sale is awesome.

Beginning Black Friday (11-28) and lasting though Cyber Monday (Dec. 1), I'm having a FILL-A-BOX SALE...

Fill a Prioroity Mail box with five items, and receive a special discount, plus it ships to you for free!

Fill it with five items from my paper section for $40.
Fill it with five rings for $50.
Fill it with five pairs of earrings for $70.
Fill it with five lockets for $90.

No matter what you choose to fill your box with, you're getting huge savings! Use the discount as many times as you'd like and make your mailbox overflow with loads of beautiful handmade goodies. Just make your purchases and mention "Fill a Box" and I will send you a revised invoice.

Mailbox Monday

My newest arrival was these lovely bookmarks from Hubgirl at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5161851

I got the initial one for my little bookworm, with the letter M of course. Although, she's into Goosebumps now (blah) and I totally think the bookmark would look better sticking out of a Little House on the Prarie book, don't you?

The elephant one is just way awesome and if I can manage to part with it, it will make a fantastic Christmas gift!

Be sure to visit Hubgirl's shop for more fantastic bookmarks, necklaces and more. :-)

Saturday Specials

On Etsy, there is a long-standing tradition of having a Saturday night sale. Sales are posted in this thread: http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5922174 There are LOADS of fantastic specials.

And my sale tonight is...

SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL - NOVEMBER 22
Buy two, get one free! Buy any two items and receive one of equal or lesser value FREE!
Please choose your items, then wait for a revised invoice before paying.

See my shop announcement... http://acrossthepond.etsy.com

Family Friday

And here we see the elusive juvenile Feral Human hunting his prey.
And communicating with a related species...

Three-Mini Thursday

Today we have...

Beautiful jewelry from PrettyInPeace:


Adorable dollies and other artwork from HoneyDew Studios:


Unique textile arts from littlebitofsunshine:


Stop by their shops and check them out! Be sure to let them know you saw them here. :-)

Whatever Wednesday

I'm excited to say that I'm venturing out of the online sales realm a little and doing a show!

I'll be at the NC Triangle Etsy team's "Handmade for the Holidays" show on December 14.

Here is the team blog:
http://nctriangle.blogspot.com/

If you're in the area and would like the specifics, please leave me a comment!

Take-a-Look Tuesday

Burgaw, NC ain't good for much, but let me tell you it is an antique lovers paradise! My parents live there and whenever I go to visit them, my mom and I spend a lot of time looking around antique shops and flea markets. They even have an auction house there and you wouldn't believe the stuff they have available. Old, pretty stuff. *drool*

About a month ago, we were out having a look around a little antique mall and I found a Ball jar filled with old buttons that I just had to have. I didn't know what I was going to do with them...I just knew I NEEDED them in a bad way.

Then it hit me. Rings! The shanks are perfect for wire wrapping, and the result is a pretty little piece of vintage you can wear on your finger.

Here are some available in my shop, and there are lots more to come. (Ebay is awesome for finding huge lots of buttons, and I predict I will soon have a button storage problem that rivals my current paper storage problem).

If you purchase a ring from my shop, mention seeing my blog and I'll ship it to you for free! Just wait for a revised invoice, or I can refund your shipping.

Mailbox Monday

Today's feature is something I got in my mailbox earlier in the summer...




I love all things British, including my dear husband, and London is my second home. So when I saw the lovely coin jewelry in La Petit Fleur's shop, I thought it would be a fantastic way to turn some of the coins I brought back from my trips to the UK into a beautiful wearable keepsake!



So, I sent my coins off to Cleveland, and what I got was a set of earrings and a pendant for both my daughter and I. They are GORGEOUS. I wear them all the time, and I have gotten bajillions of compliments on them!



See?







Visit La Petit Fleur here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5043650 She's got so much beautiful, well-made jewelry...she's a definite favorite of mine!

Family Friday

Guess who's walking!!! Well, all of us are now, actually. Including Evren! Yay!

Taykin started standing him about three feet away from the couch and putting a toy in each hand so he wouldn't immediately get in crawling position. He'd take a few steps and flop into the couch, and we'd all cheer annoyingly and excessively, which made him so happy, all he wanted to do was walk. A week later and he's toddling all over the place. And he still has to have a toy in each hand, lol.

We have video, but it hasn't been uploaded yet, so I'm posting pics instead of random cuteness...a playground trip a few weeks ago.

Three-Mini Thursday

It's Thursday! That means it's time for me to feature some awesome Etsy shops. Have a look and their fantastic handmade items.

Whatever Wednesday

Today, I give you easy and delicious cookies that you will love. My mom used to make these all the time when I was a kid.

All you need is:
Ritz crackers
Peanut butter
Candi-Quick or similar chocolate candy coating, melted according to package directions



1. Take two crackers and make a peanut butter sandwich with them.


2. Dip in chocolate.


3. Lay on wax paper or parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Once you've got a batch, stick them in the fridge for a few minutes to set.


4. Eat. With a giant glass of milk.

(Photo does not show typical serving size. Multiply by 10).

We used two rolls of crackers, a quarter jar of peanut butter, and a pound of cocolate and got about 35 or so cookies.

If you make these, let me know how you liked them!

Take-a-Look Tuesday

So, I'm definitely starting out on the right foot!

Take a look at these cute little nests I've been making! I'm in love with itsy bitsy little things that open up, and the little eggs in these nests do just that.

I've sold two of the blue ones and I have a blue one in my shop now. I have a brown one I still need to list, and I also sold the cream one that was on the front page of Etsy on 10/19 (yes, I'm still beaming!) What's that? You'd like to see that front page? Oh, ok.

I can't wait to make more of these! If you'd like one made a certain way, or if you'd like me to reserve you when the next time I list, just let me know!

This time, I mean it.

I WILL keep up with this blog.

STOP LAUGHING!

No, really, I will. I love the idea of supporting independent artists and craftspeople, and I am sure that, aside from buying all their stuff, blogging is the best way to turn heads in Etsy's direction.

Here is my idea:

I want to make this an Etsy blog with a little bit of my own personal stuff thrown in, and I think I found a routine to balance it out and keep me on track. I'm having...

Mailbox Mondays - This is where I will post about Etsy orders I have received myself. Since I'm not made of money, some Mondays may be about things I *wish* were in my mailbox.

Take-a-Look Tuesdays - On Tuesdays, I'll be asking you to take a look at what I've been working on in my shop. There will be a little extra thrown in there too...maybe a giveaway or a discount code...you'll have to take a look and see!

Whatever Wednesdays - My freebie day where I get to post about whatever I wanna post about. It may be more Etsy stuff, a book review, a recipe, and rambling post about my day (bet you can't wait for that), or a huge, obnoxious rant (I'm sooooo good at those).

Three Minis on Thursday - I'll be posting three minis from various Etsy shops!

Family Fridays - I get to post about my favorite subject...my family. *hearts and twinkle stars*

So there we have it! If you're an Etsy shop owner, or an independent artist that sells wares off Etsy, I would love to include you in some of my postings. Keep an eye out on my blog, email me, or post comments letting me know you'd like to be considered for a feature.