Aevan Arts

Zooey's Nursery

2011-06-21T21:41:00.000-07:00

I love how this turned out! My mom made the curtains and bedskirt, the butterflies and pictures above her crib are from Etsy, and everything else is either gifted or repurposed!

Getting the most out of a small space

2011-02-09T14:20:00.000-08:00

This apartment is absolutely amazing at maximizing the use of space! Can you believe an entire family with 3 kids and a tenant used to live in this space??

http://www.flixxy.com/apartment-transformation-diagram.htm

inspiration!

2011-02-03T13:21:00.000-08:00

I'm loving this bedroom - I think I might copy it for our new home - from http://www.livecreatingyourself.com/2011/02/high-gloss-magazine-launches.html

what a gorgeous place!

2010-07-28T11:43:00.001-07:00

and a stunning view! can't get much better

http://realestate.msn.com/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=24598991

Shop updated

2010-06-07T15:13:00.000-07:00

I got all of my remaining pieces back from the Galleria and I've got about 17 more pieces to put up, but here's a few of the new ones!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/aevan

New pieces

2010-04-26T15:41:00.001-07:00

Please excuse the photography...Shows me I need to photograph on a light background for sure!

finished!

2010-04-01T11:42:00.000-07:00

not entirely perfect, but comfy and pretty nonetheless! Please excuse the curtains in the bedroom, I'm waiting for our carpool gift cards to get a second matching one...

Cost breakdown - 6 dollars for the wood, 20 for the hardware (including staples and a new staple gun), 20 for the batting, and 2 for the pillows I put in for extra padding. Fabric was free, leftover from an old design job and it's a gorgeous, thick, upholstery fabric, by Maharam, in peacock.

WIP

2010-03-29T18:08:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun with power tools this weekend! I would have completed it this weekend, but apparently I purchased the wrong size staples for my stapler :(

I will update with more pics once I've finished!

beadniks

2010-03-25T14:35:00.000-07:00

I went bead/chain shopping last night for new materials and I checked out Beadniks. It's a gorgeous little shop in Santa Monica, with tons of pretty pretty things! I splurged a bit - here's what I got (and thanks for all the help Shannon!)

I made this necklace for myself, these stones were just too gorgeous, but I've got enough left over to make a few pieces for the store.

I can't wait to use that silver hill tribe starfish charm - I've been coveting those on Etsy for almost a year now.

these soda/beer cap beads were so cool - I didn't buy any but they are really neat!

Here's an overview of what I got - some gorgeous wooden beads, some faux bone, a bunch of really stunning turquoise, leather cording, the starfish, a bunch of chain (I left some of it at home) and those gorgeous chunky stones I made my necklace out of (I can't remember what they're called!)

I'm a little bummed because I had purchased some really neat charms from sweetrockcandybeads and I somehow lost them - I am praying they didn't get thrown in the garbage accidentally. Wish me luck in finding them!

2010-03-15T16:09:00.000-07:00

Having fun with photoshop filters and some gorgeous halfdome photos! My friend Krista's friend took these :) - aren't they gorgeous?

paint giveaway

2010-03-03T11:46:00.000-08:00

Since I love to change the paint so much - I love any opportunity for free paint! helps save me a ton of money...check out this great giveaway for a chance to win a ton of free paint! Olympic paint is great too because it has low VOCs - not so stinky!

http://high-heelfootinthedoor.blogspot.com/2010/03/give-away-olympic-paint.html

loving this photo

2010-02-17T13:36:00.000-08:00

drool

2010-01-13T10:47:00.000-08:00

I am totally drooling over this gooooorgeous Suzani chair at Anthropologie right now, I bet this could be easily redone for about 1/4 of the price if you found the right materials- but here's some eye candy!

Store pics!

2009-11-13T11:03:00.000-08:00

Last night was the opening of the "Local Collection" store. It was so exciting to be part of this new experiment - I can't wait to see how it goes! There were lots of really interesting pieces and a big mix of stuff, and my husband bought a shirt from a really nice guy - so glad to be supporting other local artists!I had to take most everything out of my etsy shop since I didn't have enough pieces for both - but I've got a plan for some new pieces when I get some more income :)

My pieces are on the left here:

Aevan Arts being sold in a new shop!

2009-11-02T17:00:00.000-08:00

I've got a great opportunity and will be selling my pieces in the Glendale Galleria at a new shop called Local Collection - we're opening next week and I'm really excited!
Now I just have to figure out pricing - I've been making new pieces to fill out my collection, so hopefully it won't be too bare.

Some of the old stuff, and some new stuff, I'm hopeful it'll help to have real tangible items for people and browsers will get more stuff sold.

2009-08-17T16:42:00.000-07:00

we've just painted one of the rooms in our house a dark navy blue - and to be honest, I'm not entirely sure why I went so dark. I think I was hoping for something really dramatic, but now I'm having a little bit of a crisis with lightening it up, so here's a few accessories I thought might help.

the wall colour (roughly, I couldn't find the exact one)

Since it will eventually be a nursery - a gorgeous convertible crib and glider (it's hard to find nice gliders!!!)

All items are linked...I'm loving this room - too bad I can't afford it!

2009-07-23T18:13:00.000-07:00

houseofturquoise.com is one of my favourite design websites for inspiration, and lately, it's been giving me incredible ideas for my bedroom space!!

This room is absolutely stunning - I want to recreate this as closely as possible - and I think I can do it on a budget! Click on the image for a link to the post. Gorgeous!

2009-07-22T15:11:00.000-07:00

i made a new shirt design for collarfree.com or threadless.com today - what do you think?

http://threadless.com/?from=Aevan

I found it!

2009-07-17T15:16:00.000-07:00

This site completely epitomizes my dream style - I love the colours, the shapes, the comfiness, gorgeous. Everything is perfect except...the prices :( $150 bucks for a basket is pretty outrageous. But it's still good for ideas!

floating tent!

2009-07-15T17:53:00.001-07:00

This bed/tent/swing is like a combination of so many things I love - I would love to have one of these in a gorgeous backyard overseeing a great view...I'd sit in it all day, every day. Isn't this the neatest thing you've ever seen? On another note, we got a new bed last week, and I tell ya, king-size makes ALL the difference! We no longer run over each other.

Image is linked to the site

dream pieces

2009-07-06T14:49:00.000-07:00

I was looking at green decor today - just out of curiosity, since my accident, we can no longer afford any new pieces for awhile - but I came across this gorgeous danish modern one-of-a-kind green furniture site

http://www.lotusbleudesign.com/
I love the punchy fabrics and the clean design, plus, as an added bonus, they're green because they're rehabbed vintage pieces!

for real this time - I hope!

2009-06-22T16:20:00.000-07:00

I picked out what I hope are the final paint pictures - now that we've got the windows and bathroom nearly done. All colours are from Lowe's except Lime Light and Contemplation (they're Behr, but we did colour matching since we have more Lowe's coupons) I wanted to go a little bold in the bathroom so there's a pop of colour! Here are the house pics - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=213239&id=500590071&l=1c26eab328

Kitchen – Lime Light – light minty green
Bar – Martha Stewart Bleached Driftwood MS178 - greige
Master Bedroom – Valspar Ultra Premium La Fonda Mirage 5003-5B – blue/grey
Office – Contemplation – grey/green
Dining Room – Martha Stewart Ledger MS314 – light green
Hallway/Laundry – Seaside Retreat Sea Salt SR103 - beige
¾ Bath – Seaside Retreat Sanibel Gray SR110 – blue grey
Living Room - Seaside Retreat Nautilus SR104 – light greige
Full bath – Earth Elements Blaze EE2080C – red/pink

Ceilings –
Kitchen – White
Bar – White
Master Bedroom – Seaside Retreat Idyllic SR111 – grey/white
Office – Seaside Retreat Idyllic SR111 – grey/white
Dining Room – White
Hallway/Laundry – White
¾ Bath – White
Living Room – White
Full bath – White

Edit: I just noticed the paint I picked kind of matches my journal background! I guess it's pretty obvious what my style sense is...

to do

2009-06-11T17:00:00.000-07:00

New pics of the house - sorry they're tiny, they're from the appraisal report - I haven't fully unpacked yet, as you can see!

-repair tile in large bathroom
-save for master bath
-paint
-add closet fixtures
-add light in closet
-replace light fixtures
-replace doors on two bedrooms
-replace doorknobs throughout
-replace exterior door in back
-replace windows
-refinish front door
-tear out old garden and replace (see my garden pics at http://www.kaboodle.com/aevan/garden.html)
-fix/replace 3/4 bath
-get dishwasher basket
-window treatments
-get a new bed for master
-new rug for dining room

I think that's all...they're in no particular order, but we're already on point for the windows and painting and we've already got the painters and closet guy lined up for after that! bye bye money...

paint

2009-05-18T18:21:00.000-07:00

I went to the paint store today to pick up samples for the office and master bedroom - I found this gorgeous room I'd ripped out of BHG years ago that had a grey/green/blue colour on the walls that we both agreed we loved. Here's my attempts at matching, which is your favourite? (the bright citrusy green may be for the nursery)

House update!

2009-05-12T12:56:00.000-07:00

We've started the work on the house! The new pics are on my facebook page and here's some of the big changes! http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=213239&id=500590071&l=1c26eab328

Old pics are first, new second.

slideshow!

2009-04-17T12:42:00.001-07:00

Decor/Furniture by aevan

Colour palettes

2009-04-08T18:16:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to think up colour palettes for the new house - here's what I'm currently think
using these basic colours around the house and changing up the accents for each room - of course chocolate, beige/tan, black and cream will be neutrals. All paints are from Behr - I love their colour tools! Can you tell I like beachy shades?

decor

2009-04-01T12:01:00.001-07:00

Even though we won't have any money left for decor after the renovations, that doesn't stop me from coveting...
just a few ideas

2009-03-31T15:03:00.000-07:00

we had a busy weekend picking out stuff for the house!
So far we've picked cabinets (either a gorgeous chocolate or a comfy creamy white depending on the floor colour)
countertop - an italian granite with a beige base, and accents of gold, chocolate and seafoam
backsplash - I couldn't find the exact tile, but this is similar!

Here's our sink - I'm excited because it's a composite sink so it won't scratch or stain supposedly, and a single bowl. I never understood the whole two bowl thing -

carpet - just a beige berber - very simple and easy to clean
vanity for the bathroom - I have yet to order it, but this is it!

tile for the bathroom floor - we didn't go with anything fancy here, since we want to add on a master bath later, I'll get my dream tile in there. Just some simple, nice 89 cent tile (SO inexpensive!)
Later I think we'll tear down the tile in the bigger bathroom and put up one of these two in the shower, but for now a shower curtain will cover the old icky tile -

soon I get to pick out paint colours! I think those'll wait till we're closer to moving in though.

drawings

2009-03-02T15:32:00.000-08:00

I've been working on my drawing and testing out filters with my drawings to see what I can do. Some of these are terrible - I didn't put enough time into the drawing itself, but it's fun to play with!

2009-03-02T10:47:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry I haven't updated at all in months! We've been so busy between trying to close escrow (still waiting!) and picking out renovation stuff to planning the wedding that I don't even know where my brain is! Please bear with me - in a month or two we should have tons of pics of both the wedding and the house!

more wedding decorations

2009-02-10T17:07:00.000-08:00

after searching for garlands for the arch, I found a few more pretty ones on QVC that I love - I can't decide which I want!! and these gorgeous silvery candle holders will look so pretty on the tables too

IKEA finds

2009-02-10T11:32:00.000-08:00

sometimes IKEA has the best stuff!
I was taking a peek at their art and noticed they're having a great sale on sheets this weekend.
Plus, they have a very cool picture frame in the swirly style I like

and garlands I might use for the wedding arch!

Should I go with blue or silver?

we got a contractor!

2009-02-02T10:57:00.001-08:00

We got a contractor lined up - now we're just waiting on close of escrow! Here are my design ideas so far... Please excuse the layout, I couldn't get them to line up properly and eventually gave up.

Here's the layout we're going for.

And here are some design ideas I love. There's a gorgeous picture of a cinnamon/orange living room that I totally want but I can't find it!!:

Before pics

2009-02-02T10:47:00.000-08:00

here are the before pics

2009-01-23T15:59:00.000-08:00

We're getting in bids for the renovation currently, and blessedly, it looks like we'll be able to get everything in for what we can afford (*knocking on wood and crossing our fingers*) and hopefully get finished right before the wedding. Should everything go through properly, I'll post before, during and after pics, as well as pics after we move in and I keep decorating - it's going to have to be piece by piece since we'll be broker than broke afterwards!

2009-01-14T11:21:00.000-08:00

more new pieces! I love these pieces, they're so fun!

I have a few more items to upload this week, some of which are truly lovely. I just have to think of names!

New items

2009-01-13T11:21:00.000-08:00

Some new, and some older - I finally got a chance to post a few yesterday. More will go up today if I have time. Please excuse the blurriness (man, that's a weird word to spell!) Images are linked to the shop.

2009-01-12T10:58:00.001-08:00

we went by Z Gallerie this weekend because I just love the design of that place, it's so stylish but still cozy and I got to looking at their art because I've been wanting to replace some of the pieces in our place for a little while now since I've had the same stuff up for years. Then I decided that, hey, wouldn't you rather have a unique piece that directly supports the artists who made it?

So here are a few of my favourite abstract pieces (and one gorgeous portrait) that I'd love for our new house:

These first three are by Asheville Abstracts, and they are just sooooo dreamy. I love them!!!

Next up, Jose Lampreia's 'A New Story' - this is stunning, I would LOVE to own this piece, and will hopefully be able to purchase it after the house reno is done. His photography is fantastic too.

Then, Samy Paden, whose work I've featured before. I love the colours of this, it'd look lovely in our office.

This is a gorgeous, non canvas piece! I love unusual items in art. Aisyah Ang does some lovely work with found objects.

And last, but certainly not least, this stunning portrait by tushtush! I adoooore this piece, it's just so beautiful. I can't believe this is pastels....

Also, here's the updated full house layout with some furniture!

we got the hooooooouse!

2009-01-05T11:12:00.000-08:00

we got it!!! I made a layout for the updated master bed/bath/office and I've been researching cabinets for the new kitchen. I really like white with white or black countertops and black with white or black countertops...both very simple and very pretty. The only hard part is fitting everything into the budget. We need to reconfigure the walls for the bathroom, master, office, closet, and old bath is being turned into a laundry room, and the kitchen is getting expanded. Plus we need new carpets, new paint, updated electrical (possibly), a new stove and tub and sinks >.<

it's a little overwhelming and scary, but really exciting too!

busy!

2008-12-19T16:30:00.000-08:00

Happy early holidays folks! I'll be out come tomorrow. I've had a huge week for sales! I sold two pieces of jewelry to a coworker and three (YES 3!!) logo designs! It's been great :D

What a great way to end the year, especially with my birthday coming up soon. I hope everyone has a happy holiday and when I see you next, I'll be older, hopefully calmer....and maybe house-richier?

scared!

2008-12-17T17:54:00.001-08:00

someone else put a bid in on the house we bid on :( I hope we don't lose it! Wish us luck please!

billy button beads

2008-12-17T14:28:00.000-08:00

I ran across these cute beads today, and they totally remind me of billy buttons which are some of my favourite flowers. Can't you just picture these on a green stem?

I've been obsessing about redecorating/renovating the house we bid on, even though we haven't heard back about our offer yet. Here's the old layout (on the left) and what we're thinking of doing (on the right) it's not terribly accurate because I don't have measurements, but gives a general idea. I've been researching how to fit everything we want in the budget - it's tough on a tight budget! Any renovation resources or suggestions will be highly welcomed!

house!!!

2008-12-15T11:08:00.000-08:00

We put in a bid on a house this weekend and I'm praying we get it...it's in a lovely neighbourhood, and it needs a bit of work, but it's well within our price range. I'm nervous and excited and planning all at the same time!

Craft show pics!

2008-12-13T17:13:00.000-08:00

Here's some pics from the craft show the other day - I'll be taking pics of all the new pieces tomorrow hopefully. I just haven't had a free second to myself with all the househunting!

2008-12-10T17:45:00.001-08:00

I just spent half of the day making pillow boxes out of some scrapbook paper I had lying around (which is absolutely gorgeous!) so I'll have to take pictures of my setup tomorrow :D

I found most of the pics of the paper, but I couldn't find the lovely polka dots I used :( They're all from Basic Grey but I got them on Ebay a number of years ago.

2008-12-09T16:59:00.000-08:00

When I lived in the Bay Area, I used to have a season pass to the SF MOMA. It was one of my favourite places to spend the day, not in the least because the museum store is so freaking awesome. It's also a great place to get really unique, fun gifts.

today

2008-12-08T17:29:00.000-08:00

Today was spent looking at pretty things, new lamps, new beds (we found a great deal on a mattress this weekend!), new homes, lots of pretty pretty things.

I finished about 6 pieces this weekend, but I'm not going to list until after the show Thursday because I want to see what sells.

I picked up this pretty cake stand from Target for the show - I'm going to put the jewelry on it, and hopefully it'll look really nice! Target has some really gorgeous decoration pieces. I'm thinking of going back after the holidays to grab some decorations for the wedding.

happy days

2008-12-06T14:48:00.000-08:00

I love Saturdays -my favourite day of the week. I got my invitations last night and they're lovely! Plus I got my chain finally, so I can make new pieces!

Here are my cutie cake toppers - the little bear has a heart on it's butt >.< SO CUTE!

i'm a klutz.

2008-12-05T13:43:00.000-08:00

Yes, I am a klutz. I spilled a pot of boiling water on my tummy last night >.<

I also got my cake toppers in the mail and OMG I love them!!!!!!!!!!!! Will post pics when I get em.

I'm not in a super posty mood today, so I'm gonna go eat my pesto chicken sammich (yum!) and get back to you later.

I'm interested in reading posts though...so link your faves!

yum yum

2008-12-04T13:09:00.000-08:00

I woke up with really bad vertigo this morning but it seems to be going away...I'll just hold onto this table here...

My cookies for the secret Santa thing came today, and I'm a terrible secret Santa and stole a couple (there were a dozen, so sue me ;)) Oh. my. gawd. they are to die for. SO good, melt in your mouth, throw your head back in ecstasy good. yum! Check out the cookies from KE Cookies.

I also remajiggered a few monograms for a client today, and they came out really pretty! They're very striking in black and pink - I just wish I was better at hand drawing. I'm thinking of possibly getting a tablet sometime in the future - but in my experience I have a hard time drawing on them because I can't see what I'm drawing directly under the lines. The pen shape does give a bit better control though.

Etsy fave of the day:
This picture is just so adorable and sweet - I love it. Irene Suchocki's shop has a very nostalgic, romantic feel. I really like the overall colour scheme :)

craft fair

2008-12-03T15:15:00.000-08:00

I went to the craft fair at the main lot today and it was really cool seeing everybody's display setup. It gives me lots of ideas, and it was interesting to see all the jewelry too, just to get an idea of what other people make. I saw a lot of gorgeous bead caps and some fancier versions of stuff that I make. Man, was the pricing crazy! I am glad I decided not to show in this show because there was a ton of jewelry, but it did make me aware that I need to make more stuff before the show next week!

I did, however, run across Lady Chocolatier - and these were absolutely delicious! Yum!

I was also thinking about holiday decorations (table settings and holiday decorations - slightly related ;)) and I think this wreath from beachgirl8078 would be lovely for a beach cottage or just to bring a little warmth to some colder states. It would make a pretty companion for my little shell wreath! (on the right)

Secret Santa

2008-12-02T15:11:00.000-08:00

So we have a Secret Santa at work, and I barely know the guy I've got, but I was peeking around the web, and I found some nice possible gifts! Show me your ideas :D

KE Cookies makes the yummiest, dense cookies. I would love to get this Chocolate Combo box, and it's only $11.99.

I think these Rustic star ornaments from seraart would make a lovely gift for someone really girly. I love the stars all by themselves.

I think books are always a great gift, if you know your recipient's taste. This was one of my favourite books when I was a teenager - it's got mystery, science, action and all sorts of awesome, Dan Brown-esque style fun!

I always find myself needing Thank You cards at the end of the year, so I think these would make a lovely, classic gift. Pretty much anything from Paper Source is awesome!

HI!

2008-12-01T11:09:00.000-08:00

I'm back! I was so busy during Thanksgiving, and I do not yet have a laptop (though I'm thinking of buying one) so obviously, no time to post.

The trip was lovely, I always love to visit family and friends, but I'm glad to be home! I missed our comfy bed and cable tv and my computer.

Over the break, I ordered our custom cake toppers from berrysprite, aren't they the cutest?! My fiance's nickname is peachy, thus the peach, and I am obsessed with teddy bears, thus the little lemony cutie! *squees*

I also ordered some gorgeous labels to go with our wedding invites from bohtieque, and they're lovely!

My brother has gotten really tall, he's 5'2" and he's only 11 >.< He was a super cuddle bug when we visited, which was so nice, and I also got to see my best friend and nieces! Plus yummy yummy food - though luckily there wasn't enough to overstuff myself! I hope you all had a happy break and enjoyed yummy times too!

oh man!

2008-11-25T18:07:00.001-08:00

I've been totally slammed between work and homework and house stuff and a lost present today! Even as I write this, more work is coming in! I wanted to post my usual Faves update, but I couldn't find anything that felt right today. I was thinking about different arch options for the wedding when I came across this and I think I might like to do something like this. I have to find some paper flower designs. Isn't it pretty? I'll take any suggestions you've got!

glug glug

2008-11-24T14:39:00.000-08:00

I've been soooo slammed today and this past week. Between work, my new position, trying to finish my homework before the holiday and our house hunt it's just been nonstop! I also tried, to disastrous ends, to dye my hair last night. Somehow the roots ended up waaaaay lighter than the rest of my head and I look like I have bozo the clown roots and a dark dark auburn dye everywhere else >.<
I'm super excited to do a trade with Lo Boheme for a hairpiece for my wedding. It's my first trade, and I love her stuff, so I'm super happy. I'll post pics when I receive it!

I saw this bedframe this weekend, and I am in love - I'm keeping an eye out for sales. Does anyone know if Anthropologie has an outlet shop?

yay flowers!!

2008-11-21T13:12:00.000-08:00

I'm really excited, I spoke with a florist down in San Diego today and she can do all of our flowers for close to our budget - now I've just got to convince my mum!

They're really strongly influenced by Saipua and a wedding I saw on one of the blogs I frequent (I can't remember which!) I'm so excited for the possibility of getting the actual flowers I want within our budget, since everyone else has been giving me options for the wrong kinds of flowers or totally outside the budget for the right kinds.

I'll post the details when I get them ;)

TGIF as usual! Extra specially so since next week is Thanksgiving. I feel like this year is speeding by now that it's getting near the end! We get to go look at houses tomorrow and I'm hoping, finally, the new one that I really like that's well below our budget!

I found these really cool paper crafts that would make gooooorgeous wedding/holiday/any day decorations. How often is it that you find decorations that are beautiful enough for celebratory events, but classic enough to look beautiful and not overdone in every day living?

The piece on the left is by Homemade Circus, who makes these beautiful, folk art, papier mache pieces d'art. These would be a great cake topper (or tree topper!) I love the little birds and I love circus/amusement park themed things, so these really make me smile.

On the right is a fantastic paper butterfly wreath by Royal Buffet, made of recycled paper. I love the blue, but she can make other colours if requested! I love that they're delicate, but sturdy, and I love that she's reusing. She also makes stunning mobiles and garlands.

first craft show!

2008-11-20T15:27:00.000-08:00

I've got a place in my first craft show over at the hub's work place. They were having one through my company as well, but I'd have to pay and bring my own table, etc.

I think I have a list of what I need to pick up - receipts, a cashbox, change, a tablecloth, labels, boxes possibly?

It's exciting! I want my packaging to be cute, too, so I was browsing etsy, and found buckets of cute things - but I think I may go to a party supply shop and buy my own, to avoid shipping costs.

Totally unrelated, I was browsing yesterday and came across bronwen handcrafted. I absolutely adore her gorgeous baby slings, which could double as really stylish scarves - not to mention her gorgeous necklaces. /covet

headpieces

2008-11-19T17:12:00.000-08:00

I've been looking for a headpiece for my wedding, and it's really difficult to find stuff that I like. I ran across Fabledreams' site yesterday and I saw this gorgeous piece that would be perfect for a wedding!

I love birdcage veils, but this one really caught my eye because somehow the black makes it more striking, but it's delicate and still pretty despite the fact that it's darker than most veils - plus, Brenda's Bridal Veils pricing is great!

I love love looooove this piece! Lo Boheme does some really gorgeous stuff with feathers! Too bad this piece is reserved :(

Interview with Joom

2008-11-18T15:30:00.000-08:00

Time for a new interview!

I've got more new stuff for tomorrow, but I've been sitting on this interview for awhile. I featured Joom in my blog a few weeks ago, and she makes gorgeous prints, pillows, bags and baby things. She's also had tons of sales, so it's always great to hear from someone highly successful. Plus, she's been featured in adorn magazine, and on the Rachael Ray show!

1.Which part of your work do you most enjoy? Which part do you find hardest?
The part that really enjoy the most is sketching when I get to be creative. The hardest part is the printing process. You have to be focus and try not to make any mistake.

2.Where do you get your inspiration?
I get my inspiration from the world around me, and am especially interested in nature, music, art, and architecture. The idea of using bird and flower came to me one day while I was sitting in my patio taking care of my garden. A hummingbird came to feed on a fuchsia plant, and I closed my eyes and saw the silhouette of the bird and the flower. That image has been a main part of my designs even since.

3.What is your favorite item that you have purchased on Etsy?
I love my boston terrier mini pillow that I bought from MODESTo. I have a boston terrier, named Seven.

4.If I could sell one item from my shop today, it would be...
It could be anything from my shop. I'll be happy.

5.If I had enough money to pick one item on my wish list from any shop on Etsy to buy, it would be...
I would like to get a Vintage Cherry Bench from sprucehome.

6.What undiscovered artisans would you recommend the world to know?
They are so many artists that I really love thier work. Here is one of my friend, Somneuk Huangtanapa, an artist. : http://www.rama9art.org/artisan/2002/july/mobius/index.html

7.What is the best advice you have ever received?
The best advice that I have received.
Think of yourself shopping on a website and think of all the things you'd wish were in the descriptions and the images, and do that for your shop. Make your shop looks professional. This includes having well products, good descriptions, especially in your profile and shop policies. Maintain a high standard of customer service and respond to inquiries as promptly as possible. What people see on Etsy is all they likely know of you.

8.What advice would you give to artists who are new to Etsy?
I'm still new and learning everyday, but I've gathered a handful of advice I always stick to. Always try to keep the quality of your items good. It's a steep learning curve so there's no need to rush....it takes a bit of time to soak up the Etsy atmosphere and to understand the site functionality. I found it helps to become a buyer first to see how the transaction works from the other side so then you can treat buyers as you'd like to be treated yourself.

9.How do you promote your work?
I have only my personal website : www.joomk.com. I don't really promote myself. I'm very lucky in that other people do it for me and word of mouth is the best recommendation you can have. I am incredibly grateful to the bloggers who have featured my work on their blogs. I've received a lot of attention from other blogs, and my work was featured in a couple of magazines during last holiday season. These publications include : Style at home, Canada and Adorn magazine.

10.Apart from creating things, what do you do?
In my free time, I enjoy decorating , working on my garden, taking care of Seven, cooking and painting.

11.How long have you been selling on Etsy? Do you sell through any other venues? What has been the most successful for you?
I've been selling on Etsy for about 2 and half years. I have some retail stores who carry my products in the U.S. and outside. The most successful for me was when my mini pillow was picked to feature on The Rachael Ray Show about Etsy last December. That was a big hit for me.

12.What led you to start selling on Etsy?
I'd been trying to get my work out with little success. I discovered Etsy by accident while I was looking for a gift for a friend. I saw some really nice works here and decided to give Etsy a try.

13.How would you describe your shop?
My shop is about all different products that people use in everyday life. I like clean , simple design, full of color and unique shapes and that's what I came up with.

14.What advice would you give to artists who are new to Etsy?
Try to come up with the products that you would like to see on the Market. Also customer service is very important.

mmm

2008-11-17T16:25:00.000-08:00

pomegranate seeds are so pretty - they're like little garnet gems - but pomegranates themselves are the weirdest fruit (on the inside) I've ever seen.

Bond, James Bond

2008-11-17T11:27:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone went to see the new Bond movie (Quantum of Solace (and no, I dunno what it means either)) this weekend! Please go see it over and over again so that my company earns lots of money and can afford to give me a raise ;)

In honour of our big blockbuster opening this weekend, this is a very Bondian bikini! It reminds me of the infamous Honey Ryder bikini. Anazara's Shop has lots of sexy bikinis. My personal fave is the Donatella. I just wish I had curves like that to fill it out!

fires make the sun orange

2008-11-15T16:11:00.000-08:00

I was going to take pictures today, but the fires are covering the sky with smoke and it's too dark :( So we went to see houses, but the guy didn't show up at the location, also presumably because of the fires. And it's raining ash.

Can somebody please do the rain dance for California?

FRONT PAGE!!!

2008-11-14T10:24:00.000-08:00

Wooooohoo! I made my very first front page. I'm so excited!!!

I've also got some new pieces coming up....hopefully I'll have em up by next week. I've got about 4-5 pieces waiting to be listed.

This weekend we're going to check out more houses. I have really high hopes for one of them, wish us luck! Maybe I should bring my Irish luck flower....

Happy hump day!

2008-11-12T14:30:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about maybe putting more time into clothes, and putting my fabric flowers on shirts like these from Tresics - they're super cute and pretty inexpensive! Either that or getting a serious printer so that I can start printing my card designs....hmm. Might change what I ask for for my birthday next month! What do you guys think?

I love these muffs from Looby Lou Crafts...one of my oldest purchases was a purple velvet muff at a yard sale when I first moved to Massachusetts. I've never used one, but for some reason, they have a nostalgic feeling to me :) This one is super cute! I also love her obi belts...I'm thinking of getting some custom ones made for my bridesmaids!

New winner!

2008-11-11T11:01:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately the first giveaway winner didn't post her contact info, so Nicole chose a new winner! Congrats to Janetfaye, and I've sent you an email with winnings details!

slammed!

2008-11-10T12:09:00.001-08:00

I had a super busy weekend...Saturday was spent at our engagement photo shoot and making some new pieces, Sunday was house tours, today is busy because I'm starting a new role at work! I listed a couple pieces, one new, one oldish (but new pics, cuz it's slightly different than the last one!)

I came across this shop today and I *LOVE* this piece by Laurel Hill. It's kind of like a metal tattoo. This shop has serious cool factor. I love her etching and ...well just everything. I am coveting this piece:

TGIF

2008-11-07T11:45:00.000-08:00

I love payday. I also got some potentially really good news yesterday! My boss offered me a semi-promotion. It's not technically a promotion yet, more of a niche that they're creating for me but he strongly implied there'd be rewards for following this path! Tomorrow is our engagement photo day, I'm excited to see these :)

Today, in honour of my good news, I'm offering a 10% discount on any item in my shop, just mention TGIF in your notes upon purchase! And keep an eye on the shop, I'll be listing new pieces next week :)

My item of the day is these really neat promotional bookmarks by Zoopri. I love that you can put 5 different photos on these, and that they're a nice big size. There are also lots of other unique promotional items like tags, labels, and even vinyl decals in her shop.

AWWWWWWWWW

2008-11-06T11:13:00.001-08:00

SO CUTE
http://cdn1.ustream.tv/swf/4/viewer.45.swf?cid=317016

New giveaway!

2008-11-06T10:26:00.000-08:00

I'm sponsoring a giveaway on Lillyella, please go check it out!

Here are the prizes:

Venetian Gold Sea Bella

Upcoming Giveaway!

2008-11-05T11:48:00.000-08:00

Keep an eye peeled...I've got an upcoming giveaway on Lillyella's blog! I'll post later when it's up.

I'm so excited, I ordered my invites yesterday and I got a great deal from Platinum Designs - I'll post pics when I receive them!

I saw these yesterday, I don't remember how I got to them, but these magnets just crack me up. I love silly random things like this! PearsonMaron has lots of goofy little things in their shop.

Annoyed

2008-11-04T11:05:00.000-08:00

So I registered to vote by mail, but for some reason my ballot hasn't shown up :( My friend up in Norcal hasn't received hers either, what's up with that?!

I am in the process of getting my wedding invites made, and I redesigned them for the third time on Friday because I decided that my old ones were a little too modern for our wedding, they didn't match the style of everything else we've got. So here are the new ones - sorry for the blurring, it's so no one can copy them =/ since I worked really hard on them! If you like em, I do sell custom invites on my site!

Item of the day:
I'm a cookieholic, and when I get grumpy, like today, I could really use some delicious cookies. I ordered some from KE Cookies last week, and despite my diet...they were gone within a few days. Yum yum! I ordered the chocolate mint, but I guarantee the others are delicious too. Try a mix if you're not sure what to get!

busy woo

2008-11-03T17:17:00.001-08:00

We're super busy at the office for the next couple weeks because one of my coworkers is out, so my workload is gonna be a little distracting for a little bit! Anyway, this weekend, I decided to use up some more of my fabric scraps and I made these flowers. I don't know whether to sell them or give them as gifts. What do y'all think?

Item of the day:
I was working on my wedding invitations this weekend (I wound up totally redoing them, the images are in my flickr) and In-vita Paper Studio is in one of my flickr groups. I was looking for people who could print, and I came across her stuff. I love these, the colours are gorgeous and totally my taste! Love these, and her other stuff is just as pretty!

Winner!

2008-11-01T15:15:00.000-07:00

Polka Dot Moon is the winner of the giveaway, congrats! Remember to contact Lillyella for your prize details :D

Don't forget!

2008-10-30T11:03:00.000-07:00

TODAY is the last day for the giveaway! Make sure you enter soon! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

ECSTATIC!

2008-10-29T10:25:00.000-07:00

I am so happy!!! Pumpkin Plaid has totally made my day, she purchased my very first jewelry sales. Yes, you heard me, sales! Yay! This totally made my day. I love these pieces and I'm happy to see them go to a new home!

I've been busy making stuff too, and I wanted to show you the new flowers I've been experimenting with! I'm not sure if I'll be listing these or not, but I love how it turned out.

It's been super foggy in the mornings around my house. This pic doesn't quite do it justice, but jeez, it's almost as foggy as San Francisco! (and I know what I speak of, having lived there for years!)

Yay!

2008-10-27T11:20:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to be featured over at Pumpkin Plaid - This totally made my day!
http://pumpkinplaid.blogspot.com/2008/10/tidbit-love-it.html

Plus, no work today because there's no electricity! This is a great start to a week :D

giveaway updates

2008-10-25T13:30:00.001-07:00

I'm gonna be light on posting for the next week so that people don't have to search for the giveaway details, but I wanted to let you know that I made some pieces for a giveaway on Lillyella's site too!

I'm looking forward to my next theme...it makes me hungry! I also just bought a bunch of new findings that I'm really excited to use. Next week I'll upload some new pics of what I'm working on!

Giveaway and a HUGE markdown!!

2008-10-24T10:03:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of the giveaway, I marked down almost every item in my shop by a ton!

As I said yesterday, Nicole over at Lillyella was kind enough to offer us a giveaway just because she's sweet like that :) I'll be running this giveaway until next Friday (Halloween oooh!) all you need to do is go to her shop and comment on the post here about which is your favourite piece in the shop! Make sure and post either an email address or an Etsy shop link so that we can notify you if you win and the winner will be will be chosen by random and posted next Friday.

The winner can choose any colour of Pretty Posy earrings:

-OR - any colour of the Dayflower earrings as the prize:

Yay! I can blogger again!

2008-10-23T15:43:00.001-07:00

Blogger was down for me for awhile this morning...which was unfortunate because I'm really excited to post this interview!

Nicole from Lillyella was sweet enough to conduct an interview with me, and just because she's freaking awesome, she's also offering my readers a giveaway (which will be posted tomorrow, so make sure to enter!!!)

Anyhow, here's the interview, she really gave some great, inspirational stuff, which is always a pleasure to read!
(also, here's a link to her Etsy article if you're curious to learn more about her! Also, her blog has lots of great giveaways and fun stuff!)

What advice would you give to artists who are new to Etsy?
Learn to have a tough gut and be prepared to spend a ridiculous amount of time working at it - IF you really want to make a go of it.
Be very patient and don't give up hope if it takes awhile to get started. I believe there are so many factors that affect how a day on Etsy could go - the stock market, the economy, even the weather. I know better now but even I still get upset when I have a bad day of sales and feel like all hope is lost - but then the next day could be my biggest day ever! You just never know.

Is being self-employed through Etsy scary or comfortable?
It's scary - for all the reasons I just mentioned above. It does have its perks - being self employed - but regardless of what your business is - you never know what the next day will bring and you don't have someone else who's responsibility it is to still give you a paycheck. You only have yourself to blame if it doesnt work out, and thats a lot to deal with.

Do you find that it's hard to separate work and home now that you work at home?
No, not really. It's hardest to separate myself from my computer - email and Etsy!
I actually find I work harder now that I am at home than I did at any other job. Maybe because I love what I do or because I am responsible for my own livelihood - whatever it is - I am more motivated to get up in the morning, I waste less time - I even eat less!

What's your favorite colour? Food? Place?
Ok - this one is easy! Color - right now its Yellow
Food - Mexican, with mac and cheese closely following
Place - ok, thats not so easy. Hmm.. how to interpret this one - a city, a country, a spot in my house - well, I'll have to say Australia. I took a research trip there years ago and it was by far the coolest thing I have ever done. I would go back in a heartbeat - even though the plane ride was horrific.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Gosh, I hope doing the same thing - but bigger and better! When we finish the workshop out back, I'm hoping Tyler and I can get into some other areas and open another Etsy shop or two with the hopes that he can also quit his job and we can both do this full time.

Apart from creating things, what do you do?
I still do some design work for a few clients I have had for years and I *usually* enjoy it. I teach dance - Hip hop currently, though tap is my favorite. I do some photography work - weddings for friends and when I'm lucky some work for the Cleveland Indians. For fun - we go rock climbing and shooting and I really love to eat - especially Mexican :) (Aevan - yay for rock climbing! I'm a climber too!)

What are your favourite sites aside from Etsy?
I don't really have any! Is that pathetic?

How would you describe what's in your Etsy shop right now?
Organic, eclectic, pretty, fun!

How long have you been selling on Etsy? Do you sell through any other venues? What has been the most successful for you?
Since the end of March - so about 7 months. I do not currently sell on any other venues but am definitely looking into it. It's not good to have all of your eggs in one basket. I do sell wholesale though, which is cool.

Are you working on anything new right now or is there a craft you would like to learn?
I'm always into something new - lately we've been learning how to throw pottery on a wheel and I spend a lot of time woodworking and using my scroll saw. Tyler is a glass artist so I help him with new ideas in that arena - we're currently working on some really cool fused glass coasters and slumped cutting boards. Hints of future things to come!!!

If you had to do it all over again, would you do anything differently?
I really don't think so - which is good I guess! I'm a planner - so I think way too long and hard before doing anything. But actually - the only thing I may have done was to do it sooner - but I think life plays its course as it is supposed to - so my time was my time. No going back anyways - just look forward!

piercing drama!

2008-10-22T12:18:00.000-07:00

I had a bit of a drama freakout this morning when my nose ring fell out and was lost! I have no idea where it went, I even took apart the sink to see if it was in there, but no such luck, and my hole closed up while I was searching so I had to repierce it when I put in my backup nose screw (unfortunately, it's gold, which I'm allergic to :( but it's only temporary!) so I'm a wee bit frazzled this morning. Plus, my coworker, with whom I usually split site QA-ing, has Jury Duty today! yuck. Lets hope she gets off soon! Did you all check out the interview with Ruby Red Rose on etsy today? I love her purses and it's a nice interview! http://www.etsy.com/featured_seller.php

Item of the day!
These gorgeous soft bracelets from Eastern Sky come in TONS of different colours and they are just lovely eye-candy! They look so soft and cozy and pretty, they make me wish I could wear bracelets to work!!! Plus, they're made of vegan cotton, which I think is wonderful, I always appreciate products and services that make a lesser impact on our environment. Here are just some of the colour options (really, you'd have to check them out, there's TONS of options)

YAY!

2008-10-21T11:43:00.000-07:00

I finally got my moo cards!! They're soooo cute! tinier than I thought they'd be, but eek! SO CUTE!
Today is a busy day - I get to go over the wedding flowers with my potential florist (yay!) and go to a laser tag birthday party (yes, for grownups - pew pew!)

Item of the day
I ran across these soaps today, and I'm not usually a huge soap person but these things are so neat! They look like gems but they're SOAP!? crazy cool! They're unbelievably realistic. I would never guess that those are for washing! Amethyst Soaps also have lovely carved soaps in all different shapes and colours. They'd make a good gift I imagine!

these are a few of my favourite things

2008-10-20T13:19:00.000-07:00

I couldn't decide what theme to do this week and I spent all weekend making my halloween costume out of little shells and burning myself with hot glue instead of doing etsy things - so here are a few of my favourite things!

NervousSystem "creates unique, modern jewelry combining rapid prototyping methods with industrial materials" (their own words, I couldn't think of a more accurate description) and how cool are these pieces!? They look scientific, but beautiful, like butterfly wings. I just love the unique materials and closure methods too - This necklace is formed in one piece and fastens in the back with a sliding mechanism that allows for variable lengths. It's kind of like a futuristic lace. I love the purple dress too!

WoW has got me once again!

2008-10-18T16:37:00.000-07:00

I've started playing WoW again....ruh roh!

In other news, I commissioned (not sure if that's the right word) my cake toppers from berrysprite! She makes the sweetest little amigurumi, plus she's a total sweetheart! I'll upload pics when I'm done - in the meantime, she has our item of the day too! She makes adorable flower amigurumi's! Aren't they just squeezably cute!? Also check out her tutorials over at her blog at http://berrysprite.blogspot.com/

busy night!

2008-10-17T11:11:00.000-07:00

Last night I went home instead of the gym cuz I was feeling icky, but I wound up being really productive! I got groceries at the new Fresh and Easy, which is a really cool macrobiotic/organic supermarket that also has basics like Diet Coke and lean pockets (and glossy star magazines, yay!) then I went home and made the most delicious toss-up meal. It was cous-cous with butternut squash, onions and cranberries and I tossed in spices that I thought would taste good (cinnamon, nutmeg, fennel, a little salt, mint, bay leaves, coriander and allspice) and it wound up being really yummy! After that, I made my beautiful new necklace for my wedding (below) and did about half of my InDesign final project. Yay!

I love love love love loooooove this necklace. I couldn't be more happy with it. Please excuse the fuzziness and giraffe neck, I'm not very good at photographing myself.

Flower item du jour
Once, when I was browsing one of the many thrift stores in my college town, I came across this little polaroid in a book that looked like it was from a back alley in Barcelona or some other old city and it was so romantically old and faded, that despite it's banal content, it was absolutely gorgeous. Sara Norris' photography has the same feel to me. It's sort of antiquey, but with bright, dreamy colours. I especially love her nature photos. Check out the Roots set in her shop too - they're amazing and totally remind me of daguerreotypes at the SFMOMA.

too much sleep meds and not enough sleepage

2008-10-16T13:15:00.000-07:00

*yawn* nothing much new with me today...except I made a sale! Yay! Always the same thing though, lol. Does it count as a sale if they haven't paid yet?

Anywho
here's your flowery shop of the day!
OfeliaFashion makes these beautiful, OOAK custom leather flower brooches that look deceptively simple. These are just really really cool, what more is there to say?

haha

2008-10-15T12:21:00.000-07:00

My friend just told me I should buy the Lily and Swallow necklace because it's 'just so YOU!'

If I bought everything on Etsy that I loved...I think I'd be beyond broke ;)
Did you ever dream about sifting treasure through your bare hands when you were a kid? I think a lot of us 80's babies did because of Goonies. That's how I feel when I get a package; like it's some sort of treasure for me to open. I recently ordered a few fabric samplers so that I can try my hand at making hair flowers or boutonnières for the wedding.

I redid the design for the RSVP's and wedding invites yesterday based on a design from my shoes, and I'm really happy with it! It looks a lot cleaner than the old design.

Flower item of the day!
I am obsessed with flowers right now because we're picking out the florist for the wedding. I LOVE Hadley Hutton's shop. It's got these absolutely gorgeous, sort of Asian, pretty girly prints. The colours are perfect though. Like strawberries with chocolate, a perfect romantic mix.

For new-to-LA folk

2008-10-14T15:26:00.001-07:00

This made me smile a bit - http://laist.com/2008/10/12/why_my_father_hated_la_a_love_story.php

Out of witty titles

2008-10-14T12:52:00.000-07:00

I posted a new item of mine last night! I have a few more to post, one which I adore - though I'm not sure it photographed very well :( You'll have to let me know once I post it. Anyway, here's a piece my sister named :) I'm kind of going off an art theme lately.

Flower item of the day
LulaBoutique has the cutest pieces! Very well priced too. She's got a super cute little retro-style shop!

Check out lily and swallow

Wow!!!

2008-10-13T10:28:00.001-07:00

I had a huuuuuge influx of viewers this weekend - I hope they come back again!

I spent almost all day Sunday and Saturday working on my homework - it came out pretty well I think. If I can figure out where to host a PDF I'll show you :) We had to make a newsletter in InDesign, and I decided to do one on budget weddings, since it's a topic I'm familiar with. I decided to go with a florist for the wedding, too, since it's just one less thing to worry about. Unfortunately, I am a flower fanatic. I love Saipua's flowers with a serious passion, but they don't quite fit into the budget I was hoping for...I've also been thinking of overhauling the invitation design, and I'm thinking about separating my wedding stuff into a separate shop, since I'd like to create hair flowers, invitations designs and other more focused items.

I also had a blast this weekend playing with http://www.dailymakeover.com/. It's so much fun making yourself look silly! I kept a few where I have a big fro, and one with Paris Hilton's hair. Apparently it makes me look like a bimbo ;)

I'll be posting a few more new listings this week. I'm excited!

Since I've been thinking about flowers so much, this week's theme is....tacos! No just kidding, it's flowers :D

I've always loved chemistry - TheOriginalSoapDish's shop looks like the best parts of chemistry! All sorts of fun and lovely smelling ingredients to mix into lovely soaps and skin products. I bet this shop smells like heaven!

I didn't win :(

2008-10-11T16:29:00.000-07:00

But we did win a trip to Vegas and a cruise! Pretty good :)

I saw this on a blog today and I think it would have been the coolest thing growing up....I'm jealous!

Item of the day

YumiYumi makes the sweetest little prints! She has tons of beautiful watercoloured prints that are so lovely and girly!

Friday good luck wish discount!

2008-10-10T12:27:00.001-07:00

In the spirit of luck (I'm hoping to win big at that contest tonight!) I'm offering a 10 percent discount on my whole shop today!!! Just convo me with the word LUCK and I'll adjust the cost :)

Also - keep an eye out for new interviews soon!

yawn

2008-10-10T12:19:00.000-07:00

I'm exhausted today for some reason, despite the fact that I went to bed early.

This pillow from joom is bright enough to wake me up though! She has tons of birdie silhouette pillows that have been featured everywhere from Modish to Adorn magazine! (I'm jealous!) She's a multi-talented artist who also has a website over at www.joomk.com!

Skadoosh! I've been tagged!

2008-10-09T12:53:00.000-07:00

Whoo, thanks for the tag Lillyella!

First and foremost - the rules:

Link to your tagger and list the rules

List 7 random facts about yourself

Tag 7 people

If you're tagged, play along and pass it on!

Now - the facts:

1. I used to teach art classes to other kids when I was a kid. I got paid 3 dollars an hour and I loved it!

2. I love cheese. Every kind except swiss - blechy!

3. I've lived in at least 15 different homes over my lifetime.

4. I sleep with a teddy bear still

5. I can't stand the sound of styrofoam, it makes me cringe

6. Growing up, we didn't have a tv that got any stations (it just played videos) so I haven't seen lots of 80's show that most of my peers grew up with.

7. I applied to my college by accident. A wonderful mistake!

Now I tag....
TheAbbey
Julee (HeArt Collective)
Pumpkin Plaid
Bonzie
Lindsey (lu lu belle)
Yumi Yumi
Andrea Singarella

lots of news!

2008-10-09T11:02:00.000-07:00

First of all, the talented Lindsey from lu lu belle is making me an inspiration board for our wedding which I'll hopefully post when I receive it. I'm so excited, hopefully she'll be able to help narrow it down to a cohesive pretty board - I guess I already have a fairly direct colour scheme, I just didn't realise it till I started compiling stuff for her.

My hand therapist just bought a house and she recommended her agent for us - I'm really excited about this because I am really nervous about the whole process (though extremely excited) and it's so much better to have folks based on people's recommendations! Apparently she's got a really cute Aussie accent too. I love Aussies!!!
We're looking to buy around January/February, and I'm SOOOOO excited, not just to buy a house, but at the concept of being able to paint walls!! I've never had a place where I could paint. I'll definitely post pics when we do so.

I'm happy because I just found out I get a huge long vacation in December. I could really use a nice long break, so I'm very happy about this.

Most exciting of all - I entered some contest at the mall where you can win $100k and my name got picked out to go to the final drawing. I really really RREEEEEEALLY hope we win - please send me good luck and wishes!

Whoo! See, I told you it was a lot!

Item of the day
Okay, so this isn't exactly birds, but it's feathers, so close enough. Wildspirits has the most amazing, gorgeous coloured accessories. I cannot get over them. This barette is absolutely spectacular!! This would make for a really striking headpiece at a wedding or even a fun thing to wear to a holiday party!

Hump Day

2008-10-08T14:12:00.000-07:00

Last night I came home and my fiance had made the most delicious smelling and tasting cookies...yum! I also got some new beads which I'm really excited to use, they're gorgeous! I also have a bunch of new stuff that I haven't had a chance to photograph yet - I can't wait to list it :)

Item of the day
I absolutely ADORE gypsyandtwink 's shop. The sort of swedish style horsies and Matryoshka are gorgeous colours and textures, they're cute and artsy at the same time, and they would make adorable, unique cake toppers!!

Hiccup!

2008-10-07T11:53:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot to write up the post I started because I got distracted by beautiful Etsy items! And now I have hiccups. Hiccup!

I uploaded a goooooorgeous new piece today, I love this! It's very delicate. I named it Grace, after Grace Kelly, because it reminds me of something she might wear.

Item of the day
(and it's on sale!)
I love Jennifer Gibbs' art, it's mixed media, and it's all so unique! It looks like the type of work an interior designer would love to feature all around a showcase home, it would suit all sorts of styles. Plus, I love that she donates a percentage of her profits to charity. That's always a plus for me in supporting the arts.

Monday Monday

2008-10-06T12:33:00.000-07:00

I didn't get a chance to upload on Saturday because I was busy busy, but I did make a whole bunch of new pieces and a really cute purse from a pattern by Keyka Lou.

I made the purse out of scraps I have from fabric samples back when I worked in interior design

I think it came out pretty cute! I also made a necklace for my wedding, which I'm really excited about. My first experiment really mixing up chains. Please excuse the crappy quality - I have no light in my office and I finished this late last night.

Anyhow - this week is Bird week!

I love birds as a print, though I'm not really a bird person as far as the actual animal, they certainly are pretty.

I love OIive 's shop. It's often on the front page for a reason - her stuff is cute without being cutesy, and fun and retro, but still modern.

When I was a kid, my very crafty aunt used to send me letters with lots of confetti and embossed stamps and everything and I loved opening them because they always seemed like little gifts. This confetti would be so much fun to receive in a letter, I think I'd save it all and keep sending it on to my friends.

Interviiiiiiew and feeling better!

2008-10-03T13:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm definitely feeling better now. I just got royalties for 12 sales on my shirt over at collarfree! Maybe I should upload more...

They're really comfy and they benefit a good cause (not just me, they donate 1% to 'for the planet') - clickie!

Last month, Notblueatall sent me an interview response, and here it is!

1.Which part of your work do you most enjoy? Which part do you find hardest?
I enjoy creating! The fact that what I’m creating/selling on Etsy is aprons amazes me. I am a beginner to say the least. I’ve never used a pattern (can’t quite figure them out). So sewing is the hardest! Ha-ha!

2.Where do you get your inspiration?
The fun fabrics I find usually spark something. I think there is more to owning/buying an apron than just that. The apron thing actually started when a friend and I each bought cupcake recipe/decorating books together and vowed to make some and share and then swap books. That never happened, but I did buy my dream Kitchen Aid mixer (pale pink!). This prompted me to buy an apron on Etsy. It was important to me that it be handmade. And it was that apron that started it all! (unfortunately that seller is no longer on Etsy).

3.What is your favorite item that you have purchased on Etsy?
This is tough! I have quite the etsy addiction! I have bought a lot on etsy, but one of my recent and impressive purchases is a custom print t-shirt from Minimalista.
It’s of Frida Kahlo with flowers on her head. I’m a huge fan of Frida Kahlo and that print just spoke to me. It was only “custom” because I sent her the shirt to print on. Many etsy sellers don’t understand what plus size means or really is. It’s NOT XL! It’s sizing from 16+. I’m on the “+” side of that. What has amazed me is the lack of interest in sellers to cater to this untapped plus size market. I have asked several sellers if they could print a shirt in my size. The usual response is that they wouldn’t know where to find my size, simply don’t have my size or refuse to print on a shirt I send them. I love the unique prints many sellers on etsy have, but for someone who is more of a 3X or 4X (sizing varies greatly by brand) I’m often left wanting. I also love this scarf I just bought last month from BinaryWinter! Their prints are fantastic!
http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=10106053
Oh! But the best thing I’ve bought recently and ended up buying more is the blackberry liptint from Rachl323. It is soooo silky-soft and smells wonderful! And at her prices anyone can afford to have fabulous lips!

4.If I could sell one item from my shop today, it would be...
An apron! I’m not picky, either. Ha-ha! I made the pouches and scrunchies as an afterthought. Aprons are what I’m really selling in my shop. For some reason I thought they’d really take off, but it’s not like there’s a time limit!

5.If I had enough money to pick one item on my wish list from any shop on Etsy to buy, it would be...
Probably a hood/scarf from ilikeyouworld. Their stuff is amazing, but it’s also wool and I’m deathly allergic…so boo to that! Glorydaze has some incredible clutches! I’m in a whole clutch-thing right now.
Oh! And BlushingLady’s “Anastasia Clutch” is to die for!!!

6.What undiscovered artisans would you recommend the world to know?
WoodTurner! No doubt about it. He has to be the nicest most kindest caring seller I’ve encountered on etsy. Just the nicest fella. I’ve bought a necklace and earrings from him and his wine stoppers would make the best gifts for work-friends, you know?! Don’t get me wrong, I’ve encountered tons of nice sellers on etsy, but he made me feel special in a way that only the truly caring can. It’s weird, but true.

7.What is the best advice you have ever received?
Ha-ha! It was from TheBumbleBeeStudio a few months back when I favorite their shop and they dropped me a line almost immediately to thank me for the fave and they had read my profile. You see, at the time my profile said something like I was too shy to show my “work.” I meant my artwork. When I wrote that profile I never would have dreamed of sewing aprons. But she messaged me and encouraged me to “get out there and do it!” And well, I did!

8.What advice would you give to artists who are new to Etsy?
Pay attention to the tags you enter for your items! A big pet peeve of mine is when I’m looking for something specific and all kinds of craziness comes up on my screen. It’s frustrating. Imagine what the average etsy shopper thinks? Yeah, exactly! Especially in the plus size section! Please don’t say that something is plus size but when I click it, it only comes in s-m-l! A Travesty! Ha-ha!

9.How do you promote your work?
I have bought ad space for the radio show from MooseBerryHill. Reasonably priced, but alas no sales. I also promote to friends, but mostly on livejournal.com. There’s a lot of etsy communities on lj. It’s nice because I get to see other shops, too! I think it’s important to stay excited about it. I was super stoked when I opened my shop, I still am!

10.Apart from creating things, what do you do?
I create tons of things that I haven’t or wouldn’t put in my shop. I love to collage and do other mixed media artworks. But not creating? Hanging with friends or the husband. Karaoke’s pretty fun! Movies are big for us, too. Oh man…we just saw the movie “FLOW” last night in San Jose. Wow! My mind was blown! I hope it gets wider release because it is such an important topic: Water! I wish I could just make people see it…especially anyone elected to office in our government. But, um, yeah! I like all art. I love museums. I will be going to SFMOMA next week for the last day of the Frida Kahlo exhibit!

11.How long have you been selling on Etsy? Do you sell through any other venues? What has been the most successful for you?
I’ve been buying from Etsy since June of 2006, but just opened my shop about a month and a half ago. I know, I’m still such a newbie! I haven’t sold my aprons anywhere else, but I’ve thought about it. I would say that emailing my friends with the announcement of my grand opening was the most successful thing I’ve done. I’ve never been one to tap my friends for things like that. I always thought you should make your own way. But I’ve learned that you can’t get anywhere in this world without the love and support of friends. I was so nervous to even tell them, but excited too. I am so glad that I did!

12.What led you to start selling on Etsy?
Ha-ha! I had wanted to for ages, but didn’t know specifically what to sell. The apron thing happened when I made a couple for some friends’ 30th birthdays last year and they encouraged me to sell them. Yeah, I take awhile to mull things over! That and I was laid off, so I have the time to do it!

13.How would you describe your shop?
Kitchsy-cool? Shabby-chic? I don’t know! I had originally wanted to call my shop, “Bitch in the Kitch: For Bitches who like to be in the Kitchen!” But I didn’t realize it just uses your user name. I like it now though, too, “Notblueatall’s Shop: Don’t be Blue, Buy an Apron or Two!” Still cute, right?

14.Are you doing anything special for the Holiday season/Halloween in your shop?
Specifially? No. But I’d be stoked to do an apron for someone’s Halloween costume or X-mas event. I always offer custom work. If someone has something specific in mind I would be up to the task!

15.What advice would you give to artists who are new to Etsy?
Be patient and don’t get discouraged. Even the Hewlett-Packard dudes started in their garage and didn’t “make it” overnight! But certainly be loud and proud about your shop!

16.Are you working on anything new right now or is there a craft you would like to learn?
I would like to do some reconstruction work for the plus size set soon, but again I’m a beginner so I have to take things a bit slowly. I have seen some very creative stuff on etsy. The whole handmade clothing thing boggles my mind! But at the same time I can’t wait to try it! My biggest struggle is space! I live in a tiny (600 square feet) apartment with my husband and tabby cat. There’s very little room to sew or do any major projects. So my “sewing table” is also our kitchen table and our computer station and whatnot. Ha! It’s always an adventure. I’m a big improviser, too. I can usually figure a way to do something throwing tradition/caution to the wind. And I’m okay with that reputation!

Thanks!

Sigh

2008-10-03T12:11:00.000-07:00

My lunch was stolen AGAIN today :( I'm pretty upset about it.

At least it's Friday and I get paid today - that makes me slightly less bummed.

But to put everything in a better mood I'm having a sale for all my blog readers today! 10% off any item in my shop. Just convo me before you purchase or when you purchase with the code FAIRY and poof! I love when stuff goes on sale, don't you?

Anyway, onward we go to the Shop of the day!
NatureMandalas' Alison has some lovely photos, very ethereal. Some of them are so pretty they almost look fake!! The first one of these made me smile because I remember when I was little and I would go exploring in the forest, I would think every little ring of mushrooms or pile of rocks was made by fairies. And the second is just plain beautiful. I love the misty, otherworldly quality to it.