a brilliant blog award...

Miesmama nominated me for a Brilliant Blog Award... Thanks so much miesmama! She's one of the fabulous, friendly people from my EtsyBloggers group! You should check out her WONDERFUL blog, now that's some good reading! She also makes and sells the most amazing selection of items at her Etsy shop... you can see some of them here. Go check out her shop to see all she has to offer!

Now the best part of being nominated is that I get to nominate seven people for this award... So many choices, I had to narrow it down to some family members and fellow EtsyBloggers. Here they are:

http://twozanyzebras.blogspot.com/
http://adayinthelifeofacox.blogspot.com/
http://hanson5.blogspot.com/
http://afreshtakeonpaper.blogspot.com/
http://tote-n-tots.blogspot.com/
http://storybeader.blogspot.com/
http://designsbyvanessa.blogspot.com/

Here are the "how to's" for those who were nominated! :) It is my turn to pass on this prestigious award.

Here are the rules for the nominees:
1) Add the logo of the award to your blog
2) Add a link to the person who awarded it to you
3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs
4) Add links to those blogs on your blog
5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs

an apple bookmark - august challenge

I am so happy to have finished this bookmark in time to have it submitted as part of the August Challenge for the CCCOE (California Crafter's Club of Etsy) Team. I recently joined this team and this is the first challenge I am participating in. The theme for this month was back-to-school. I immediately knew that I was going to have to make a bookmark! I drew up a couple sketch ideas and decided to stick with the good old apple. I love it framed against the black background!

I spent quite a bit of time hand embroidering this bookmark. The apple, leaf, and stem have all been hand cut and embroidered onto the bookmark. "Read" was also hand embroidered. I stabilized the pieces and sewed together the back and front of the bookmark. It's sure to cheerfully keep your place marked if you HAVE to put that book down for a little while! :)

This bookmark is number 4 in my felt bookmark series. I just listed it on etsy as, "Don't Forget to Read - Apple Felt Bookmark." I really enjoy making these bookmarks. They are little pieces of functional art!

an artist to treasure...

It is such an honor to be able to feature another wonderful Etsy artist/EtsyBlogger for the month of August. It's...

Tulip's Treasure Box

She is one of those EtsyBlogger team members who make everyone feel welcome (especially the newbies! I know!). She has very beautiful pieces of jewelry in her shop as well as wonderfully functional, eco-friendly bags... Here's a sampling:

If you check out her blog you will see that she is always “sharing the love” and focusing on other artists. What a kind, thoughtful, creative artist! You can read all about artists that inspire her and other interesting happenings at her blog.

I enjoy checking out her treasures in her wonderfully stocked Etsy shop. Viewing any of Lily’s items definitely makes you feel like you’re looking at treasure!

August winner & new...

The winner of this month's fabulous August "Blossom Delight" give away is miesmama!!! Congratulations miesmama! (Please contact me via an etsy conversation and send me your mailing address.... I'll mail out your card this week!)

I have been very busy doing a S-U-P-E-R BORING job today, all for a VERY good reason. First the job is copying ALL my bookmarks and pasting them into an email to myself. Why? BECAUSE I GOT A NEW COMPUTER TODAY!!!!!!!! YEAH!!!! I'll be able to work on a project without having to step away between each "enter" because it takes too blasted long! I may have had the slowest computer on the planet... or close to it at least! Hip, hip, hoooooorrrrrayyyy! (Thanks honey!) Now I'm copying all my documents to a backup hard drive and I need to copy my fonts next. This time I am NOT going to lose all my fonts because I forget to do this step! :) This is definitely taking lots of time to get all this done... but I can't wait to have everything transferred! I'll actually be able to use photoshop without my computer shutting down on me OR working super s-l-0-w-l-y.... I guess I'm going to have to reinstall all my software too. This is definitely a time consuming, but-oh-so-worth-it, project!

Back to my job as computer geek today! :)

UPDATE: Norm just showed me how to export my favorites! Hallelujah!!! Although I wasted lots of time at least I won't have to waste the time opening all those links on the new computer! I had LOTS of them! :)

recap & new list

WEEK OF 08/25/08 PROJECTS:
MORE Blossom Cards!
Get to that Bookmark!!!

WEEK OF 08/25/08 LISTINGS:
Blossom Cards
Bookmark??? :)

WEEK OF 08/18/08 PROJECTS RECAP:
Blossom Cards - 3 new patterns - In process
Bookmark - Back to School - CCCOE Team Project

WEEK OF 08/18/08 LISTINGS RECAP:
Blossom Cards - Listed 2 new
Bookmark

I knew it was going to be a busy week... and it was! Magic Mountain was a blast with Cami. It was wonderful to have my brother and his family visit. Cami is registered for middle school. Leila was home for a couple of days. B-u-s-y, but nice! :)

School starts on Wednesday. I'll be running out of excuses soon... :)

recap & new list

WEEK OF 08/18/08 PROJECTS:
Blossom Cards - 3 new patterns
Bookmark - Back to School - CCCOE Team Project

WEEK OF 08/18/08 LISTINGS:
Blossom Cards
Bookmark

WEEK OF 08/11/08 PROJECTS RECAP:
Blossom Cards - 2 new patterns - Completed
Bookmark
August Blog Drawing Project - Completed

WEEK OF 08/11/08 LISTINGS RECAP:
Blossom Cards - Listed
Bookmark
Clippie

I have lots I want to accomplish in a very short week! This week is busy with lots of end-of-summer-school's-going-to-start errands! Cami and I head to Six Flags Magic Mountain for rollercoaster fun tomorrow and then my brother, Andrew, and his family arrive at the end of the week for a visit. I better get to work! :)

I'm not ready... & Blossom Delight Drawing

Back to School…

Oh my… those three words have so much meaning. I get excited thinking of having a schedule again with Cami at school. It means I have more time to work on my projects. The flip side is that I’ll miss my sweetie… I love having her help me run errands, do housework, keep me company, make me laugh, hang out together… and all the other wonderful summer time things we get to do. Summer has a sense of freedom: freedom from strict bed times, freedom from “it’s a school night,” and freedom from homework schedules. It’s a break that you really start to long for beginning around spring break, when you get that first taste of summer with a week of freedom!

We’ve had a packed summer. A few trips away, lots of friend sleep over nights, swimming, and relaxing. We have one more get away weekend planned, a day at Six Flags Magic Mountain, and a couple of beach days… then the summer days will be a memory and the back-to-school schedule will begin.

Summer time’s running out and school’s just around the corner. I sense the anxious excitement in my soon-to-be middle school student. It’s time… she’s ready… I’m not.

All right… I enjoyed having a drawing so much last month I have decided to have one monthly along with my EtsyBlogger carnival post! YEAH! :) This month’s drawing will be for one of my Amy Butler - Sparkle n Glitter Wildflower Blossom - 2 in 1 Cards. These cards are reusable! I include extra paper and a nice little explanation on vellum on how it all works. The blossom itself can be used after the card’s life has expired. It can be detached and added as a gift tag or placed anywhere you like. (It’s attached with Velcro!)

Drawing will take place on Monday, August 25th. (Comments counted until Noon, PST on 8/25/08. U.S. residents only, please.) So, leave a comment so I know you’d like to be entered in the drawing and tell me, has summer gone too quickly for you?! Happy getting ready to send the kids back-to-school! :)

UPDATED 08/25/08 @ 3:00 pm: Drum roll..... The winner of this month's give away is... miesmama!!! Congratulations!!! Thanks so much for commenting on my blog!

Miesmama, please send me your mailing address via an etsy conversation. I'll send out your card this week! :)

NEW Amy Butler Blossom & treasury & shopping

YEAH! I'm featured in another treasury! Thanks so much localcolorist for including my Sushi - California Roll in your "Pincushions & Dolls" collection. You can check out the treasury here until 4 am Wednesday.

I had a chance to list the Amy Butler - Art Deco Lotus Blossom Card today... and it already sold. YEAH! (Thank you storybeader! Check out her shop for some BEAUTIFUL jewelry!!) I have one more in this pattern that I'll list tomorrow as well as a new pattern that should be ready to list in the morning.

Cami and I have been busy... We did her back to school shopping and I'm sad to say that she's graduated to the Juniors section. (She could still fit in the girls section but those long legs really work better in Juniors now... so she's a size 0 or 1! My spindly little thing!) She was sooo excited about getting some new jeans, shorts, and shirts. We also got her 3 new pairs of shoes... even her feet grew over night to a size 7!!! My 11 year old is definitely g-r-o-w-i-n-g! I can't believe that school will be starting in two short weeks.

All right.... I better get to packaging up the Blossom Card, it's traveling to it's new home in Oklahoma tomorrow! :)

recap & new list

WEEK OF 08/11/08 PROJECTS:
Blossom Cards - 2 new patterns
Bookmark
August Blog Drawing Project

WEEK OF 08/11/08 LISTINGS:
Blossom Cards
Bookmark
Clippie

WEEK OF 08/04/08 PROJECTS RECAP:
Complete reserved listings for dajellybaby - Completed
Blossom Cards - 4 new patterns - Two Complete
Bookmark

WEEK OF 08/04/08 LISTINGS RECAP:
Blossom Cards
Clippie

I was so happy to send off SEVEN cards to dajellybaby in Australia last week! The new blossom card paper combinations are looking great! I am excited to get photos taken and listings up this week! :)

treasury, blossom, volleyball, & olympics

I am so happy to have been featured in another Etsy Treasury today! Thank you so much storybeader for adding my Sushi - California Roll to this great collection... This treasury is available for viewing until 11:00 pm Saturday night... so check it out and look at all the beautiful items made by my fellow EtsyBloggers! :)

I worked on two of the new Blossom Card patterns today. I completed one that will be a birthday card for one of my friends. I love the pattern combination. I can't wait to get photos taken and the new patterns listed!

I was supposed to play in a Women's Volleyball Tournament tomorrow. I called last Sunday and let them know I wouldn't be able to play.... that S.U.C.K.S... I just knew that I didn't want to let the team down if I wasn't feeling well. I'm glad to hear they have enough players and I know they'll probably win the tournament. It's a bunch of women that I really LOVE playing with AND we won last year. I think I did the right thing though as my stomach is still giving me a very uncomfortable time and I really didn't want the pressure of trying to pretend that I was feeling well and that everything was OK. This way I can look forward to putting in a few games on Sunday with no worry of letting anyone down, plus knowing that if I end up not feeling well I can just take a break or head home. It's depressing.

I am SUPER excited about the Olympics starting today! I LOVE watching, it doesn't matter which sport is on, I will be glued to the television as much as possible over the next couple of weeks! I'm such a geek... I always wished I could be an Olympian.... (da, da, ta-da, da, ta-da, da, ta-da) Can't you hear that music... and wow... to hear the National Anthem play when one of our athletes takes the gold... it's the best! :)

cards getting ready to travel

Yeah!!! Seven cards from my shop are getting ready to head off to their new home in Australia!!! All the Blossom Cards I had listed as well as all the Dress Collection cards. (Thank you dajellybaby for your order!!!) I have had such a great day working on getting the cards all set to go. One reason I was particularly excited about this order is it's the first one where I'm trying out some new packaging for the Blossom Cards. I used to put them in a clear envelope and they looked good but NOW I'm putting them in a plastic case and they look GREAT! I was bothered by putting these cards that I put loads of time into, in something that didn't show them off to their best advantage as well as wasn't as sturdy as I'd like. Now I feel that the case is beautiful enough that the white envelope will never be needed. Just keep passing the card to the next recipient in the lovely clear case. I can't wait to hear some feedback on the new packaging! :) I took a photo trying to capture the side view of these containers too...

I don't have the order completely ready to go out yet... Tomorrow I'll finish packaging the dress collection and then I still need to put together my "extras." Boy! I sure do love putting orders together... It makes me VERY happy!

I do have one more Blossom Card available in the Pink n Chocolate Retro Style that I listed today. So for now it's the only blossom card available in my shop! I have 5 more paper patterns selected so I hope to have some of them made up to list by the end of the week!

I was excited to have one of the photos I posted on flickr yesterday featured in an article. I received an email asking if I would give permission for the photo to be used in an article called, 'The ever Growing Desert's of the World! The Earth is about to become Mars Like!' by Uwe Paschen. I was really happy to be asked to have it included. I love it when my photos are noticed! :)

What a lovely, productive day!

recap & new list

It's been a week since I've posted... where have I been?.... ON VACATION! This is why there was no list or recap last week! I'm starting anew this week, so here goes...

WEEK OF 08/04/08 PROJECTS:
Complete reserved listings for dajellybaby
Blossom Cards - 4 new patterns
Bookmark

WEEK OF 08/04/08 LISTINGS:
Blossom Cards
Clippie
Bookmark

I have L I S T S of items I want to make. I've had a wonderful time on vacation (more on that in a later post) but I'm very happy to be back in my little studio! :)