Wordless Wednesday

Crystal Beaded Bracelets
Originally uploaded by madebymelissa

I'm featured at Unconventional Comfort!

Megan from Unconventional Comfort has featured me in her Earth Day deals blog! Check it out: http://unconventional-comfort.blogspot.com/2009/04/deal-of-day.html

Remember, today is the last day of my Earth Day sale - all washcloths, facial cloths, dish cloths and upcycled jewelry and accessories ship for free! Click here for all eligible items.

Happy Earth Day!
~Melissa~

Earth Day Eco Tips

Did You know?
It takes upto 15 years for a paper cup to decompose in a landfill.
Paper cups are not recycleable due to the plastic lining that keeps the liquids from soaking through the cup.
Similarly, plastic utensils such as forks and spoons are not recycleable and neither are paper plates.

The green solution? Use a ceramic mug for coffee, tea, hot chocolate and water and pack reuseable forks, spoons and plates and bring your lunch in a cloth tote bag or reuse your shopping bags until they get dirty or torn. A ceramic mug and other utensils can be used up to 2,000 times before they need to be replaced.

References:
How long do paper cups take to break down in a landfill?
EcoTip: Coffee cups - spilling the beans

Today is the last day of my Earth Day sale! Get free shipping on all washcloths, make-up removers, dishcloths, pot holders and upcycled/repurposed jewelry!

Happy Earth Day!
~Melissa~

My Dream Space

I need SPACE! My own little space where I can leave my beads, wires, jump rings, clasps and tools out and not waist precious crafting time setting up and cleaning up. You see, I have an almost-2-yr-old who is very curious and very interested in what I am doing. When he sees me photographing finished products he slowly makes his way over and says "oooh, pretty." When I say thank you, he'll ask "Mine?" I'll apologize and tell him that its not his and then he'll look at me with those big deer-in-headlight eyes and say "I touch?". He typically listens when I tell him that he can't touch, but his little fingers get as close as possible to whatever I am taking pictures of and I often have to edit out his hands or his toys from the edges of my photos.

So, my dream is to have a craft room. It doesn't have to be big, it just needs a sturdy table, a comfy chair, lots of shelves and preferrably some good lighting. Oh, and the major necessity - a door that locks from both the inside and the outside and has a high handle that can't be reached by a toddler!

*sigh* We can all dream....

Happy Crafting!
~Melissa~

PS - Don't forget about my Earth Day Sale!

Fun Vintage Finds!

Over at my day job, there has been some shuffling of offices and consolidating of unwanted supplies and paperwork. Someone thought to set up what they called a "junk" table. It was there for a few days and various broken things were shuffled around, I didn't pay it much notice. Then one morning I saw some very cool looking vintage road maps. I snatched them instantly thinking that someone out there in Etsyland would be in need of them.

1981 Restaurant and Walking Tour Guide of Washington DC


Vintage Road Map - Mississippi County and Arkansas State


Vintage Hawaii Road Map


Happy Shopping!
~Melissa~

PS - Don't forget about my Earth Day sale!

Earth Day Sale - Just FIVE Days Left!

Earth day is coming fast! There are just five more days until my fabulous Earth Day sale comes to an end. Purchase any washcloth, dishcloth, make-up remover set or upcycled/repurposed jewelry item from my shop before midnight on April 22 and automatically get free shipping!



You'll also get free shipping on any custom washcloth, dishcloth or make-up removers that are ordered and paid for before Earth Day comes to an end.




Go Green!
~Melissa~

Chunky and Soft - Handspun Yarns

Here are some awesomely delicious handspun yarns that I have been drooling over for quite some time. You'll notice, I like bulky, chunky, funky yarns - I'm not a fan of sock yarn or fingering weight yarns.

Wood Violet Handspun Merino Wool Bulky Yarn by chimera


PARFAIT -Handspun and Handpainted Gypsy Yarn by Pancake and Lulu


Creamsicle, Hand Spun, Hand Dyed Wool Yarn by Pumpky


Scrappy - Handspun yarn by blondechicken

How's that for your daily dose of fiber?

Happy Shopping!
~Melissa~

Wordless Wednesday

Greener than Grass Freshwater Pearl Necklace
Originally uploaded by madebymelissa

Count Down to Art Attack!

I'm so excited to be part of the Art Attack craft show presented by the Jersey City Craft Mafia and hosted by Club H in Jersey City. Be sure to stop by and say hello!

I want it: Brandywine Fairy Cameo with Key Charm

As I mentioned a few posts ago, I'm a new seller over at 1000 Markets and I've been surfing the site and trying to get the lay of the land. In doing so, I discovered a necklace that I simply MUST have. It is made by SpellboundWings and is a stunning piece of wearable art.



Take a virtual stroll through SpellboundWings's shop and then of course, stop by mine!

Happy Shopping!
~Melissa~

PS - Don't forget about the Earth Day Sale over at my Etsy shop!

EtsyBlogger Featured Member - Two Zany Zebras

Two Zany Zebras is the home of all things zany! From Zarkles to and Zany Blankies to adorable zany clothing for your little ones.

Of all the zany and loveable creatures in this fabulous shop, Godfrey Monster is my favorite. He is adorable with his two fangs and features my son's two favorite colors - green and blue. He'd look smashing with this fun loving guy on his shirt!



And don't forget to visit the Two Zany Zebra's blog!

Happy Shopping!
~Melissa~

PS - Don't forget about my Earth Day Sale!

Wordless Wednesday

Greener than Grass Freshwater Pearl Necklace
Originally uploaded by madebymelissa

Earth Day Sale!

Earth Day is April 22 - all dish cloths, wash cloths and eco friendly items will ship for FREE from now until April 22. Show your love for Mother Earth by reducing your waste and showing off how cool recycling can really be!

Washcloths, Dishcloths, Make-up Remover Pads:
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=28859§ion_id=5165195



Don't see a color that matches your style? Shoot me an email or an Etsy conversation, custom orders placed before April 22 also ship for free.


Upcycled T-shirt bowl:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=13851874



Upcycled Plastic Pendant:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=22313597



Go Green!
~Melissa~

My New Toy

I love earrings! And during my last round of craft shows, displaying my earrings was one of my biggest problems. I had a pretty French memo board that my earrings looked great on, but the board kept falling and the earrings kept sliding and frankly, people were afraid to touch them! So, I decided to bite the bullet and buy an earring display stand. I browsed Etsy and there are lots of options. I finally settled on a simple black acrylic display from MoriJewelrySupply.

I was so excited when I got it that I immediately took out all my earrings and put starting arranging them. I love it!



Earrings show the best when they can dangle freely and when the light can hit them their sparkle really show off.



I can't wait for my next craft show to see how this little baby changes up my table's look.

Happy Shopping!
~Melissa~

Made By Melissa is now on 1000 Markets!

1000 Markets is a great site that I heard about from some of my fellow EtsyNJ members. Its been around for a few months and I'd been debating setting up shop there. Well, I finally did it! I submitted my site for approval Monday afternoon and by Tuesday morning I was approved and my shop was live!



So, please take a moment to peek at http://www.1000markets.com/shops/madebymelissa and the 1000 Markets site. There is some great stuff there. Right now my shop is a little sparse, but I have lots of things that I made and photographed over the weekend that still need to be listed.

Oh, and have no fear, my shop at Etsy is still alive and kicking and going strong! :-)

Happy Shopping!
~Melissa~

Wordless Wednesday

Daffodils
Originally uploaded by Jedi Photographer (May the focus be with me)