EtsyBloggers May 10 Blog Carnival

Welcome to the May 10th, 2010 edition of the EtsyBloggers Blog Carnival!

1) Mother's Day is May 9 - tell us how you will be spending the holiday -
with your mother? As a mother? Or share a special memory about your mother
or grandmother

2) What is your favorite material to work with and why? i.e. glass beads,
wool yarn, acrylic paint, organic fabric... Show pictures of completed projects
using this material

veryverdant presents Birthdays and Reflections posted at Very Verdant.

Julie presents Etsybloggers April Blog Carnival posted at Welcome To My World.

Kathleen presents I remember.... Thursday's Thoughts posted at tapestry316, saying, "Hope I got this right...k"

J o e y & A l e e t h e a presents The Girl I Used To Be posted at J o e y & A l e e t h e a, saying, "Happy Mother's Day!! oxox"

Sarah Wagner-Ranes presents Birthday's and Astrology posted at Sweet Sally's Soaps News.

MagdaleneJewels presents Carnival Blog: The Life of a Scorpio posted at MagdaleneJewels's Blogs.

theashgrove presents Etsy Bloggers Blog Carnival: Birthdays posted at Notes from the Ash Grove.

gilliauna presents Spring Celebrations You Can Wear - A Rare Post by Leal posted at The Meandering Musings of a Consummate Shopper.

Linda Pruitt presents Memorable Birthdays?? posted at Pruitt Handcrafts.

Tenuki Handcrafts presents Hey Baby, What's Your Sign? posted at Musings of a Crafty Wench, saying, "this is for the 4/23 blog carnival, but I haven't been able to choose that date. if it can get posted correctly, that'd be awesome! Thanks!"

Anitra Cameron presents A MEMORABLE BIRTHDAY posted at Coffee Pot People, saying, "I'm late submitting, but was early posting. Waah!"

Elizabeth presents My Crafty Mama posted at Thoughts from an Evil Overlord.

Edi presents Blog Carnival-Mother's Day posted at Memories for Life Scrapbooks.

Erika presents A Time with Grandma posted at NICO* Designs.

TiLTcreations presents Etsyblogger Carnival - Mother's Day posted at Crafts, kids, home and life.

Patti presents M.........other's Day Camping posted at peacoxcreations.

Betty Mathers presents Mother’s Day, Thank You for passing on the skills and talents posted at The ReFORMatory.

A Keeper's Jackpot presents Glass posted at A Keeper's Jackpot.

Tammy presents Favorite Material - Yarn posted at tamdoll's workspace.

Kathleen presents Funtry Friday - Country Mamas posted at tapestry316, saying, "This one is for Mother's Day - about my grandmother =)"

I Want It - Chocomint Soap

I love the combination of chocolate and mint and I also love handmade soaps, so, it's a pretty safe bet that I will love this Chocomint Soap by Spotted Cow Soaps!

"Cool and refreshing peppermint drowning in a pool of chocolate is exactly what this soap is all about."

Now that sounds fabulous!!!

Happy Shopping!
~Melissa~

March 15 EtsyBloggers Blog Carnival

I am hosting my first EtsyBloggers blog carnival!! Of course, the blog carnival website was down most of the day, hence the reason this is being posted so late in the day. Enjoy all the great submissions!!

Welcome to the March 15th edition of the EtsyBloggers Blog Carnival!.

Alison DeCamp presents Spring. The Myth. The Legend. posted at Glass Ali, saying, "I'm trying to get back to my blogging and these carnivals sure help! Thanks so much for hosting."

Vicky presents Affordable Wedding Photography posted at Affordable Wedding Planning, saying, "A good way to save money on a wedding without sacrificing quality is to keep the costs of wedding photos low."

Tenuki Handcrafts presents Spring is in the Air posted at Musings of a Crafty Wench.

Jessica presents Hello, Spring Time! posted at Cut Your Heart Out.

red bird jewellery presents Spring is in the air! posted at Red Bird Jewelery.

storybeader presents Etsybloggers Carnival - March 12, 2010 posted at Stroll Through Storyland, saying, "oopps. even though the url says march 4th, it's for march 12th!"

Linda Wheelock presents Lilacs ~ My favorite flower of Spring posted at Spotted Cow Soaps.

Linda B presents Vote for your Favorite Spring Finds Contest by Linda B. posted at Linda B's Blog.

UberArt presents Imagining Spring Is Here posted at UberArt Shop>.

bella bead jewelry presents Etsy Blog Carnival~ March is National Nutrition Month! posted at Bella Bead Jewelry~ Fun Jewelry 4 Fun People.

maryeb presents Spring Confection posted at Colorless Green Ideas.

BunnyKissd presents BlogCarnival: Spring time is almost here! posted at Diary of a Crazy Rabbit Lady, Too.

Papaver Creations presents Fresh spring gardens, dragonflies & green grass posted at Papaver Jewelry Creations.

Melissa Sinisgalli presents Spring has Sprung!! posted at Made By Melissa.

Sarah Buckingham "Finding Charm" presents EtsyBloggers: March 12th Carnival posted at Finding Charm.

Lois presents Monday Morning Musings posted at Foxy G's Den of i-KNIT-quity.

Rainy presents Mug Challenge and Women's History Month posted at RainyDayArt.

Edi presents Blog Carnival-SPRING posted at Memories for Life Scrapbooks.

theashgrove presents Blog Carnival: Spring Has Sprung posted at Notes from the Ash Grove.

cindy devine presents National Irish American Heritage Month posted at Devine Designs Jewelry.

Two Zany Zebras presents Spring is in the air! posted at Two Zany Zebras.

Janiece presents A Peek at Spring posted at JBird's Garden ~ Handcrafted Jewelry.

dizzydragonflies presents Dyeing for Spring posted at dizzydragonflies.

Laurie Jackson presents Spring time In My Shops posted at Indulge Your Shelf.

Rainy presents Spring Time Blog Carnival / March Free Shipping posted at RainyDayArt.

Mary presents Alleviate Athritis With Nutrition- Etsy Blog Carnival posted at Misobel: Handmade Hooligan with a Mystic Touch.

Beth presents What's up for Spring? posted at Sunshine Daydreamz.

Athena Workman presents March 12th Etsybloggers Blog Carnival: Springtime treats... posted at >the weblog of artist athena workman.

Patch First Shop presents Spring Time.. posted at PatchFirstShop.

MagdaleneJewels presents Carnival Blog: MagdaleneJewel's Spring posted at MagdaleneJewels's Blogs.

Margaret Freije presents Hello, Spring! posted at Splendid Little Stars.

Erika presents Please Visit Me, Spring posted at NICO* Designs.

Patti presents S.........pring!! posted at peacoxcreations.

HomeMadeOriginals presents Food for Thought posted at Home Made Originals.

Kathleen presents So, it's snowing and I am thinking about SPRING! posted at tapestry316, saying, "Very fun carnival topic =) I am so ready for spring!"

TiLTcreations presents Etsyblogger Carnival: Spring posted at Crafts, kids, home and life.

Sandy Simpson presents Let's Party! posted at Punky Jane.

Karen aka MysticWynd presents Kiss Me, I'm Irish! posted at Mystic Wynd.

Alicia Mae presents Spring is a comin' posted at Crafts and Cooking.

Sandi Myers presents Blog Carnival - Spring Time at Handmade By Sandi posted at The T-Shirt Lady.

Sarah Wagner-Ranes presents It's Almost Spring posted at Sweet Sally's Soaps News.

veryverdant presents Spring is definitely on the way. posted at Very Verdant.

Jen presents A Woman Needs a Man... posted at Mama's Magic.

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Featured EtsyBlogger - DizzyDragonflies

The featured EtsyBlogger for March is Vicky from DizzyDragonflies. I'll admit, I've never come across her shop before, but when I looked at it for the first time today, I was hooked. DizzyDragonflies isn't just a cool name, its a shop with hand dyed yarn! Yarn, I love yarn!! :)

Check out these great colors!!


Vicki also knits and crochets, which probably explains why she makes such great yarns! I really like this scarf she made:


When you are done drooling over Vicky's yarns, be sure to stop by her blog!!

Spring has Sprung!!

This EtsyBloggers blog carnival is hosted by me!! Woo-hoo, my first time hosting!! I picked some great topics (at least I think so). Here they are:
1) Spring time is almost here, do you have any special items in your shop to celebrate the season?
2) March is National Nutrition Month, National Irish American Heritage Month & National Women's History Month (among others) - Share a story, a craft or an interesting tidbit about these topics.

Obviously, I can easily blog about either of these topics, but, I think I will talk about spring. After a cold and snowy winter, I am very relieved that spring time is here! The pup can run around outside, the little man can play basketball again and my allergies will take over my nose and sinuses!

Spring also brings BASEBALL!!! No more searching for something to watch anymore, I will be watching BASEBALL!! Yankees are my first choice, followed by the Mets (gotta support the local teams), followed by whatever team is on ESPN or ESPN2. The little man is also very excited for baseball, I hope my hubby is ready to spend hours playing catch and tossing pitches!

Check back here next week to see all the blog carnival participants!!

Hooray for Spring!!
~Melissa~

Who Needs A Vacation?

Its Blog Carnival time again! Our lovely host, HandmadeBySandi, would like to know "Of all the places in the world, where would you like to go and why?" I'm not picky, really... I'd like to be sitting here:


Drinking one of these:


Listening to a playlist of his greatest hits:


To guitars, tiki bars and a whole lotta love
Mangoes and Marley, you know, fit me like a glove
Sixth gear with nowhere to steer
When enough is enough
It's guitars, tiki bars and a whole lotta love
-Kenny Chesney, Guitars and Tiki Bars

Now let's all close our eyes, and pretend we are there.... ahhh.......

Happy Day Dreaming!
~Melissa~

Featured EtsyBlogger - TiLT Creations

This month's featured EtsyBlogger is Theresa of TiLT Creations! TiLT Creations is chock full of handmade bags and purses in fun fabrics and colors. Here's a couple of my favorites:

Handbag in Red with Black Dots and Green Swirls


Large Twist Tote in Green with Cornflower Blue Peony Print


Be sure to check out the destash shop at Tilt Too as well as TiLT Creations Blogs - Crafts, Kids, Home & Life and TiLT's Creations.

Think About Your Heart

One of the topics for the current EtsyBloggers blog carnival is to discuss heart health month. The American Heart Association has a website called My Life Check which helps you to make the promise to better your heart health. Its well worth checking out, here are the seven simple steps that they outline:

1) Get Active
2) Eat Better
3) Lose Weight
4) Stop Smoking
5) Control Cholesterol
6) Manage Blood Pressure
7) Reduce Blood Sugar

Visit the site to read more details on each of these topics.



While speaking about hearts, this Sunday is Valentine's Day! I sent my little man to daycare this morning with a bag full of Disney Cars Valentines for his classmates, complete with a heart shaped "I LOVE YOU" lollipop. I'm not a fan of giving candy to such young kids, but all of the parents did it last year and I felt guilty not reciprocating (in all honesty, the thought never crossed my mind!). My son doesn't eat candy and has no desire to, so I am not sure what I will do with all the pink and red heart shaped lollipops that he will come home with, but I am sure he will enjoy looking at all the cards. He is already in love with the extras I let him keep!

Be sure to visit Foxy G Knits on Monday morning to read all of the other entries into the Blog Carnival!

Happy Valentine's Day!!
~Melissa~

Featured EtsyBlogger - Nico Designs

The first featured EtsyBlogger of the new year is Erika of Nico Designs. Erika has some fabulous handbags and accessories in her shop.

My favorite item in her shop right now also happens to be on sale! What's better than an awesome new handmade handbag? One that's on sale, of course!


Stop by Nico Designs and browse around. When you are done there, be sure to check out her blog as well!

~Melissa~

Looking ahead...

As I am sure you've noticed, we just started a new year! The EtsyBloggers noticed that too, and this time around they ask the following "Now that 2010 is here, what do you have planned/look forward to/hope to accomplish this year?"

The question can be directed towards the shop, the blog and the personal life. So, I'll address each...

For my shop, my goal is to list something new at least every other day. I have items made that I haven't listed or even photographed and I really would love to keep my shop current. I also have a very empty Artfire shop that I should fill up!

If you've been reading the blog the past two weeks, then you already know about this new feature, if not, then please, read on! Every Monday (or so) I will be selecting a featured item from my shop. There will be a special deal on this item for the entire week (or until someone buys it!). You'll have to read the blog to find out the item, the deal and the code to put in the notes to seller at checkout.

Personal life, these seem to be the hardest. I am currently in a job that will only pay hourly and is not looking to commit to bring me on full time and on a salary basis. So, I really need to look for something that has more stability and benefits. That's my personal goal for 2010 - find a permanent, stable job before I get laid off from my current one!

What do YOU have planned for 2010?

~Melissa~

I've Been Featured!

Thanks to Rose Works Jewelry's Treasury Blog for including my white make-up removers in their blog post "Featuring the Etsy Bloggers Team"
Rose Works Jewelry's Treasury Blog: Featuring the Etsy Bloggers Team

New Year's Fun

Well, 2009 is almost at its end and 2010 is on the horizon. It wasn't a terrible year, although, I do admit it could have been much better. It was filled with car troubles, lost jobs, slow craft shows and slow web sales, but it was also filled with fun, love and laughs from my friends and family (both online and offline).

This brings me to the EtsyBloggers blog carnival question:
Tell us about your plans for ringing in the 2010 New Year!! Staying home/going out? Getting drunk, falling about?

Ha! There shall be no drunkeness in my home this year, although we used to throw quite the party back in the day. Its been a few years now and we are in a smaller apartment, the dog doesn't appreciate overnight guests and its hard to have a rockin' party when your toddler goes to bed at 9 PM.

This year, we'll be spending New Year's eve and day quietly at home. The little man will finally have some quality time with all his new toys from Christmas and hopefully I can get some crocheting done and get some items listed in my totally empty Artfire shop and add some new items to my Etsy shop.

I am hoping for a healthy, happy, quiet and prosperous 2010 for all of my friends and family!

Please don't forget to check out my Ring in the New Year sale, it ends at midnight on January 1. See this blog post for details.

Be sure to visit Joey & Aleethea on Monday, January 4 to see all the other great entries into this blog carnival!

Holiday Recipes - Cranberry Sauce

Earlier in the month, the EtsyBloggers wanted to know about our favorite holiday recipes, I missed the blog carnival, but I'd still like to share this simple recipe that is sure to impress - homemade whole berry cranberry sauce, that's right FROM SCRATCH. Those two words seem to make people go totally insane "oh my god, you made it from scratch?!?!" Yes, my dear friend, I did...

I always make cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving, then we started having ham on new year's eve, so I would make it then too. This year, we are likely having ham on Christmas eve, so I will make it then. Its really so simple, you can make it anytime you want, assuming you like cranberry sauce enough to eat the whole thing before it goes bad.


Picture from http://www.cookingdebauchery.com/ (I never went to their site, I just Googled pictures of cranberry sauce)

Ingredients:
1 bag of fresh cranberries
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of water

Rinse cranberries.
Boil water and sugar, add cranberries, simmer until cranberries pop open, stir occasionally.
Remove from heat, allow to cool, refrigerate until serving time.

Some recipes say to toss it all in the pot and boil it together, you can substitute juice and fake sugar, but it won't gel like regular cranberry sauce will.

If you forget any of the specifics (I do, all the time, I know, how I can I forget the 3 ingredients), doesn't matter, it ALWAYS on the back of the bag of cranberries!

Enjoy the holidays!

Santa Claus is Coming to Town - EtsyBloggers Style

Woo-hoo! Christmas is just four days away! Santa and his elves are putting the finishing touches on the gifts and wrapping them up, the reindeer are getting ready to fly! The excitement is in the air. The EtsyBloggers have some awesome Santa Claus items to get you in the holiday spirit!

Retro Santa Claus Pom Pom Ornament by AForestFrolic


Candy Cane Elf Hat with Holly Berries and Bells by RagamuffinDesign


Santa Claus Goat Milk Handmade Soap by Sweet Sally Soaps


Santa Claus Is Coming To Town -- Sassy Vintage-Inspired Christmas Cards by macaroniandglue


Merry Christmas!
~Melissa~

Let's Talk Colors

The EtsyBloggers have asked an interesting question for this Blog Carnival. They ask "What are your favorite color combinations? What do you create using those colors?"

There are lots of colors that I like to work with, so I decided to look through my shop and see what I have the most of. There is a lot of red and a lot of black, but it could be bacause I have many Christmas and Halloween items lingering around in my shop. I also have a lot of blue, blue beaded jewelry, blue winter themed ornaments and blue toys, blankets and scarves. Blue is a fun color to work with because there are so many lovely shades.

This beaded snowflake ornament has royal blue and light blue glass beads:


Blue also compliments a lot of other colors - it can be patriotic, funky and soft.


So, you see, having the blues isn't really a bad thing!

Featured EtsyBlogger - CalKat

It's time for me to introduce you to the featured EtsyBlogger for the month of December. This month, things are a little different in that the Etsy shop is run by two people - Kathy and Carrie - CalKat!

The CalKat shop features one of a kind jewelry made with sterling silver, components, gemstones, semi-precious gemstones and Swarovski crystals.

Take a look at this Starfish Necklace:


Kathy and Carrie also have a blog and three more Etsy shops - Yoga Fairies, The Clay Shoppe, Ametista Artistic Offerings.

All four shops are offering free world wide shipping from now until the end of December. That's a deal that you won't want to miss out on!

~Melissa~

Tis the Season to Accessorize!!

The holiday season is upon us and many are beginning their gift buying. Not feeling the Christmas cheer yet? Well, then you need a fun holiday themed accessory (or two or three...) to get you in the mood!!

Jingle Bells Beaded Necklace


Santa Claus Charm Earrings


Let It Snow Glass and Crystal Snowflake Bracelet


Also available are festive ornaments, scarves and plushies!

Happy Shopping!
~Melissa~


PS - Don't forget about the EtsyNJ Thanksgiving Sale and the EtsyBloggers Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale! I will be including a free gift with every purchase!

Foxy G. Knits Blog Giveaway!

Foxy G. Knits is a fellow member of EtsyBloggers and is an awesome knitter. She is giving everyone the chance to win a gorgeous red double moebius scarf.



Simply go to her blog for details on how to win!
http://foxygknits.wordpress.com/2009/11/16/monday-morning-musings-30/

Good luck!

Featured EtsyBlogger - The Fab Miss B

November's featured blogger is the Fab Miss B! Her friends call her Becky and she has two wonderful Etsy shops:

Becky Kazana - http://www.etsy.com/shop/beckykazana
The Fab Miss B - http://www.etsy.com/shop/thefabmissb

Her cards are just too cute, you certainly need to pick up a few for the holiday season!


Be sure to visit her blog and leave a comment so she knows you were there!

A Pat on the Back!

The EtsyBloggers have an interesting question for this biweekly blog carnival. They ask the following:

What was your most successful sales event or product, and why do you think it was?

Hands down, my most successful sales event was my Earth Day sale from earlier this year. I offered free shipping on all eco-friendly items - washcloths, make-up remover pads, dishcloths and upcycled jewelry.



During that period, I sold several sets of white make-up remover pads. I'm not sure why white was so popular, but I really should get my butt to the store and get more white cotton yarn!!



I think the sale was popular for two reasons:
1) My washcloths/make-up pads/dishcloths are very reasonably priced, and in some cases, by offering free shipping, I cut the total price almost in half.



2) Now more than ever, people are looking for ways to eliminate waste, save money and keep their families healthy. My washcloths and make-up remover pads are machine washable and last a very, very long time (I am tempted to say that they will last forever, but I can't be 100% sure of that) and the dishcloths replace stinky sponges that can hold mold and bacteria. All of them are pretty and give the sense of luxury while still being good for the environment and helping to save money.

I was surprised at how well the sale went, up until that point, I had little success with sales. Will this be an annual event?? You'll have to keep reading my blog to find out! ;-)