Thursday, November 27, 2014

Black Friday has Officially Begun

27 days and counting until Santa has been and gone again!



Happy Thanksgiving to all our readers south of the border, may you be safe and warm on this day if you must travel!

Black Friday, the traditional start to the Holiday Shopping Season.  I just bet many of you will be out taking advantage of the sales and great deals.
Black Friday begins at midnight when all of the shopping madness really begins what with the chaotic crowds in the malls and the parking lots filled to overflowing!  Rather than brave that type of shopping experience I am one of those who refuses to endure it so I shop from home and am truly grateful for the experience...

Etsy shops are brimming with inventory and wonderful Black Friday and Cyber Monday, ready to serve your Christmas purchases with good pricing, so type in "BLACK FRIDAY SALES" into your Etsy Search Bar and I promise you your going to find so many delectable sales on spectacular items, handmade just for you as well as Vintage from the past which are just waiting to be adopted and useful once again!

Diversity is what you will find here at Etsy the only thing you have to do is grab your favorite glass filled with your favorite drink, relax and start browsing.

You'll find a plethora of items all ready and waiting just to hit the shipping departments and wing their way to your mail boxes, So let your little mouse do the hard part and you take the glory for the wonderful gifts you buy all while enjoying the comfort of your own home!

And remember:

What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal. – By Albert Pine















Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Stretching the Dollars

28 that's is, the number of actual days until Christmas morning folks!

That crazy, wonderful chaotic shopping weekend is here, yes, this weekend will represent another BLACK FRIDAY with CYBER MONDAY and several filler days from the front of the sales to the back end!  What with all of the Thanksgiving festivities, the turkey, the desserts like pumpkin pie, that stuffed feeling after you've eaten it all, the clearing up while the guys watch the sport specials on tv, you can also shop the specials at Etsy shops!

Just to get you started, type "BLACK FRIDAY Sales" into your Etsy search bar and you find hundreds of shops selling their products at super reduced prices.

If your like me you love a fantastic bargain, saving enough that you can always add another gift to buy from your savings!  

Stretching your dollars is what this is all about!

EverestRanchCreation has wallets on special for the Black Friday event with an assortment of styles and colors for you to choose from, take this very pretty hand made wallet on special, perfect for that special friend who needs a new one, wouldn't you say?



AnemoneJewelry makes the prettiest rings, the shop is filled with a sparkling variety of style and settings just for you!  Like this one I chose in a gorgeous  red Onyx everyday ring, also a super gift to give to someone who has a great sense of style and uses jewelry as a fashion accessory....

BrighteyesTreasures is loaded with the most interesting and beautiful pieces of Vintage and Fine jewelry!  All ready and waiting to be wrapped up and put beneath someone's Christmas tree, I didn't know which piece to show you today because there are so many pieces I would genuinely love to own myself...I couldn't decide so this very different Irish Claddagh Ring with its emerald would make a very special gift for me under my tree!!!
or this necklace with the Elephant on a Mesh Chain?   What teen or young adult wouldn't be thrilled to bits with a vintage necklace this lovely!


Is there a wedding in the not too distant future your planning?  This sale on at sister9designs of personalized yoga sweat pants for the Bridesmaids is fantastic.  Great sale, ready when you are to attend the fun and games of the Bachelorette party!  Your bridal attendants will enjoy the cozy fit and ease with which they can lounge and with personalization, well, they won't get snatched now will they!
You'll all have a blast in your chosen colors and the price is right!


How about some whimsy to welcome your holiday guests into the home?  Over at ShopMolliesMarket is the cutest Snowman Banner/Hanging I have seen in a long time....so very cute and the children will absolutely fall in love with him!  

or this whimsical snowman??  He makes me smile!


Want to spruce up the Guest room or your master bedroom?  With a large variety of color and textures Fabrinique can sell or make you a custom ordered Bed runner and matching cushion set!  All at a very great sale price!
I chose this set because it suits my color sense and with velvet I couldn't go wrong!  This will go miles in showing off the room!

These items are but a sampling of what you can find to buy at great savings from the shop owners at Etsy dot com.  Their shops filled with enticing and affordable items to help you with your Santa list shopping.  Remember Black Friday comes but once each year and taking advantage of the sales stretches the dollar that much further this Christmas buying season. 

Etsy is filled with thousands of individual shops all ready and stocked for your buying needs, so, give yourself some additional savings this year and shop the Etsy way !

Don't forget to use the shop COUPON CODES before you check out, some shops have their sales posted on the items, however many shops offer COUPON CODES which may be used on Check Out !!!

Happy Sales



****The choice of items I choose to write about is my own, I am not affiliated with any crafting community, sellers or the shop owners or individual or company!    I do not extract nor do I get paid  for my publications of any item or items or personal opinions contained within this my personal blog.   I do not know nor am I affiliated with any person or shop I write about whatsoever*****

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

A SPECIAL GIFT TO ETSY ARTISANS


SANTA brought a special gift for Artisans who have HAND MADE shops on Etsy!  

It seems to be more difficult these days to remain in the spotlight in the world of 
e-commerce and all of us small shop owners at ETSY dot com could use a hand up as we struggle to continue crafting our special brand of hand made products, whatever these products may be.  

Etsy Artisans would rather spend their time in creating and producing more hand made product to sell, but increasingly we end up spending too many hours online inside our shops constantly tweaking in efforts to make sales and fit into someone's advertising allocated idea of marketing.  The Advertising realm is vast and very mind boggling and so we constantly spend more and more of precious production time chasing that right advertising fit!   

One of our own Etsy members is making a positive contribution to the idea that paying it forward is a very good thing, something anyone who owns and operates a shop where all product being sold is hand made by them stands an opportunity of joining in on the free initiatives of this one site until the end of 2014.  We are being asked if we would like the exposure for free - how long has it been since someone offered FREE to us?

While Handmade Solutions isn't claiming to solve all of our EXPOSURE problems, at the very least having a spot on the WWW where the spotlight is solely on Hand Made Etsy Shop Owners cannot but help us in our endeavors.    

Here is what HANDMADERESOLUTIONS is all about! .......


TAKE advantage of this very special offer now because come January 1st, 2015 it will no longer exist as being FREE! Pass it along to all your Etsy friends who have shops selling only handmade items! HERE IT IS just for you the Hand Crafter!

As our lives get busier, the luxury of time is premium. Exquisitely handmade items give you a window to this luxury, no matter what we happen to be doing. By choosing to buy, and / or create the handmade we are moving towards simplicity, luxury and sustainability.

THIS CONCEPT is very much still being developed at handmaderesolutions.com , but you are welcome to join us!

Please do contact us if you would like to be included in the global handmade online artisans collective.

The aim of Handmade Resolutions is for the site to be an access point for potential buyers of the handmade and handcrafted, listing reliable artisans who have a passion for the handmade and their already existing online venues.

It does not take the place of the wonderful online venues that already exist. Rather, Handmade Resolutions works alongside these online venues.

Handmade Resolutions will promote you, your hand made product and your hand made business and online shop/s as genuinely handcrafted, 24 hours a day. The site is already popular with tips and info for the small business owner looking to find out about how to run an online business. Taking it one step further, handmaderesolutions.com now 'pays it forward' by providing a strongly professionally seo-ed online repository for the handmade artist and artisan to bring their product to the world, and the world to their online shops for little or no cost.

SEO (search engine optimization) is important to be seen in an increasingly competitive internet environment, but it should not come at the expense of the passion and creativity that brought you to sharing and selling your creations to the world in the first place.

How can people now be sure they are buying a genuinely handmade article? How can they know that the values of simplicity, luxury and beauty inherent in the handmade, are values that inspire the items they are viewing and wish to purchase?

By checking http://linesheetlookbook.com/payingitforward/

We do need critical mass to grow, and ensure the longevity of this project. If you are a handmade artisan who wishes to be included in this directory, for the next couple of months inclusion is FREE.

The cut off date for this offer is January 1, 2015. For more info click here.

If you register in that time, there will be no costs, ever.
After the cut off date, any new registrations will be required to pay a yearly fee to be listed on the site. The yearly fee covers my coding time and the hosting of the site, nothing more.

The aim of the site is simple – that the wonderful experience that is brought about with the creation, purchase, and use of the handmade product never loses it’s rightful place on the internet, as one of the more positive and rewarding aspects of our human endeavor.

The more creators of the genuine handmade product that wish to be listed on Handmade Resolutions, the more traction the handmade and handcrafted will have on the world wide web. 

The more traction we then have, the better our SEO (as more creatives link to the directory, and we in turn link to creative’s online venues and websites).

The more articles written by creatives within the handmade arena, and published here, the more online presence we will have, individually and as a group.

It is now up to us to keep the intrinsic value of the exquisitely handmade and handcrafted up to date and relevant on the www.

If your like me, seeking good and free exposure for our shops, check out this free offer and it doesn't matter what your hand made product is you sell, it is the fact that it is HAND MADE!

Spread the word to the many Artisans who own and operate Hand Made shops on Etsy dot com so they may take advantage before the end of the year.  

It isn't often someone comes along with a free gift so get it while it is on offer, I am on my way will I see you there?


Saturday, November 22, 2014

Making Christmas Memories

32 days and counting until Santa has once again been and gone and it begins all over again with the New Year in the offing!

What fun to see Christmas through your children's eyes!

Children become very excited and bedlam sometimes reigns for several weeks until that ungodly hour before dawn when tiny footsteps begin tiptoeing their way to where they hope to find the tree loaded with gaily wrapped packages with their names on them!

Some tiny tots become anxious if their home doesn't have a fireplace chimney for Ole Kris Kringle to make his entry from, so, if you don't have a fireplace, why not get a Magic Key for Santa, the children will be so relieved and less anxious about how will be able to get into the tree area to leave their special requests they've made to Father Christmas!
Hurry on over to theStickerHut and it is there you will find the cutest little bag that holds a Magic Key with just the right instructions for Santa relieving children from stressful thoughts of Santa not being able to have access to their family Christmas tree. 


Everyone knows Santa must be left a special treat of Milk and Cookies before he leaves your home, what better than of course milk and cookies and lets not forget Rudolph and his friends who work hard in pulling Santa's gift laden sleigh!    At Etsy there are hundreds of Independent shop owners with special dishes made just for Santa and of course every one of Santa's beloved Reindeer need to be given a carrot or two, and I have found a terrific set to accommodate all of the cookies and carrots to fulfill that necessity from the VinylyComplete shop
Isn't this too perfect?

 And from the OhSoCraftyy shop I found another one and I am positive if you browse through the shops your going to find the exact perfect plate and drink set for Santa that till suit your children.  Most of these sets can be customized with your child or children's names on them, which would be thrilling and a super way to get them into bed and settled for the night after they've set out treats for Santa and his hardworking reindeer!



Kids love signs!  Why not get yourselves an Marquee LED lit sign that says in giant letters "SANTA"???  Click into the JennNRome Shop and you'll find such wonderful LED signage.  The kids will be thrilled with it!
I fell for this one right off and it would certainly light Santa's way to the Christmas Tree area! 




With all that Santa has to do before Christmas eve, it would be fun for the children to know Santa won't lose his way!  Children everywhere love Santa and the advent of Christmas is very exciting for them, knowing they can direct Santa straight to their house.   I love the face of a child lit with excitement at the very thought of Santa being in their home and leaving presents!


Then there is a Journal children can be taught to keep from one Christmas to the next, with photographs of their gifts, letters to Santa, secret Christmas wishes or a quote someone said on that special day that they may wish to remember forever!  A wonderful book filled with past Christmas memories of themselves and the possibility of it becoming a special keepsake to pass along to their children!
I found this cute journal over at the BabyBlackDog shop, cute isn't it?

Then from the imagINephotowords shop I discovered this great kit for children to make their very own and special thank you cards to send after Christmas to Grandma and Grandpa, or Aunts and Uncles, etc., what fun this would be for them, thrilling to send and special to receive!



Making and having a memorable Christmas is what all the fuss is about and some of these wonderful items can make a memory last long after Christmas 2014 has come and gone!

Etsy shop owners are more than willing to assist you in finding exactly what it is your looking for, so no need for the heavy winter gear, cleaning off the car, finding a parking spot in the overcrowded mall parking lot and dealing with elbow to elbow shoppers, nope, all you have to do is choose your favorite brew and let your mouse lead you through the Etsy shops....


****The choice of items I choose to write about is my own, I am not affiliated with any crafting community, sellers or the shop owners or individual or company!    I do not extract nor do I get paid  for my publications of any item or items or personal opinions contained within this my personal blog.   I do not know nor am I affiliated with any person or shop I write about whatsoever*****



Friday, November 21, 2014

Warp Speed

The countdown to Christmas seems to be moving rather quickly isn't it? Since beginning my countdown it just seems to be winding down at warp speed and with only 33 days left...I can't believe it, but it is true!
Coping strategies are beginning to kick in for many of us, coping with normal every day to day activities, be it job related or family and home, but we all know the Big day is fast approaching and we will need to hustle if we want to enjoy it to the fullest by being totally ready!
Having out of necessity to be up late last night chasing "mice" wanting to use my cupboard as winter quarters this year!  There simply is no room at my Inn for them.....I dislike doing it, but I had to set traps!  Mice don't have bladders, so they make quite a mess inside drawers and cupboards and it is such a chore to keep having to empty the area and keep washing and disinfecting and getting rid of them.  I couldn't go to bed and leave it until morning, nope, I had to make sure I got as many meeces as I could, so in between catch and release I needed to be patient and since I had to remain up I went Etsy Browsing of course!  

Want to see some of the things I fell in love with during my forays into the many shops at Etsy.com?

Look at this shop from Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom called Coldham Cuddlies!  The shop owner makes the cutest and cuddly animals I have seen in a long time!  I found Mr. bunny so darned cute, this is considered an Art Doll...and she has many others as well as the cutest darndest slippers for men and women which will make a statement for certain!


and
Talk about cuteness!

Something totally different popped up while I was browsing, this very pretty Boho Embroidered with sequins tote or purse whichever you might like to use it as!  So colorful and would certainly suit a range of age groups!


You can find this pretty bag over at BostonBackBay which has some lovely vintage pieces.

Oh and I found a beautiful pair of Vintage Southwestern earrings too, I am one of those women who loves anything Native American and more particularly jewelry.  These are perfect and lovely and can be bought at the RitzyandGlitzy shop!  



This lovely pewter Nativity set of characters struck my fancy!  Just perfect for this time of year, and with so many people who simply love the Christmas season, I am sure someone will snap this up in a hurry.  Afterall, I have friends who would love to celebrate and decorate Christmas all year through!  They go all out for different decorations and hunt the shops looking for one of a kind different from what they've seen before, or simply want to have. Pewter is a pretty metal and pieces made from it will last forever!  I stumbled across this in a shop at Etsy called StillVintage!



Are you like me?  Do you love something unusual in the way of seasonal Christmas decorations?  I found these unusual little ceramic Gnome houses....aren't these too cute?  I found these at the Cermystica Shop!



Osnat Tzadok  is a self taught Artist, someone to watch!  Her soul capturing scenic paintings are breathtaking and to receive or give a gift of one of her paintings cannot help but bring pleasure.  Since I am really into Red these past many years and because certain Artworks grab hold of me, I would love to share this painting with you! 


and if you don't mind indulging me, this particular scenic painting which reminds me of my surroundings here where I live!  Breathtaking colors and so true in mid-to late Fall here in eastern Ontario. 

Osnat sells her fantastic works from OsnatFineArt in Markham, Ontario.  

I am never disappointed when I browse Etsy.com, there is so very much to see and to buy from thousands and thousands of shops for all types of items from handmade to vintage, Etsy shop owners have it all wrapped up in a beautiful site, you just have to experience it all for yourselves...Not only will you more than likely find what your looking for or want custom made, but you'll be supporting small business and in many instances Local Small business.  

Small Independent shop owners are dealt with on a one to one basis, no huge corporate entity here, nope, you'll actually be dealing with the shop owner each and every time you buy!  So, treat yourself and enjoy a great shopping experience and still be free to devote all that extra time your not out of your home running from mall to mall or store to store.  Etsy has it all under it's very gigantic umbrella. 



****The choice of items I choose to write about is my own, I am not affiliated with any crafting community, sellers or the shop owners or individual or company!    I do not extract nor do I get paid  for my publications of any item or items or personal opinions contained within this my personal blog.   I do not know nor am I affiliated with any person or shop I write about whatsoever*****

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Shed Some Light

34 days and Santa will have been to visit and left all those gaily wrapped pressies underneath our trees!   As one of Santa's elves, 
I need light to complete the work Santa left me with, so when the sewing machine is off I resort to having to finish much by hand, however I simply cannot see in the dark (cause I never really went to night school), I need candlelight!!

Having a hydro outage does not help when you have a list as long as the one Santa has and only one pair of hands to make it all happen.  When this happens I freak out a little, but I do have hand work that can be done so the time isn't wasted, but, where I live, in the country and not close enough to any shops where you can buy necessities, once the Hydro goes out, especially when darkness descends, the wonderful Candle becomes very important. 

According to the National Candle Association "Candles have been used for light and to illuminate man’s celebrations for more than 5,000 years, yet little is known about their origin."  And that today's "Candles have come a long way since their initial use. Although no longer man’s major source of light, they continue to grow in popularity and use. Today, candles symbolize celebration, mark romance, soothe the senses, define ceremony, and accent home decors — casting a warm and lovely glow for all to enjoy."
Knowing winter is definitely upon us, many towns and cities all over North America seem to be having severe weather, the possibility of hydro disruptions is a certainty!
Like many, I love candles for the ambiance mood setting light, but I also am in love with Vintage and things that are natural, combined candles and a holder and you have yourself a winner!
I have discovered some wonderful candle sellers at Etsy!   Some combine the candle and the vessel it is in, while others craft the vessels to hold your favorite type of candles. 

One such shop that combines the useful and pretty candle with a lovely vintage item is HappyAccidentCandles !  It is there where I found some very beautiful candles inside some wonderful vintage vessels (holders)...quite unique!  Like this Vintage Royal Cauldon Tea Cup and Saucer Soy Wax Candle that is scented with jasmine and honeysuckle blended with hints of herbal rosemary and sage and top notes of orange and lemon to create a light floral scent called MUMS and MARIGOLDS.  There is a good variety of various vintage cups and saucer combinations, and these make for very safe candle

burning and once used up, the vessel itself may be reused with the use of a new candle.  I found for myself a favorite vintage piece being a peach frosted glass lamp shade over one of those huge jar candles!!   They'd go well with any large apothecary jar candle as well as any decor to be certain!



Then over at the OpenVintaeShutters shop I discovered these beautiful candle Lanterns, oh my but these are useful but oh so pretty!
This one happens to be a favorite for me!
Over at the ChurchHouseWoodworks shop you'll find some very interesting rustic candle holders....like this grouping!  
It is wonderful to see wood used in this way without being discarded!

At the Zlantern shop you will find a huge variety of hand made Zinc Lanterns, my but these are pretty!  Who could resist being drawn to one of these lanterns?
While at the FloatsamandJetsamCrafts shop there is another rustic candle holder made from Driftwood!  Makes a beautiful table centerpiece!

Candles are important to me especially when the lights go out and I need light for my work, but also because lighting in various forms doesn't have to stem from hydro electricity!  Candles can and do set a scene, a tone, a mood even make just about any celebration a very special affair!

I fortunately do not have any little people running around my home, but, selecting a safe holder for your candle is also a very important consideration.
Always be safe with candles, make certain you know you've extinguished them properly before abandoning the room you've lit with them for the night!

Set your Christmas decorating to include candles and attractive candle holders which are safe and pretty to look at and enjoy!

****The choice of items I choose to write about is my own, I am not affiliated with any crafting community, sellers or the shop owners or individual or company!    I do not extract nor do I get paid  for my publications of any item or items or personal opinions contained within this my personal blog.   I do not know nor am I affiliated with any person or shop I write about whatsoever*****








Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Wooly = Warmth

35 days and counting!  Once the holiday season is upon us it winds down very quickly and before you know it you know who will be making his rounds real soon!  Meaning, there are not really that many days left to get yourself ready for the Big day! 



Today is so darned bone chilling cold it made me think of ways for my exchange student to be toasty warm while waiting for the school bus, so I have gone shopping for some needed warmth for her even though she will have to wait for Christmas!

MY young miss has a certain flair for a darker and more sedate color pallet and her favorite color combination just happens to be red with either black or green or gray!  I found her a pair of Sweater Mittens from JewelrybyJayne which are perfect!  

I  found a wonderful hoodie scarf for her too!  Over at SWAKCouture this gorgeous handmade hoodie scarf combination is practical as well as very attractive in its design and is wonderfully long.   I am partial to some particular pieces of head gear you can wear in a variety of ways, this not only suits me but I believe my teen will adore it!


For yourself, for family members or friends who simply appreciate wool sweaters, scarves and mittens or gloves I found this beautiful hand made Infinity Scarf at the BohoMonroeCreations shop!  Don't you think this would make a perfect and lasting gift to give?  It certainly would fit in with any color combination of outerwear they may be wearing this winter!

This unusual styled  crocheted Cowl Sweater Vest is uniquely different from 
anything I have noticed lately, it would certainly make a wonderful winter gift to give this Christmas!  It comes from Gitasknitwear, isn't it great for those who love the out doors in winter weather and yet have a need for warmth?  Teens especially will love them!


For men and young men, any sweaters made from sheeps wool is ideal!  Style coupled with warmth is essential for being out of doors, and nothing is as warm and comfy as sweaters made from sheeps wool!  This one is made from NewZealands' sheeps wool and is wonderfully long which covers the back and hips nicely!  This I found at Knitsha!  


Men love woolen vests!  They keep the body warm yet allow the arms movement and some men don't like their arms captured in sleeves over long sleeved shirts.  These knitted woolen vests are terrific for a man who enjoys this type of garment in winter!  It comes from toivima shawls !

Winter in most parts of many countries means having to dress for cold weather, so if you have those on your list who could use a new garment for warmth and comfort this winter, why not browse the Etsy shops for sweaters, vests, shawls, scarves, mittens, and don't forget those wonderful wooly socks to keep the tootsies warm and cozy too!   Make being out of doors in winter weather enjoyable while being warmly dressed to that sledding, skating, riding or leisurely walks to enjoy the winter scenery is cozy and fun?

Thousands of Independent shop owners at Etsy offer you hand made goodness, so do yourself a favor, look around the shops, find something you don't see being worn every time you turn the corner and please someone you love with warmth this Christmas morning!


****The choice of items I choose to write about is my own, I am not affiliated with any crafting community, sellers or the shop owners or individual or company!    I do not extract nor do I get paid  for my publications of any item or items or personal opinions contained within this my personal blog.   I do not know nor am I affiliated with any person or shop I write about whatsoever*****