Featured Shop - ElsiesCreativeDesign

ElsiesCreativeDesign

This new shop has such cute handmade items I had to feature it! Elsies Creative Design makes handmade custom and pre-made wreaths that are very unique and elegant. There is also much more cute home decor and a nice selection of gifts.
The shop itself opened in 2012 after the shop owner decided it was her calling to start a craft business. Her and her family decided to turn their 3 car garage into a craft studio where she can make and store her items. The owner, Lisa  Cook said, " I felt the Lord was leading me in this direction". Lisa is always adding new items so stop by and check out her shop. Custom gifts are perfect because they mean so much more then your regular store bought gifts. Lisa is very friendly and will work with her customers to make them what they are looking for! https://www.etsy.com/people/lisaburkecook

 

My new Etsy Team is now open!

I decided after being on over 90 Etsy teams that is finally time to make one of my own. One thread that I never see is a place where buyers can list what they want or cant seem to find. Kind of like the want ads. After they list what they are looking for sellers can then contact them if they have what the buyer wants or if they can create it. The name of this team is Bold Promotions and is open to everyone that wants to promote and join with buyers and sellers. I am really hoping it takes off so I urge you to take a peek and join. We can grow together! Here is my link www.etsy.com/teams/20005/bold-promotions See you there!

My Pink Valentines Treasury

I am very proud of this treasury and think it should be front page! 16 pink beautiful finds from team members. What is your favorite?

Amethyst Sunburst Starburst Mirror

My newest member to the sunburst mirror family is the Amethyst stone mirror. It features authentic free form amethyst in big beautiful chunks all around the mirror. The other purple colored square gemstones you see are Agate. They both go great together and really compliment the golden color sunshine coming off the mirror. This measures over 2 feet big and will make an amazing focal point in any room of your home.

SEE Sunburst Mirror

Featured shop: FredericaDixon

FredericaDixon

After searching for my very first shop to feature I came across a beautiful little Etsy shop named 

FredericaDixon. This store has over 190 handmade necklaces pendants and bracelets made 

with love and with a variety of beads and materials like; silver charm bracelets, gemstones and fimo clay pendants.

After looking through her store I was very impressed at just how pretty her items were. This is a great little store 

something for everyone. I highly recommend checking out https://www.etsy.com/shop/FredericaDixon. Here are

some of my favorite items...

More website or shop promotion for free

I love to find great sites that let you advertise your handmade and vintage products for free. So this one is called Craftori and some of you may have already heard of it but it is a good idea to list some of your best products that with a link back to your store. Craftori has 3 main categories which include; free, paid and supplies. You can upload pictures and a short description of your lovely item for free and get more exposure. If you want to be on the front page you can do that as well however that cost about 5 bucks a week I believe. There is always beautiful art and handmade items on there so if you have things of your own that need more exposure check out http://craftori.com/

Pink Dawn - Front Page worthy treasury

This is a note worthy treasury that belongs on the front page of Etsy don't you think?

Pink my heart Treasury

I love PINK treasuries, dont you? What is you fav color treasury? Comment below.

Love is in the air treasury

I love the red scarf, what about you?

Peace Love and Hearts Treasury

I love the pillow what do you like best?

Etherial Treasury

I love the butterfly, whats your fav?

Crazy Love Treasury

Now on Google+

I am now on Google+ and am looking to ad more people into my circles. Please either join me or follow me so I can connect with you! I am looking forward to seeing you there! Also I love when people comment,share and +1 so dont be shy.

Here is my link Google+ and have a wonderful day!

How to make a Rolled Paper Rose

You will need:

A pair of scissors

A piece of card stock ( in your color )

Hot glue gun heating up or

Fast drying tacky glue

Making a cute little rolled paper rose is actually very easy and fun. It only takes a few minutes after you learn to make one so you can sit down and make quite a few for a project. They are not as hard as you might have thought if you just follow these simple steps!

The very first thing you will want to do it start with a square of paper. The size of your paper depends on the size you want to make your rose. This piece is about 3 inches by 3 inches. Your going to cut a circle in a spiral motion until you come close to the end. You can also use a die cutter if you happen to have one available.

Remember the circle doesn't have to be perfect because it's going to get rolled anyways. Just leave some room at the very end because that's where we are going to stick the rolled rose on for support. As you can see from the picture about there is a little room left in the very middle of the spiral. That will be the platform or base of the rose.

The trickiest part of the rose is the very beginning. You have to take and start rolling the rose but the first two rolls are more like folds to get it started. So fold it over a couple times around itself and then start rolling the rest of the rose. You just keep bring the paper around itself with your fingers until you get to that last little platform we mentioned. When you get there just turn that little platform to the bottom of your rose to sit on while still holding the rose so it doesn't unravel.

Now if you want to loosen your rose up some gently lift up your finger a little at a time and the rose will start to open or spin some you decide how far you want it opened. Its just a matter of preference and how big you want the rose to turn out.

Now with the hot glue gun or quick drying glue pull the top of the rose up and squeeze a decent amount of glue on the platform and push the rose back down into the glue and hold for about 5 seconds or so. Sometimes you might want to add a touch to the other side if it feels like it needs more support.

When your finished it should look similar to this. The nice thing is they all tun out slightly different and after you make a few you will feel like a pro. If you enjoy making these you can do a whole project like the picture below of a topiary I made from all rolled rose for a Christmas gift. 

Stop and Smell the Roses Treasury

Everything is so pretty, I like the rug with the flowers. Whats your favorite item?

Need FREE Shop or Store Promotion

If you have an Etsy shop, Ebay store or even yor own website then you know how hard and costly it can be to promote your site. Getting free exposure takes time and work on your part or otherwise you have to foot the big bills for social media tools and experts. I have a great little place that I promote my shops that you can actually return to once on week on Wednesday and re-enter your shop all over again for more people to see. Its very cool and easy. All you have to do is leave a link to your blog or store and your name and email and BOOM a picture of something from your shops will be put online for others to see. Its called the Online Shop hop. It also works great if you want to list your treasuries, you can put them on there as well. Its completely free and there is paid advertising if you want that as well. promotemyshop.blogspot.com/

Where to get CHEAP Hot Glue sticks

Being a crafter I go through bags of glue sticks a week! In fact the last topiary I made took 20 glue sticks exactly. If you go to Micheals or Joanne Fabrics they can range from 4.00$ on up. But my little secret place is a hidden gem where you can tons of hot glue sticks for so much cheaper. I go to the Dollar Tree and so far everyone I've gone to has tons of them. I usually buy 10 packs at a time for ten bucks. The truth is there is no difference in them and the ones I use from craft stores. they fit in my stand hot glue gun, there is 20 in a pack and they work with high temp glue guns. PERFECT! And saves lots of money if you need a lot of them as I do. So next time you pass by a Dollar Tree stop in and see if it can saves you some money.

Chantilly

I love the little girl holding the bear. What a pretty treasury! 

Just says it all

This just says it all!

New and Improved Sunburst Mirrors

I am always trying to improve my product and came up with a great way to do so on my Sunburst mirrors! I actually drill each and every hole that the wooden dowel/stick goes into instead of just gluing on the back. Both ways make a beautiful product that looks almost the same however the new improved version is more 3D as it is mounted on a piece of wood. Doing it this way does taking longer but the finished product is much more sturdy and durable. Right now they are priced at about 99.00$ compared to the other ones I did which were in the 70.00$ range. I only have one listed as of today because I wanted to hurry and write something about it. The one I just completed is done in purple Agate and purple shell beads. Its very elegant, unique and pretty. They are around 28 inches in diameter as well so they make a great focal point on a wall.

 

Purple Treasury

I couldn't end my treasuries for now without adding my favorite color purple to the mix. What a lovely one this is. My picks are the purple dress and felt elephant! What are yours?

So Romantic Treasury

This one has so many beautiful items I really could not pick. I wanted to pick them all! But I think my favs for this one are the necklace, love boxes and envelopes.

New Hope for all Treasury

My favorite from this treasury is the Pink Flamingo Coasters and Orchid Pillow Cover! Whats yours?

Do you love treasuries?

There is nothing better then a well curated treasury! What a great idea that Etsy uses these, they are fun to make and look at.

Prestigious Home Services Award



I am so happy to announce my husband's company Prestigious Home Services has won the Angie's List Super service award. Only the top 5% in their field based on reviews can get this award so I am very excited that his hard work is paying off. He treats his customers like close friends and works night and day to do everything he can to keep everyone as happy as possible. Not to mention his work is amazing. He services the Metro Detroit area if you are interested in Home remodeling that is a cut about the rest! See if Prestigious services your area! prestigioushomemichigan.com

angieslist.com/review/7965854

Looking for biggest bead selection?

I love beads and gemstones and that's no secret but its a good idea to find a reputable place to buy them from. There is thousands of places on Ebay that sell little packets but what if you want more? I use pandahall.com for pretty much everything I need. They have the biggest selection I have ever seen of beads, gems, lampwork, draw-bench, seed beads, bracelets and necklaces in bulk and all of the accessories that go with jewelry making. They have the best prices I have yet to find and have huge sales! The only thing you have to watch out on is getting really heavy items because the shipping can go up fast that way. However the weight is listed right under the items and sometimes they offer sales of free shipping on big orders over a certain amount which can save you hundreds if your buying in bulk! They are also super friendly every time I deal with them.
There is a lot of perks to doing business with them. Every sale you make you start going up a level to where you get bigger discounts and things like that. They have an all bulk site www.pandawhole.com for large amount and better pricing as well.
I hope this helps you find what you need for you business of crafting. It sure has helped me. If you have a bead and gemstone business that is really good please leave the link in the comments  the section below for our readers to check out!

How to use crackle paint

Ever wonder how something are painted with that really neat aged look and you know its a newer item? Well chances are one of the ways they made the product appear old or shabby/rustic looking is by using crackle paint. It's a medium that you apply and ages your paint for you. Here is a few steps to show you how to use your crackle paint.

                                                                       
Step 1)
Find a small item to do your first practice on like a small wood cut out. You will need your wood cut out, a paintbrush, 2 contrasting paint colors ( light and dark) and your crackle paint. I used Martha Stewart's Brand and get it from Joanne Fabrics for around 8 bucks.

Step 2)
Paint your cut out with your first paint color. I find that using the darker color first works better for me but you can do whatever you prefer. After a quick brush let your items dry completely.

Step 3)

Put a liberal amount of crackle paint on in smooth brush strokes. It is clear like a gel so will be hard to see. the directions remind you to NOT over brush as it is tempting to want to play with it some. Again let the crackle medium dry completely. 

Step 4)

Now apply you lighter color and as it dried you will see very quickly the crackle taking form. It really leaves a different pattern each time. Now even though I showed you how to do this on a star it actually looks better on things like birdhouses and old style decor. But starting small with crackle paint and moving up as you get practice with it is definitely the way to go.

What is Vintage?

While searching online I am sure you have came across the word "vintage" countless times, am I right? Most people know that the word antique refers to something that has made it to it's 100 year anniversary but what about the word vintage.
Sellers use this word very loosely now days but the actual definition refers to wine if you can believe that. It is actually referring to the the year and or place a wine was produced. However you will notice it usually is used in a different way. It can describe clothes, furniture, art and house hold items. Generally when some one refers to something being vintage it means it is between the age of 50-100 years old. Again you will see many different time uses for it though. I have seen people list the word vintage on items that are 15-20 years old! So as you can see this words true meaning has been blurred overtime.

 

Ready for a paint change?

For years I have gone with the same types of colors and tones; Warms, reds and oranges. I dont think I could function with out having a burnt Sienna wall somewhere in my home. I really enjoy the warm colors because they always have made me feel so cozy. Now days I am looking for paint colors that bring more of a calmness and inner peace. How do you do that? Its pretty simple really, you just need to switch your tones around. The picture below will show you warm and cool tone paint colors. Which makes you feel better and brings a state of mind you enjoy?







 Cooler tones for peace and calmness?

OR...





Warm for inviting!


Which do you like best? I have always went with the reds and oranges but now I think its time to lighten the mood and feel. Im looking for an inner calmness and with the cool tones colors I will be able to find it! Don't get me wrong, the warm rich red will always have a place in  my heart!

Shabby decor for your Blog

I was doing some shabby surfing looking for more things to fall in love with and I came across a site that has the prettiest and shabbiest web/blog decor I have seen! The best part is, it appears to be free. They have backgrounds, headers, post pretties, tags, buttons and more. I couldn't believe how cute there designs are. This is a site I would check out for sure. I know I will be going back a few times!



                   shabbyblogs.com/design/

Personalized Children's Wall Letters

Are you looking for personalized letters for your nursery or child's room? There is a lot of different styles out there so which do you choose? If you are looking for something to go over the bed it will usually look best as a larger letter or set of letters. I recommend about 12-24 inches. If you are doing a whole name or have a smaller room I would recommend 6 to 8 inch letters. This keeps it from becoming to overwhelming.
Also I notice a lot of people will have a pink wall and want to do the same color letters. Generally you will want a color that compliments your wall color but is not the same. If you have pink walls then accent with a white or cream color letter. And of coarse I always recommend handmade. I feel there is much more love and care put into what you buy...

You can do six inch letters like these and accent with other smaller items above a crib area.

You can do one or two big bold 12 inch letters for a strong focal point like this.

Or you can make an even bigger statement with these 13 inch highly decorated and eye catching custom letters.

If see something you like check ot my store where you can find all sorts of neat decor and wall letters!

etsy.com/shop/Treasures81

Shabby Centerpeice

I love those large balls of Styrofoam you can buy at Michaels and Joanne's for outrages amount of money! Thanks heaven for 40% off coupons. I have been trying to think of different and unique things I could create with these so I decided to try and do a hanging shabby style centerpiece or decoration. It took about 2-3 hours ( I lost track) but when it was finished it was really pretty and really heavy. This is my first one so they should only get better from here but I got to say it was a lot of work and a full pack of hot glue sticks! Here is a 8 inch diameter centerpiece. Not to shabby for my first one eh?

Its hard to tell from the picture but the pattern is the same on the top and bottom.

Awesome Tweeters List

Great followers I personally recommend following on Twitter.  

Follow @psswstyles
Follow @HolidayHeadqtrs
Follow @tgbears
Follow @Shopping4you
Follow @BrendaSearching
Follow @PhebeOhYes
Follow @Sen_Canimsiin
Follow @smilingbluedog
Follow @RescuedinTime
Follow @davesbargains
Follow @Sara_Valor
Follow @annimae9
Follow @bluedarkArt
Follow @GRANDFINERY
Follow @barntiques859
Follow @happyhippyshack
Follow @findsfromyester
Follow @RokoKaran

Fiverr, a Valuable site

Today I am going to talk about this really cool site I use for a lot of my marketing and low cost SEO needs. The name of the site is Fiverr and it has thousands of people on there doing their specialty for you for only 5 bucks! On there its called doing a gig and a gig is 5 dollars each. You really wouldnt believe of amount of different things you can find on one site! Here is a list of some just to give you an idea;

Real people make offers of what they do like this;

" I will make 4oo word commercial for your business."
" I will give you 5000 back links to your blog or website."
" I will proofread 1000 words of an essay you wrote."
" I will draw or paint you a premium portrait."
" I will write an SEO rich article for you."
" I will add 300 Facebook Fans."
" I will give you 2,500 Twitter followers."
" I will put your ad on my blog."
" I will interview you on my blog."
" I will create an amazing Ebay store Template."


As you can see there is tons of different gigs you can get for 5 dollars and the list can go on and on. I have used about 5 different sellers on there now and had good luck. They have a certain amount of time to deliver your order ( usually couple days ) and if they miss deadline you can cancel. This is a great place for you to find new and unique ways to get your site and blog noticed with their inexpensive marketing tools and many professionals.

http://fiverr.com/