So Michele @ Favorably Fashioned (http://favorablyfashined.etsy.com) helped me out once again and made me these stylish bracelet cards to wrap my bracelets around before sending to to my fab customers.
Michele also made me some earring cards but I have yet to get around to photographing those (*sigh* another thing on my to do list)
I think it's a big improvement aesthetically speaking - what do you all think?
I'm fairly confident to say that I drink more ice tea than pretty much anyone, as I drink it all day every day (no exaggeration). I generally play around with our iced tea maker to come up with different flavors but I saw this recipe on realsimple.com the other day and had to try it.
It's super simple and delicious and not only do you get all the benefits of tea but all the goodness of pomegranates as well. I switched out the sugar for agave syrup to make it healthier - you can find agave syrup at your local health store.
Pomegranate Lime Iced Tea - Adapted from Real Simple
Ingredients
8 cups boiling water
8 tea bags (I used lipton but you could experiment with other teas)
2 cups pomegranate juice
3 limes, thinly sliced
1/4 agave syrup (or 1/2 cup sugar)
Directions
Pour 8 cups of boiling water into a pitcher (heat resistant). Add the tea bags and let steep for 10 minutes.
Remove the tea bags.
When the tea is cool add the pom juice, limes and agave syrup (or sugar)
Serve in a nice tall glass with lots of ice!
The winner of my cute flower cab earrings is Lily @ Love Charles Vintage. Congratulations Lily! Your earrings will be on their way to you this week.
Today's Etsy Seller Feature is on Katharina Rettig from Pink Racoon, who makes super cute bags and purses. I'm totally in love with her Little Red Riding Hood Ipod case and Dachshund pencil case! Katharina is located in MÃnchengladbach, Germany.
How did you get started in making handbags?I started sewing a few years ago, mostly felt plushies, small monsters and a lobster, who is called Hummer (the German word for lobster), he still lives on my desk and watches me sewing. As I am addicted to handbags, it was only natural I tried to sew bags and pouches. I searched the internet for simple instructions, self taught me how to sew bags and later made my own pattern. Most bags were gifts for friends and members of my family, but people kept telling me I could also sell them - that's when I started pinkracoon.
Do you do your craft full-time? I'm a student, but I sew whenever I can.Where do you find inspiration for your products?
I read tons of blogs everyday, which are very inspiring. They are not only about sewing but also about graphic design, illustrations, photography or home decor. I love reading about creative people and their work. When I have an idea for a bag, I usually start making sketches and then choose fabrics I want to use, but I also often find some nice fabrics first and then think of what I could make with them. Beautiful fabrics are a great inspiration!
What do you love about your business? I love selling at etsy because it is so personal. When I sew a pouch or a bag and someone likes it and hearts or even buys my item, it always makes my day. It's great to communicate with the buyer and making someone happy with somthing I created.
What is your favorite product right now? Somehow, my favorites are always the latest items I designed. At the moment, I like the dachshund pencil cases, especially the grey one. I love the grey fabric, which I also used for a lot of my other pouches. It is so soft I'd like to stroke it all day. Perhaps I should make another lobster with the grey fabric!
What makes you unique at Etsy? I think my bags are unique because they are fun, colorful and cute. You might call them childish, but that's just what I am. I would never make a bag that I don't like, just because some people would buy it. My shop is small but personal and I think it's very important that each buyer is happy with their purchase.Do you have any tips for crafters starting out?
Take good pictures! That's the best tip I can give you. There are so many great crafters on etsy who sell wonderful items but have blurry or dark pictures which don't make the item look as good as in reality.
Kathi can be found at the below:
www.pinkracoon.etsy.com
http://www.flickr.com/pinkracoon
www.twitter.com/pinkracoon
Something fun I saw on Craftzine - so fun right? Makes me wish I had a garden to try it in!
Try this alternative to spray paint, and leave your mark in the way of gardeners past.
By Helen Nodding
MATERIALS
Several clumps of garden moss
1 can of beer, or pot of natural yogurt, or 12oz buttermilk See which works best for your location.
½tsp sugar
Blender
Plastic container with a lid
Paintbrush and spray mister
DIRECTIONS
Step 1: Gather moss.
First gather together several clumps of moss. You can find moss growing between the cracks in paving stones, near leaky drains, on trees ... basically, moss loves damp and shady places. Mosses do not have roots but use rhizoids to attach themselves to surfaces, meaning that you can easily collect moss by hand or with a spatula.
Clean off as much of the mud as possible by soaking it in water.
Step 2: Make the moss milkshake.
Put the moss in a blender and add beer (or yogurt or buttermilk) and sugar. Blend just long enough to create a smooth, creamy consistency, like a thick milkshake. Pour the mixture into a plastic container.
Step 3: Create your design.
Find a suitable location onto which you can apply your moss milkshake (a good indicator is somewhere that moss is already growing). Paint on your chosen design (either freehand or using a stencil).
Step 4: Tend your graffiti.
If possible, try to water your masterpiece daily with a spray mister. Soon the bits of blended moss should begin to recuperate, maintaining your design before eventually colonizing the whole area.
This is one of my favorite ice creams I have made to date. There are many different ways to make ice cream but I find this the simplest and the tastiest!
Ingredients:
8 large egg yolks
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups skim milk
4 cups sliced strawberries
2 cups heavy cream
Directions:
In a sauce pan (off the heat) whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and salt until blended. Gradually whisk in the milk and heavy cream.
Cook over a medium heat stirring frequently for about 20 mins until a custardy consistency is reached.
Pour the custard through a sieve into a bowl. Leave to cool and then refridgerate until cold.
When cold pour the custard mixture into an ice cream maker and churn for approx 30 mins (or to manufacturer's instructions.
Meanwhile slice up the strawberries into bite size pieces combine with 1/4 cup of sugar and mash together. If the strawberries are very ripe they may become too juicy and you can strain the excess juice through a sieve. Add the strawberries to the ice cream in the ice cream maker and churn another 5 minutes.
The ice cream will have a soft serve consistency. I like my ice cream a bit firmer so I transfer the ice cream to a tupperware and stick it in the freezer for a couple hours before serving.
I was so excited when I was contacted by the owner of "My Jewelry Place", a jewelry shop in Chesapeake City, Maryland. They wanted to sell some of my bracelets in the shop and would I be interested? You bet I was interested! So I ordered new supplies and made up a special sample order of 24 bracelets. This was my first wholesale order so it was pretty exciting! I just mailed the package off today and am thrilled at the fact that the owner found me on Etsy and at the prospect of being sold in a real live store as well as my Etsy shop.
If anyone is in the Chesapeake City area stop by and check out the shop. It looks lovely from the website. I'm tempted to drive down and visit myself but it would be kind of a looong drive!
http://myjewelryplace.net/
Today's Etsy Seller Feature is on Kristi Wyckoff of Kitchen Stitchen. Kristi is based in Grayslake, IL and has a line of "kitchen linens and accessories for the discriminating and fashion conscious cook".Kristi created Kitchen Stichen after she noticed that there was a derth of kitchen items that were both fasionable and functional (her creations are right up my alley!). There aren't too many stores that specialize soleley in kitchen linens and Kristi's pocket potholders are pretty unique!
Apple Patch Placemats
Kristi describes herself as having always been around needle and thread, patterns and pins. A stay-at-home mom of a 5 yr old girl and an 4 yr old boy she also teaches dance classes while the kids are at pre-school and tries to fit her sewing in whenever she can.
Golden Stories - Set of 2 Children's Fabric Napkins
She loves to be in the kitchen baking and cooking, but don't do as much as she'd like "because of all the clean up".
Fresh Squeezed Pocket PotholderKristi's favorite item in her Etsy shop is the pocket potholder which is a cross between a potholder and and oven mitt. The pocket potholder does the job of both without the slipperyness of a potholder or the bulkyness of an overmitt. They're just so convenient and functional.
Apples and Pears Casserole CarrierHere are a couple questions I asked Kristi:
Where do you find your inspiration?
I find inspiration everywhere, but mostly in the fabric designs. It is fun to sit down and look through fabrics and combinations when it is time to buy. But really the designs come from anywhere. I saw a pillow style I liked and have it down in my mental notebook to try out a similar design at a placemat soon.
What do yo love about your Etsy business?
I love that I get to sew, that I get to create items for other people to use and love and that I can put my own personality into everything I make.
Mod Birds Linen ApronKristi's Tips for Etsy Sellers:
I would say to start with a real plan. I have another shop which was my first. I didn't do research into what I was making and as it turns out, the market was saturated for bags! I also didn't realize that I'd get bored and frustrated making bags. They are a lot of work with little return. Also, find a niche. Whether a type of item or a type of style that is unique to you, you should distinguish yourself from others on Etsy.
Striped Cherries Tea Towel
Kristi can be found at the below:
Etsy - kitchenstitchen.etsy.com and sunnykristi.etsy.com
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Kitchen-Stitchen/60631170732?sid=227cac59e641164f77651f58c943c5fe&ref=search
Twitter - kristiwyckoff
Kristi loves to make custom items, as she finds it so much more enjoyable to make something knowing it is specifically for someone.
On my recent trip to England my sister and I spent a couple days in Yorkshire visiting family friends who have an amazing vegetable garden. We picked our own veggies for lunch and dinner and one night we decided to make a summer pudding because of the abundance of berries in their garden. We used white currants, red currents, black currants and raspberries. The more raspberries and redcurrants you use, the brighter the color will be. I would avoid using strawberries, as they lose their color and don't really have a strong enough flavor.
Summer Pudding is quick, easy and delicious and will forever make me nostalgic for English summers. The trick is to use slightly stale bread which will hold together better and to leave the whole thing in the fridge overnight, however because ours was an impromptu summer pudding we used day old bread and only refrigerated for a few hours - hence the falling apart look. I can assure you it tasted delicious though!
The following quantities are rather an estimate on my part as we didn't use a recipe but I doubt you would have any problems trying to recreate it
2lb mixed fresh berries, eg raspberries, redcurrants, blackberries
1/4 water
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
8 or so slices good quality thin sliced white bread, stale
Cream for serving
First combine the white currants, red currents, black currants with the water and sugar in a small saucepan and leave on a gentle heat, stirring occasionally, until the berries start to soften and the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and add more sugar if too sour and add the raspberries.Next Remove the crusts from the bread and cut a piece to fit the bottom of a pudding basin or bowl. Use the remaining slices to line the sides of the bowl reserving a couple slices to use for a lid.
Pour the berries into the bowl with the juices as well, and top with the final layer of bread, cutting to fit. Press down on the pudding until the juices rise to the top, covering the bread. Place a saucer, small plate on top of the pudding (try and find one that fits more or less exactly the width of the bowl), put a weight or something heavy on top, and refrigerate overnight.
When you are ready to serve place a serving plate on top of the pudding and turn both over together until the pudding falls out.
Serve with some fresh cream
Hi Everyone!
I just reached over 50 sales at my Etsy Shop and had to share the good news! To celebrate I will be offering a 20% discount on any 1 item in my Etsy Shop if you write "50" in the message to buyer when you check out!Every now and then I love a girlie bow for some cute whimsical fashion fun, but if you've browsed my Etsy shop you've probably realized this already : )
Here are some of my favorite Etsy "bow" finds....
Custom Dots and Stripes Swing Dress With Velvet Tie Bow by Audrey and Grace http://audreyandgrace.etsy.com
Romantic Satin Ring Bearer Pillow by Romancing Juliet http://RomancingJuliet.etsy.com
Black Zipper Hair Band by Venetia Jewelry http://VenetiaJewelry.etsy.com
Kawaii Kitsch Pink Polka Dot Earrings by Venetia Jewelry http://VenetiaJewelry.etsy.com
Bow Choker by HMS Latex http://HMSlatex.etsy.com
Bow Handbag by Raquel Trevisi http://RaquelTrevisi.etsy.com
Baby Hat With Bow by Nancys Needles and Pens http://nancysneedlesandpens.etsy.com
Bow-tie Double Strand Swarovski Fireball Ivory Pearl Stretch Bracelet by Venetia Jewelry http://VenetiaJewelry.etsy.com
Had to sprinkle a few of my own in there as of course they are some of my faves!
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