Beaded Bookmarks, Little Red Fused Bowl and other things all Glass

Within the last 2 days I've been contacted about 2 different items in my Etsy shop: KayzKreationz being featured on blogs. I love the Etsy community and the fact that most are so willing to help others. My first item featured is my Little Red Fused Glass Bowl. This has so many different uses. You can put it on your dresser/nightstand to hold your rings, jewelry and other things. It can hold a small candle for a romantic feel, it can be used for a small candy dish. See how many other uses you can think of for it and then treat yourself by purchasing it to use or as a gift. :)
My second item is my Silver and Turquoise beaded bookmark. I love reading and like unique ways to mark my place. So this bookmark came about. It's just the right size for a small book. But you could use it to mark a recipe in a cookbook or other things. It too would make a great gift for that book lover you know, whether it's you or someone else.
Be sure to check out KayzKreationz for other great Stained Glass, Mosaics and Fused Glass items for your home and garden, too. I make all kinds of things from glass and they make great gifts for yourself or someone else.

Great Web Design

My sons have always loved computers, programming and web design. After doing it just in their spare time and working for others, they recently decided to start their own business designing and programming web pages. They do a really great job. The oldest has been doing this for about 10 years or more, even working for EBay. The youngest has been building web pages for small businesses and independent businesses or people since he was a teen. He is fluent in Spanish too, so is also able to help ones that want their web page in Spanish or Spanish translation on their webpages. So they decided they might as well be doing this for themselves. And although there are lots of do-it-yourself webpage design programs out there, they seldom can really make your Web page/business stand out like it needs to, to get the traffic and business you want and need. So if you're looking to get a Web page for your business, or just looking to dress it up or redesign it to really expand your business, check out ExpertWebCreation. They offer different pricing packages that will get what you need or want at a price you can afford. Plus you'll have a "Professional" web page that does justice to your business. Check them out. They'll be glad to help you.
(Now if I can just get them to help me redesign my web page for KayzKreationz) :) You'll love them and their work.

Etsy Blog package giveaway

If you're looking for some help with your Etsy Shop or just a great giveaway, check out this great Business package being offered on the Etsy Blog. It offers some Ad Boxes for your shop, some Photo Editing and some other great prizes. It ends today, so hurry. Just click on the title or here to get to the giveaway:

Etsy Blog giveaway

Support Handmade

There's a movement going on Etsy right now to help support Handmade/Handcrafted items. It's called 30on30. It's very simple. To help support handmade items and artists you simply spend $30.00 on November 30th. (Or whatever you can). It's a great way to help support these artists or even your local economy instead of the big box stores like Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Target and others. Plus you get something really unique for yourself or as a gift for someone else. And usually these items last much longer than anything you'd buy in the stores and often become things handed down from generation to generation. Plus it gives you or your recipient a special joy knowing it was handmade/handcrafted and you picked it out or had it customized just the way you wanted. If you're interested in helping support your handmade community, whether local or worldwide, search for "30on30" on Etsy and see what wonderful things you come up with. For instance, I make Stained Glass, Mosaics and Fused Glass items for your home and garden. You won't find anything like this Birdfeeder in your local Wal-Mart. Or this great little Romantic Blue Plate in Pier One or BedBathandBeyond. So check out my shop: KayzKreationz or the many other great handmade items on Etsy now or this Monday and help support Handmade/Handcrafted with 30on30.

I'm in Peru

Yay! My youngest son, Chris, and I made it to Lima, Peru this morning. We've been planning this trip for about a year, with one minor/major change. My hubby, Tim was supposed to come with me but had to back out for work in August. So we made arrangements for Chris to come in his place. We're here for an International Bible convention. Have already met quite a few new friends. Hoping to get some pictures of them later. Meanwhile, got checked into our Hotel, the Hotel Libertador and went walking around for a little while this a.m. Found a nice park, "Parque Olivar" with lots of signs about the different birds that are to be seen there. It had some fountains, benches to sit and rest and a nice little pond with Koi in it. Got a few pictures of that. Here's one or two of the park. Enjoy. Hope to share more later.

Don't forget these pictures were taken after being on 3 different planes since about 2:00 p.m. yesterday. Hadn't gotten to check into our room, change or anything, but it was an enjoyable walk, although a little cool. It was about 60 degrees this morning here in Lima. Hope it warms up some.

Sorry for not updating

I just noticed I hadn´t updated since the end of July. We've been so busy with the volunteer work we've been doing in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, I just haven't had as much time as I'd like for my blogging or my glass. Plus we found out just before we came back home this week for a spell, that our well had basically "gone dry". The water table has dropped about 150' here where we're at because of the prolonged drought (some are saying it's the worst in 50 years) so the water level dropped below where the pump was and since we weren't here it kept trying to pump water and burned itself up, melted the casing, something has dropped into the bottom of the well and the bad news is: We have to drill a completely new well! :( We were hoping he could get to it this week while we've been home, but no go. So hopefully he'll get it done next week. We've had a trickle of water, so he put a new pump on it (down far enough that the water pushes back up a little to cover it) and it pumps for a few minutes and partially fills the pressure tank and then shuts off. Then a little while later when the water comes back up it pumps again for a little while. Basically, we've got enough water to take a shower, then wait about 15 minutes or so and can take another shower or possibly wash a load of clothes. Can't do any of my outside work I needed to do. But hopefully that will get fixed this next week. If so, I'll be taking some pics of the new well being drilled and posting about them. Thanks to all who've been thinking about us and sending thoughts our way.

My blog was awarded the Premio Meme Award

Joyous Treasures of Etsy just recently awarded my blog the Premio Meme award. Thank you so much. Her blog EtsyTreasureChest has some really nice features and articles, so check both her shop and her blog out. Her shop features some very pretty jewelry and cute crochet items.
To accept this award I have to share 7 things about me, so here goes:
1. My family comes first in my life. I have a wonderful husband of 32 years and 2 great sons, along with one adorable daughter-in-law that are the best family anyone could have.
2. Horses have been a passion with me since I was a baby. The first word out of my mouth was my version of "horsey".
3. I love crafting, but have to be very careful about not getting too many things to do, thus never getting enough time to do any of them. So my glass has become my passion. Although now I'm finding more and more things to do with glass, so am trying to limit that. :)
4. I am extremely cold-natured. When everyone else is sweating and fanning themselves, I'm walking around with a sweater on. I would keep my house at 82 degrees if my hubby would let me.
5. Gardening is my next passion. I love flowers and all kinds of plants and would fill every inch of house and land I own with them if I could afford it.
6. I enjoy doing volunteer work, and right now am helping out with some volunteer work in the "valley" of Texas.
7. My hubby and I are learning Spanish and are hoping to travel to Peru later this year. Our youngest sons speaks spanish fluently and is helping us.
I hope you enjoyed these little tidbits. Now I am passing this award on to 7 other great bloggers I know.
BlackFeatherFarm
ClayItAgain
CTJewelryDesign
MyMothersGarden
SaladForBreakfast
Sherry'sJewels
RedHeadHomestead
Enjoy

My mosaic birdfeeder is in a Treasury!

I hadn't been in a treasury for a while, so it was a nice surprise this morning to get a convo saying noahsarkcollection had put me in their treasury. They featured my mosaic Birdhouse birdfeeder. I love making these birdfeeders and especially like this little birdfeeder. So check out the treasury by either clicking on the picture of it or the title to the post and give it some love. Here's the birdfeeder they featured.

A Great Giveaway from Tissage on Women Prenuergalore

Yesterday I found another great giveaway on a new blog I hadn´t seen before. The blog is Women-prenuergalore and the giveaway is from Tissage. She's giving away some adorable earrings. And the blog is great. She features a lot of giveaways and interviews. So check it out and enter to win (but not too often, because I can already see those earrings on me with a certain outfit I have). :)

Another great giveaway from Solsistershandbags.com

In checking on the blogs I follow, I saw a post from Solsisters. She does some great fiber art. And she has been posting about some fabulous nail polish coming out. Now she's offering a giveaway of all 6 nail polish plus a great flame makeup pouch. I love it because I love flames. Had flames on my truck until we had to do some work to it. Now I'm hoping to get the flames back on it soon. Anyway, if you love polish and want to spice up your nails as well as the way you carry your makeup/polish, check out her giveaway, either by clicking on the title to the post or by checking out her blog Solsistershandbags. You'll love it too.

Crochet, Handcrafted Apparel and Accessories-Great Texas Etsy shops-Lavenderlizard

I'm a member of Etsy Texas Crafters and whenever I'm posting or just reading in our Etsy threads, I always see Lavenderlizard there helping promote other great Etsy shops. I've checked her shop several times and she has the cutest crocheted, handcrafted accessories and apparel, so I decided to ask her for an interview. The picture here is just one of her great items you might want to check out, along with the 2 items in my Web ring box on the right. I hope you enjoy this interview and her great Texas Shop.

1. When and Why did you start crafting?

I learned to crochet, cross-stitch and embroider when I was about 7 or 8. My mom taught me how to crochet, she also tried to teach me how to knit, but I'm just not coordinated enough to work with 2 needles.

2. What do you enjoy most about your crafting?

I really enjoy making practical and beautiful items. My great-grandmother and great-aunt both also crocheted, so I like that I have that connection to them.

3. How did you find out about Etsy and why did you start selling there?

I heard about Etsy on a website for moms. I checked into it and decided to jump right in.

4. What is the hardest thing to do for your shop or you dislike most about selling online?

The hardest thing for me is the time it takes to take decent photographs, crop them, upload them to Etsy, write an engaging description, etc. So the "listing" of an item takes nearly as much time as creating the item in the first place (not really, though-I tend to exaggerate).

5. Do you rely on Etsy to help pay bills or is it mainly for fun & extra spending money?

I would love to be able to rely on Etsy for full-time income. However, right now I'm basically reinvesting Etsy income into more yarn and supplies.

6. Have you tried or do you sell in offline shops? Do you enjoy that more or less than Etsy & why?

I don't sell offline right now, except to friends and family who request special items. So far, I have managed to avoid craft shows, because I find it difficult to "market" myself in person.

7. Where else can you be found online?

I have a blog (http://lavenderlizard.blogspot.com/), and I twitter (http://twitter.com/lavenderlizard). I also have a Facebook account (Elizabeth Kalka) and a Dwanda shop (http://lavenderlizard.dwanda.com/), neither of which I spend much time on.

I hope you've enjoyed this interview as much as I've enjoyed talking with her and finding out more about her craft. And be sure to check out Lavenderlizard on Etsy.

Protecting our Birds while enjoying them-Cleaning our birdfeeders

Do you love birds and watching them at your feeders? I do. I also love making my stained glass mosaic birdfeeders for them to feast at like this one to the left. But feeding the birds also involves making sure they're safe. One way to do that is to make sure we keep our birdfeeders and the area around them clean. Here's a few of the things we can do to insure the birds stay healthy while getting a good meal at our feeders.

The first thing to do is to give our feeders a good thorough cleaning and disinfecting. A dirty birdfeeder can harbor bacteria, mold and other diseases that can decimate the bird population in our backyards. Infected birds can spread the illnesses to other backyards and wild bird populations, creating epidemic problems that wipe out whole nesting colonies of birds. But if we conscientiously clean our bird feeders we can minimize the disease potential. And clean feeders will attract more birds, a plus for us. So to attract the most birds and help keep them healthy, follow these guidelines:

1. Clean regularly: All feeders should be thoroughly cleaned at least once a month. Hummingbird feeders should be cleaned each time you refill them. Popular bird feeders may even need to be cleaned more often depending on how many birds you have feeding at them.

2. Use proper cleaning solutions. Feeders can be sanitized with one part bleach to nine parts water. A mild solution of unscented dishsoap can also be used.

3. Clean all feeder parts. For the best sanitation and disease prevention, each feeder should be cleaned inside and out, including all feeder ports, perches, lids, platforms, etc.

4. Use proper equipment. Use rubber gloves to avoid contamination and use stiff brushes to ensure thorough cleaning. You can get specialized brushes at pet supply stores, but regular bottle brushes can be just as effective. And an old toothbrush is great for cleaning small parts, feeding ports and tight areas.

5. Rinse thoroughly. After cleaning, the feeder and all cleaned parts should be rinsed thoroughly for at least 10 seconds to ensure you have all cleaning solution rinsed off well.

6. Dry completely. While this may sound silly, the feeders should be completely dry before refilling. Remaining moisture could lead to mold and mildew that could cause illness and rotten, unhealthy seed, thereby negating everything we've just done.

So be sure to follow these guidelines to ensure you have good clean feeders and enjoy watching all the birds flock to your yard and feeders to enjoy their meal.

If interested in the mosaic feeder pictured, it is available in my shop: KayzKreationz. I also have several other feeders with different themes not listed. You can convo me for more info or post a comment here.

Advertising Opportunity--Contest for free Ad space

Recently I wrote a post about selling your own advertising on your blog, so that you can manage it and get more profit from it that something like Project Wonderful. I'm still trying to get stats from the 2-3 advertisers I've had so far, but haven't heard anything from them. Hopefully it is helping them. I tweet about them at least once or twice a week to help out, besides their mini advertising on my blog. The girl that started all this at kMTgraphicdesign of Etsy and her blog has started an AdDirectory ning site, for those interested in learning how to do it and also to find other places to advertise for themselves. She is now offering an opportunity for free ad space for a month on her ning site. So check it out by clicking on the title to this post and see if it's a good fit for you and your blog. And don't forget to check out my advertisers at the bottom of my blog. If you're interested in advertising here, it's only $2.50 a month till the end of August.

Tiger, Garfield, Cheyenne and Time to let go.

We had to have our kitty, Tiger, put to sleep last week. She was an old farm cat, but we'd had her for 13 years. She "belonged" to my oldest son, but when he got moved out, there was no place to take her and she'd always been on our small ranch property, so she stayed with us. And then when he got married his wife is allergic to cats, so she continued to stay with us. She was an ornery old cat. When we first got her, she did NOT like people, so was happy to stay outside. As some of the other cats we had died off or just disappeared, as farm cats do, she mellowed out some and decided we weren't so bad and enjoyed coming in to eat, laying around a little and getting her belly scratched. But she always enjoyed being outside. A couple of weeks ago, I noticed she had started walking kind of sideways. By the next day or two, she was falling over when she tried to walk to fast to the door to come in for food and when she jumped down from the deck railing she would fall. After about 3 days or so of that I decided it was time to go to the vet. I had already taken Cheyenne (my heeler) into the vet the Friday before and found out she had heartworms and would have to undergo treatment, and didn't really want any more bad news, but she needed to be checked out. When we took Cheyenne in for her treatment on that Monday, we also took Tiger with us. The vet said she knew for sure she had an ear infection, but couldn't tell for sure whether she'd also had a small stroke or some other neurological problem. And while they could treat the inner ear infection, it was possible she would never walk right again. Which of course meant she could not defend herself or get away from anything that might try to attack her. (I'd already had to rescue her from a cat fight the night before) And last year, she'd gotten attacked by something, (we never were sure what) that had ripped her back leg open almost to the bone. We didn't think she would live through that, and it did take several months for it to heal enough for her to be able to use it to walk again, but she kept right on plugging. But this time, the vet said she had way outlived her life as an old barn cat and she didn't think she would get through this. To add to the problem, this was on Monday and on Thursday we were leaving for some volunteer work, so she would have been on her own for a little. So the vet suggested having her put to sleep, which we had already discussed. But I couldn't make the decision, so my hubby decided it would be better for her sake. This was one of the last good pictures I got of her back in May. So now, Cheyenne is missing her buddy. They had played some and slept some together. Cheyenne thought she needed to round her up, after we sold our horses, which Tiger did NOT appreciate, but otherwise they got along fine. The other cat in the second picture is Garfield, my youngest son's cat that he had just taken to live with him about 3 weeks before. Garfield and Cheyenne did not get along, but he and Tiger were pretty good friends and Tiger had been missing him, too. But it was time to let Tiger go.

Another great giveaway from SoadDeli

Rebecca's handmade, cold process Garden Mint Gardener's Shea Butter Soap is the perfect bar soap for the gardener, artist or mechanic! It contains fine ground pumice, poppy seeds, and apricot kernel meal for scrubbing away caked on dirt, grease, paints, and anything else you might get your hands into. The fresh scent of spearmint, lettuce, and rain makes it pleasant to use, while natural, unrefined shea butter helps to prevent hands from drying out.
So starts out Rebecca's description of this great handmade soap she's offering free in her giveaway. Click on the title to this post to go right to the giveaway for your chance to win a bar of her Garden Mint Soap.

New Giveaway from Sassy Glass

Sassy Glass on Etsy has some of the greatest stone & silver jewelry. While browsing the blogs I follow I found out about a giveaway of one of her gorgeous pendants/necklaces on LillyShayStyle's blog. Be sure to check it out, to see the pendant and for a chance to win a beautiful piece of jewelry. Tell 'em KayzKreationz sent ya.

I love Horses-Interview with Texas Artist HossLass

I love horses. My mother says the first word out of my mouth was "foifee" which was how I pronounced "horsey". I've been talking, dreaming and for a short while, owning horses ever since. Last winter when I was participating in a Marketing Exchange I found this great Etsy shop that features horse art. She does original fine art and functional art designs featuring horses, wildlife, the Southwest and western Americana. I fell in love. Recently I ran across her again as part of my EtsyTx team. So I decided it was about time to do an interview with her and find out how and when she started crafting. I hope you enjoy her interview as much as I did and be sure to check out her shop HossLass. If you love horses or western things you'll fall in love, too.
1. When and why did you start crafting?
Well, as a young child I started drawing and painting, mostly horses. As I was a horse crazy girl from a non horse crazy rural poor farm family! So my first horse didn't come along until I was old enough to get a job and pay for the upkeep myself at age 16. Until then, I painted many imaginary horse friends! As I got older I wound up leaving my art world behind to make my way in life like most people. Then about three years ago I think I hit my mid life crisis and reached out to art again as a fresh start! Somehow watercolor pencil painting appealed to me, very new and different to me than the oils/acrylics I used in my youth, so that's the medium I focus on. I decided my next career move is to become a full time self supporting artist!
2. What do you enjoy most about your crafting?
I really enjoy the creative journey, from the excitement of the new idea, deciding on the design, colors and composition, the actual work in progress and the final product. I often have at least two or three other projects lined up in my head while I'm working on the current one! I really enjoy creating a series of paintings or functional art, for instance the series of Prancing Horse small format paintings, and I have two other southwest wildlife series sets I'm working on. The eagle beaded bookmark is one of a set of southwest wildlife bookmarks, planning on a cougar and bear also. Right now, I'm in the process of making a series of three small hiking or trail riding journals which are beaded with semi precious stones and each journal cover will have an original miniature painting of another set of southwest wildlife (mustangs, elk and buffalo).
3. How did you find out about Etsy and why did you start selling there?
Etsy peaked my interest from an artist forum I was on (a lot). Many artists there kept mentioning Etsy as their store so I checked it out! I liked what I found on Etsy very much and decided this was the way to begin to sell my art online on my budget. I started my store in October of 2007. I have learned so much, my Etsy shop is a work in progress, I'm getting more the hang of what I want visitors to experience when they visit my shop and look at the artwork.
4. What is the hardest thing to do for your shop or you dislike the most about selling online?
I think the hardest thing for me in my shop now, besides building new inventory, is promoting. Especially online networking and promoting. Like most artists, I just want to devote all my time to making my art as best as I can. Which for me, requires quite a bit of mental energy, and I'm the type of artist who needs to be in that creative zone. Otherwise if I make myself work on my art everyday, that's what it looks like, to me, as if the piece was worked on and not naturally flowing with color and feel. I have discovered I feel the same way about promoting online. I have gotten better about spending time promoting at least one to two days a week. If I had the budget, I'd hire someone to promote my art for me!!
5. Do you rely on Etsy to help pay bills or is it mainly for fun & extra spending money?
My goal is to rely on sales through Etsy to pay my bills and be part of my full time financial support from online sources (like Artfire and Ebay). And the sales I have made do go toward bills, seems like as soon as the money is in my paypal account, I've got it going out to pay for something else! I would like to have several sales a month, but it's not that way yet. I have faith that time will pay off for me! My Etsy shop is fun for me anyway!!
6. Have you tried or do you sell in offline shops? Do you enjoy that more or less than Etsy & why?
No, I'm in the process of building more inventory, creating more art so I'm just focusing on online sales right now. However, my goal is to have my own website, also to be more in depth about my art and then use all the online shops to showcase my art to anyone. Then I can go out to brick and mortar shops locally with a great portfolio and a big Texas smile!!
7. Where else can you be found online?
I have an Artfire store, http://hosslassart.artfire.com , on Twitter http://twitter.com/hosslass , my blog http://hosslass.blogspot.com and I now Plurk http://plurk.com/hosslass and one day my own website, name to be determined!
Thanks for the great interview HossLass. Be sure to check out the box to the right for a few of her great Etsy items, and then visit her other shops, too.

I´ve Been Featured on Ecogeneration

I had a pleasant note today. I've been featured on a great blog by Ecogeneration. They have a wonderful Etsy shop where they upcycle/recycle things for longer life/usefulness. I recently won one of her coffee cup sleeves and it's great. Then she asked about featuring me for her Fabulous Friday Featured seller posts. Read about it by clicking the title to this post or her: Ecogeneration. Enjoy.

Another great giveaway from Silver Parrot

I just found out about this great bead giveaway. This is an awesome pile of beads. But it ends today, so if you're interested in some great free beads be sure to check it out and leave a comment and post on your blog. It will be a great prize for anyone who beads or knows someone who does. It's at Silver Parrot. And this pic is just a few of the free beads she's giving away. Check out her blog for more pics.

Kim's Country Cottage and Rosebuds Afghan Giveaway

I recently just found out about this great blog, shop and the lovely giveaway she's having. She makes fantastic afghans and is giving away this Romantic Rosebuds Afghan. I've added her blog button to my sidebar on the left, if you want to check out her blog, or you can click on the title of this post to go right to the giveaway. But be sure to hurry since the giveaway ends on June 15th. It's to help promote her new Etsy shop.

Pure Natural Minerals Giveaway

I just found out about a great giveaway. I've heard so much about natural minerals makeup and have been told several times I should try it since my skin is SO oily, I can't seem to keep makeup on in the Texas heat past about 11:00 in the morning, if that long. So I was intrigued when I found out about this giveaway. I'm hoping I can win and it will give me that extra little push to try this mineral makeup out and see how well it does. So check out this giveaway at Salad for Breakfast.

Six Strategies to Reduce Home Spending

With the economy the way it is, it's natural to want or need to cut back on unnecessary spending. Although each change you make may only save a little, over the course of a year, the savings can really grow. So if you're looking for ways to decrease your home-related spending and increase your savings, try these 6 money saving strategies:
1. Mortgage-Compare your current interest rates with your current rate. Check into refinancing if possible.
2. Utilities-Consider swapping often-used light bulbs with compact flourescents (CFLs) and switching off appliances (such as computers and TVs) when not in use. Install low-flow shower heads. Wash clothes at a lower (or cold) water temperature. Lower the temperature setting on your water heater by a few degrees. Install a programmable thermostat and set it to keep your home warmer in summer and cooler in winter when no one is home.
3. Lawn car/yard services-Stretch the time between mowing intervals to save on gasoline and/or yard-service fees. If you use a service, look for a local teen who will cut your lawn for less. Determine what other services-fertilizing, leaf raking, spring/fall cleanup, etc. you (or a local teen) can take over to lower costs.
4. Cleaning costs-If you have a house cleaning service, consider stretching the interval between visits. Ask if your babysitter or a local teen would add housekeeping tasks to their services for a fee less than you pay now. When cleaning your own home, switch from expensive, pre-formulated cleaning solutions to homemade ones using inexpensive ingredients such as baking soda, ammonia and vinegar.
5. Cable/Internet service-Discontinue unused channels, especially movies, and switch to a mail-order service for movie rentals or borrow from your local library's DVD collection. Check what speed your cable/broadband internet service provides and consider moving down one speed level to cut costs.
6. Phone service-Investigate Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) service to replace traditional land-line phone service. Assess cell phone usage and consider changing to a less-expensive plan. Investigate cost-savings from package deals for Internet, TV, land-line and cell service.
These are just a few suggestions to consider to help lower/reduce our home spending in these difficult times. There are many more. Do a little research and you may find other things you can do to help reduce your spending and ease the strain/stress for now. Hope you enjoyed these suggestions. Thanks.

Reduce, Re-use, Recycle with Ecogeneration on Etsy

Welcome to ecogeneration - a place where you can find treasures that have been given a second chance. I create long lasting, earth friendly, and yet, creative designs for you and your home.... So starts the first paragraph in this great Etsy shop: Ecogeneration. I recently won one of their giveaways for a recycled coffee cup sleeve. It's great and even fits on cold drink cups, since I'm not a big coffee drinker. So I started checking out some of her other great recycled/reused items. I love this pillow I found in her shop and decided to ask her for an interview. I hope you enjoy finding out more about her shop and what makes it unique.
1. When and why did you start crafting?
I think I’ve been “crafting” all my life. I have been sewing since I was in High School (I had to take “Home Economics” class and yes, I’m dating myself here.) I taught myself how to knit and crochet when I was bedridden with my first child. I learned to paint when I was in college. I have been crafting practically all my life and yet, never called myself a crafter.
2. What do you enjoy most about your crafting?
The serenity. The creativity. The “me” time.
3. How did you find out about Etsy and why did you start selling there?
I am a mom to two very active teenagers. I knit and crochet washcloths, cleaning cloths, scarves, etc. while waiting for their activities to end. I use to give them to my family and friends as gifts. One of my friends suggested that I sell them and so I did some research and found Etsy.
4. What is the hardest thing to do for your shop or you dislike the most about selling online?
Advertising and marketing. But I guess like any business, you have to put in your dues. Most brick and mortar stores have visible store fronts as advertisements. That’s why location, location, location is so important. Online business is the same. But online business is invisible if you don’t’ know know how to work the internet. I feel as if I have limited control over the visibility of my shop. I also feel like I’m a computer illiterate. Oh, if you tell me the steps, I can follow, but I really have limited knowledge when it comes to computers. I feel like I need to learn so much more about computers and internet in order to advertise my shop in cyberspace and I just don’t have the time.
5. Do you rely on Etsy to help pay bills or is it mainly for fun & extra spending money?
Initially, it was for fun and to see if people would like what I create. Then, fun became more like an obsession. (lol) Since I’m spending so much time on Etsy, I feel as if I should make it into a business. I would like to stay home and work full time on making Etsy a business so that I won’t have to go back to “non-crafting” work.
6. Have you tried or do you sell in offline shops? Do you enjoy that more or less than Etsy & why?
Currently, I am trying to streamline my business. I have an eclectic mixture of products because I have too many interests – i.e. crocheting, knitting, sewing. I also upcycle a lot of materials to create my products so nothing is really replicable. They are kind of OOAK. But I’d like to come up with a line of eco friendly products that I can sell wholesale to stores. My dream is to create a line that stores across the country can carry. I think that’ll be so cool. And to impact the world on reducing waste and becoming more earth friendly by using my products……..that would be awesome.
7. Where else can you be found online?
I blog regularly about eco tips and my crafts at my blog. I recently opened a facebook –http://tinyurl.com/ecogeneration My kids cringe when I tell them I’m on FB. I also tweet http://twitter.com/ecogenerationkl It’s fun to read people’s subconscious thoughts.
And be sure to check out her great Furoshiki reusable cloth gift wraps like the one in the web ring box to the right and some of her other great items.

One Lovely Blog-Blog Award

Earlier this week LindaB awarded me this lovely blog award. This is my 3rd blog award and I love it. I love the design of it and really appreciate that she and so many others of you find my blog interesting and/or lovely. As part of the award I'm supposed to share this award with 15 other bloggers that I truly enjoy reading and love the looks of their blog or their helpfulness. So here goes. I hope you check out my list and enjoy their blogs as much as I do:
Handmade Goodness
Country Windows
My Mother's Garden
Heart of a Cowgirl
Four Dog Day
Clay it Again
kMT Graphic Design
The Muddy Moose
The Redhead's Homestead
Thursday Sweet Treat
Thyme for Herbs
Black Feather Farm
Contrariwise Ramblings
Garden Gate Designs
Fabulous Handmade Finds
I hope you enjoy these blogs as much as I do. If so, let them know by commenting. And let them know you found them through me. Thanks.

Great giveaway by Madbird

I found out about this great shop and giveaway today. The shop is Madbird on Etsy. She has some great handmade knitted and crocheted organizers and more. You should check out her shop. And while your at it click on the title or here and check out her blog and giveaway. I'm sure you won't be disappointed. And let her know I sent you. Enjoy.
And while you're at Etsy, check out my shop KayzKreationz for some unique stained glass, mosaic and fused glass items for your home or garden. They all make great gifts, too. You can also check out my Artfire shop, KayzKreationz, also for more unusual items.

Advertising Opportunity

I've been trying Project Wonderful for a while now. I get some views, not lots, and haven't gotten a sale yet. So, recently KMT Graphic Design had a post about how to sell advertising yourself on your blog. After reading it, I decided to try it. With her help, I got my boxes set up at the footer of my blog, (although I'm still working on them) and got my paypal button set up with an announcement on the left sidebar here to offer a small mini for your Etsy or Artfire shop. To start off, I'm offering these spaces for only $2.50 for a whole month. If they seem successful, then I will offer sidebar spaces for a little more. I'm hoping to help other Etsy and Artfire shops an added way to advertise their businesses and help drive business not only to their shops, but also to mine. KMT also has an Ad Directory on her blog about which other blogs offer this opportunity. So if you're looking for an inexpensive way to advertise your shops, try this for a month and see if it helps. Whenever someone purchases this advertising, I will also tweet about their shop off and on for that month. Here's hoping this will increase business for all of us. Scroll down to the left to purchase your one month's advertising spot for only $2.50 to start off.

Recycling, Ficklefaerie and doing your part for the environment.

I recently entered a blog giveaway for some great looking reusable produce bags and won! I've won several giveaways lately, but this giveaway was really great because it was something I could do to help the environment. I like to recycle as much as I can. I compost, and do other things to try to help the environment. So when I saw this giveaway and then checked out their shop, I was really hoping I'd win. Check out Ficklefaerie on Etsy and you'll be amazed at all the great things they offer to help the environment. So I decided I'd like to know more about why they decided to make these things and how they got started, and asked for an interview. I hope you enjoy getting to know them a little better as much as I did.
1. When and why did you start crafting?
I have been crafting for as long as I can remember. I used to make little dressers for little toads, from my mom and dads cigarette packages. Back in the 60's you had to learn to make do with what you had on hand. There was no such thing as going to craft stores and getting ready made supplies. When I was 10 I got my first sewing machine and the rest is history....
2. What do you enjoy most about your crafting?
I enjoy creating something. I really don't like to repair and alter I enjoy taking a piece of fabric and watching it grow into something. I could never dream of sitting in front of the TV and just watching TV..I always have to be creating while I watch TV.
3. How did you find out about Etsy and why did you start selling there?
I found Etsy 2 and half years ago looking on line for a site to sell on other than ebay. I started selling Bath and body products. It was something my daughter was into and she was spending so much money online buying B&B products I started researching and experimenting. I found Etsy great for my first year but then there were so many B&B sellers popping up it became increasingly hard to get daily sales. Thats when my love of sewing and the enviroment took over...
4. What is the hardest thing to do for your shop or you dislike the most about selling online?
The thing I dislike the most is the constant worrying about whether the mail is going through fast enough. I live way up north and it seems that stuff moves quickly one week and another week it seems to be put on the back of a turtle. I dislike that everyone feels they should have their product in their hands the week after they order. Most large etailers tell you to allow 4-6 weeks but on Etsy it just doesn't seem to be the norm. SO I guess I hate the pressure of having to rush my products out. I am a perfectionist and like to take my time making sure my products are perfect.
5. Do you rely on Etsy to help pay bills or is it mainly for fun & extra spending money?
Etsy is done for fun and some extra spending money. I think in order to make enough money to be an income, you would have to produce larger quantities and higher priced items.
6. Have you tried or do you sell in offline shops? Do you enjoy that more or less than Etsy & why?
I have never sold in off line shops. I have certainly been asked and even bugged at the local farmers market but tsy keeps me busy.
7. Where else can you be found online?
I am on blujay.com and icraft.com and artfire.com but have had 1 sale on each of them. Etsy seems to be the best venue to get steady sales on.

For all the Hippies out there-Hippie Art and JustGiveMePeace

Welcome to the hippie parade...We believe in peace and love. Everything in between is just a road trip....

So starts the announcement in this Hippie Art shop. I met JustGiveMePeace in a thread killer. She loves art, drawing and great old music. So I asked her for an interview and she graciously accepted. Hope you enjoy her answers to my questions and for her art, check out her shop: JustGiveMePeace on Etsy.

1. When and why did you start crafting?

LOL! That’s easy. Our Mama allowed us to color on the walls. I think she was the original hippie…she had us casting sand mummies at the beach by the time I was three, collecting wood from old houses to paint on by the time I was five. I still color on the walls!

2. What do you enjoy most about your crafting?

For the most part I paint, color, draw. It’s a peace drug…It’s starts with one thought and once I begin, I’m lost in it.

3. How did you find out about Etsy and why did you start selling there?

Funny, but I learned of Etsy about three years ago when a fellow blogger introduced me to all the cool items she was collecting. I bookmarked it as a really awesome place to visit and suddenly last August, pop! I decided to join.

4. What is the hardest thing to do for your shop or you dislike the most about selling online?

I’m a little spoiled. We began selling on the other E and my only contribution was to draw. My skinny little sister, Paigey, did all the listings, the techno stuff, and well, all I had to do was color. I’m sort of on my own with Etsy and it’s been a learning experience, but over all, there really isn’t anything I don’t like about it. I’ve met some incredible people and it’s like being at a 24 hour, 7 day a week art show. I live in a house with no clocks, so it’s a perfect lifestyle for me…

5. Do you rely on Etsy to help pay bills or is it mainly for fun & extra spending money?

Funny, but when I needed help with the bills, it helped, when I was just hearting some wonderful hippie stuff for myself, it paid for those. It sort of just fits my needs. And goes with the flow…

6. Have you tried or do you sell in offline shops? Do you enjoy that more or less than Etsy & why?

We transitioned from the auction site and even a check out on our web to Etsy only. It’s slowly working…and so far, I’ve found it to be the easiest and far friendliest on line avenue.

7. Where else can you be found online?

www.justgivemepeace.com and www.justgivemepeace.blogspot and twitter, of course www.twitter.com/justgivemepeace

Much Peace,Sing

The family that plays Disc golf together stays together

Back in February my hubby and I had to attend a business seminar he was putting on in San Diego. A month or so before both our sons called us and said they wouldn't mind going with us for a mini vacation while out there. So we made arrangements for them and our daughter-in-law to go out there with us and have a day or two before and after to do things together. The first day out there Chelsea and I found a HUGE bead store with a great sale going on. So while the guys went to a movie, she and I went shopping. Needless to say we weren't done by the time they came back to get us. (This place advertises 18,0000 square feet of beads, and I believe it.)
The next day I went to the conference with my hubby and the kids were off and running. While out they found a disc golf course. (I had originally taken the boys when they were little to disc golf courses in Florida and Louisiana when we attended other business conferences with my hubby. One of the vendors for our conferences would always sponsor a disc golf game for the wives and kids while the guys played regular golf. We had a blast and were hooked. We even found some courses here in Texas when we returned home and continued to play for several years off and on.) When they told me about the course they found, I took half a day off the next day from the conference and went with them to play disc golf. Although it rained/drizzled on us most of the time we had a blast. So the last day before we caught our plane, we all went out to play disc golf together one last time before returning to our homes and work. It was a blast. We had a great time and it was especially special since we were all together as a family, with our new member, daughter in law, Chelsea. Here's a few pics of us playing disc golf. And if you want to see some of the things Chelsea made with the beads we found, check out her shop, STRINGandSTONES. She does gorgeous work. And check out her Katrina bead earrings. They're made with beads from a necklace that was one of the only pieces of jewelry a friend of hers saved from Katrina.
By the way, my guys made quite a stir in San Diego. We got stopped everywhere we went by people asking all three of them if they were really cowboys. They all wear their hats everywhere and it seems, people in San Diego are not used to seeing cowboys and their hats. LOL

What I'd do with a $100 Home Depot gift card

In reading one of the gardening blogs I follow this evening I found out about a $100 gift card for Home Depot giveaway they were sponsoring. All you had to do was go to Home Depot's garden club site, browse all their great DIY projects and go back and comment about what you'd do with that gift card. Problem was, I found LOTS of things I'd do with that gift card. LOL More than my DH would want to help me with, I'm sure. :) But one of the first I would love to be able to do is: planting a vine on an arbor. My oldest son, Jeremy (who loves computer stuff-check out the link to his blog down and to the right) took a stab at welding and built me an arbor a few years ago complete with my initials. I've never been able to get it painted and placed where I want it. So I would love to be able to get that arbor primed and painted, placed by our company parking spot, in a place of honor and covered with either passion flower vines or Texas evergreen Wisteria which smells absolutely gorgeous when in bloom. This would be great in helping me get that done and show him how much I appreciate his effort in helping me make my garden special. So check out the blog and the giveaway.

Interview with Etsy's Inkwear99

I first met Stacey of Inkwear99 on Etsy through the forums. We were both on a threadkiller thread, trying to win a prize. There are several of those floating around Etsy so check them out. But she had a threadkiler of her own and I ended up winning an adorable tattooed bag for being a certain number poster. It's great. You can check it out at her shop. I have also fallen in love with these tattooed shoes. May have to get them for myself. So I asked her for an interview. I hope you enjoy it.

1. When and why did you start crafting?

We started making silkscreen tshirts and totes last summer when my stepdaughter who is 12 decided she wanted to be a fashion designer. Eric, my husband had done some silkscreening in high school. So we bought the equipment and started making shirts. It also made sense to make the shirts for our tattoo shop as well. It would be much cheaper.

2. What do you enjoy most about your crafting?
I really like making new designs and putting the thoughts in our head onto a shirt or shoe.

3. How did you find out about Etsy and why did you start selling there?

I found out about etsy from Karla at heartsizedcrush.etsy. She makes tattoo inspired jewelry and we have some of her pieces on consignment at the tattoo shop.

4.. What is the hardest thing to do for your shop or you dislike the most about selling online?

I wasn't sure how well we would do, but figured our items may as well be displayed on the internet, and have more people see them. They may as well be displayed other places, rather than just in boxes in our basement.

5. Do you rely on Etsy to help pay bills or is it mainly for fun & extra spending money?

We don't really rely on Etsy for our main source of income. It is mostly just for fun. I am a Comptroller at an auto broker in the day, we own a tattoo shop, do Inkwear at nights and in my "spare" time, I am a mom and a wife.

6. Have you tried or do you sell in offline shops? Do you enjoy that more or less than Etsy & why?

We have some items at a boutique in Colorado Springs. We have about 20 items there. It is a handmade boutique, called Kabbibi Mei. It just opened last month and has been doing ok so far. We have only sold one item, but are still very hopeful.

7.Where else can you be found online?

I can also be found online at: inkwear99.artfire.com, twitter.com/inkwear99 and myspace.com/inkwear99

You can check out some more of her favorites in the web ring box to the right.

Reducing our Carbon Footprint

With Earth day having been this last week, a lot of us have been thinking about how to cut down on our trash, how to be/go green in our lives, what we can do to recycle and help the earth by reducing our carbon footprint. But did you realize you can reduce your carbon footprint by mowing your yard less? In a e-newsletter I get, they had this interesting short article. Maybe we can all learn something from it. I found it very interesting. Although I try to not mow or water often so as to make my grass more drought tolerant and for it's own health. I think you might find this article interesting also.

Many people are interested in reducing their carbon footprint in an effort to save energy and limit global warming. While driving less is one of the most obvious ways to do this, mowing your lawn less can also help.
Researchers at the Agricultural Institute of Canada in Ottawa calculated the amount of carbon emissions saved by mowing the average lawn less frequently. Researchers mowed plots of cool season grass lawns only 3 times a year and compared the carbon emissions with mowing similar plots every week. They measured the emissions from mowing a lawn at 0.4 pounds of carbon dioxide per square foot of lawn. To put this number into perspective, if you have a 2000 square foot lawn, mowing only 3 times a season will cut the carbon dioxide emissions by 600 pounds. That’s the equivalent of cutting back driving a car that gets 20 miles per gallon by 600 miles.
For a bigger picture perspective, when multiplied by the 50 million acres of lawn in the U.S., we could potentially reduce carbon emissions by more than 600 trillion pounds just by mowing less.
I also try to recycle glass for use in my products in my glass shops at Etsy and Artfire, both named KayzKreationz and I try to recycle packaging to help save my customers money and to help save trees and reuse items. You can check out some of my recycled items at either one of my shops.
For more great info about gardening, check this out.

ETSY Day is here--Check out great Handmade shops

Today's the Day. ETSY day is finally here. Hundreds or maybe even thousands of Etsy buyers/sellers are promoting Etsy in lots of ways. Most are putting an Etsy car sign on their vehicles while they go to work, shopping or just driving around to get the word out about Etsy. Others are leaving fliers and bookmarks around where they shop, eat, or with people they talk to. Some are being interviewed on their local news or newspapers. The idea is to get the word out about Etsy and let people know about a great place to buy genuine HANDMADE items, instead of mass produced. Etsy also has some great supply shops for crafters and wonderful vintage shops for those of us that love vintage (or can't seem to get out of the past) :) So if you're tired of the same old thing for gifts, home decor or even clothing, check out ETSY. Your place for all things Handmade, Supply and Vintage.

I love Etsy for my Stained glass, Mosaics and Fused glass items for Home decor and Yard and Garden decor. If you're tired of the same old birdfeeders, windchimes, plant stakes and decorations for you home and garden check out KayzKreationz. And for gorgeous Sterling Silver, Gemstone and Swarovski crystal jewelry, check out STRINGandStones. You'll love her unique take on jewelry. I own several of her pieces and always get compliments of them whenever I wear them.

So pass the word about a great place to shop: ETSY!

Earth Day and Giveaway

Even though I'm a day late (and as some say, a dollar short) :) I just found out about this great post on Country Girl's blog for Earth Day. Her blog has some great info and is well worth you're checking out. Take a peek at some of her other posts as well as checking out the giveaway for Earth Day. Let's keep thinking about the Earth every day, not just once a year. To find out about the giveaway, click on the title of this post. To check out her blog as a whole click on her blog name in this post.
For some recycled glass things, check out KayzKreationz. Neat things for your home and garden.

Earth Day

Today is EARTH day. What is everyone doing to help the earth? I always try to plant something. And I don't use chemicals in my yard or garden at any time. I recycle most of the year too. And with my glass I try to recycle bottles, shells, etc. for some of my art. Then I also create things to help the wildlife, like my birdbaths, birdfeeders, butterfly baths, etc. We need all those critters to keep our gardens/yards growing. You can check out some of my glass items at KayzKreationz. Will be a new birdfeeder/birdbath/butterfly bath listed tonight.
What do you do to help the earth & environment?

Etsy interview with LennyMud and Giveaway

In perusing the blogs I enjoy reading this evening, I found this great interview with a potter, LennyMud. I love pottery. I tried my hand at it as a teenager and quickly discovered I didn't want to make it, I just wanted to "own" it. :) This potter has some of the most adorable things in his shop. So check out this interview and his Etsy shop. You're bound to find something you really love or just can't live without.
And if you're looking for unique glass for your home or garden, check out KayzKreationz. There's something there to make eveyone's garden stand out from the rest.
And for unique jewelry check out STRINGandSTONES for gorgeous sterling silver, gemstone and swarovski crystal jewelry. I have several of her pieces and love them.

New Listings coming to Etsy for spring

I love spring. The grass is getting green, the trees and flowers are budding and blooming. The birds, butterflies and bees are returning. And I get the urge to get my garden weeded, back in shape, planted, etc. My grandmother had a green thumb and was always working in her yard and garden. She loved having feeders out for the birds. My grandfather even managed to tame/train a wild squirrel to come down out of the trees, come up on his porch and eat right out of his hands. I guess that's where I get it. So with my glass, I have a tendency to create things that decorate my yard and garden or help the wildlife in some way. In both my shops on Etsy and Artfire, I have things for just that purpose. My plant stakes decorate your garden and your potted plants. My birdfeeders can be used for that purpose or even as shallow bird baths or butterfly baths. Butterflies need shallow baths and these small terra cotta feeders are just right for that purpose, too. My windchimes decorate, twist and chime in the wind for your enjoyment. Even my garden twirlers add a touch of whimsy to your garden. So keep and eye out for some great new items for your yard and garden coming soon to KayzKreationz.

Etsy Day is coming

As a small business owner, KayzKreationz, I'm always looking for ways to get my business known and out there. In the last week or two, there's been a great thread going on Etsy about how to get Etsy itself known so that on the flip side our own businesses will also get known. There is a grass roots marketing adventure growing in that thread and quite a few of us will be advertising Etsy on April 24th in a number of ways. Hopefully, more people will find out about Etsy and what it is. That in turn will drive "buyers" hopefully to Etsy itself and then into our shops. The handmade movement is growing and this marketing adventure will help it get more well known as well as all the great artists on Etsy and other sites that promote handmade. So keep watching. There will be more about Etsy day as April 24th gets closer. If you haven't heard or read about it, you can check it in this thread.
Meanwhile for great glass items for your home and garden check out my shop, KayzKreationz. And for some gorgeous Sterling Silver and gemstone jewelry, check out STRINGandSTONES. I love her jewelry.

Spring Fling and my Mosaic Birdfeeder

My Mosaic Birdhouse Birdfeeder has been featured on DZFantasy's blog. She is doing a Spring Fling featuring quite a line-up of Etsy shops with great spring items. And she chose my Birdfeeder as one of her Spring items. Here is a pic of the feeder itself. If you want to see more great spring items, check out her blog. And if you're interested in more glass for your home or garden, check out my shop, KayzKreationz, for windchimes, plant stakes, sandscapes and more.

"Beach Baby, Beach Baby, Give me your Hand"--Beach Treasures, a new Sandscape and a Treasury

When we go to the beach, I can't resist strolling along looking for whatever treasures I can find. I always find something It may be just more shells, some beach glass or something to bring home and use, either in the garden or in my work. In fact, my "Ocean Meets the Sky" fused glass suncatcher has some of these treasures strung from it and worked into the macrame hanger. My new Sandscape "Beach Baby" also has some of these treasures in it. So in honor of my sale of the previous sandscape and relisting "Beach Baby" I decided to stroll through Etsy shops and see what kind of beach treasures I could find for a treasury. And right after finding my "treasures" I snagged a treasury to showcase them. Take a peek and see what treasures you can find in this treasury.

Rescue Turtles, Wildlife Management, our small Texas Ranch and my Glass

About a week and a half ago, a friend of ours that owns apartments, went to check on one of his rentals to find that the renters had moved out and left their fish tank with "a" fish, a hamster in it's cage and their tank with 2 turtles in it. Whether they had left food or not I don't know for sure, but obviously with no-one there, the animals couldn't get food. I don't care for people that just go off and leave their animals or decide that they can come dump them in the country for us to take care of. What they don't realize is we already have our own animals that we "responsibly" take care of and their animals will sit beside the road chasing every car coming back, hoping their owner is coming back to get them. Then they will wander off and either get hit and hurt or killed or we will have to shoot them, because we don't know if they're sick, mean or whatever. In case you can't tell this is a real pet peeve of mine! If people want animals in their life, then they need to take responsibility for them. If they can no longer care for them, then it is their responsibility to find homes for them or a shelter that can take them and then provide some support to that shelter. But I digress. Our friend had found a school here that wanted to take the fish and it's tank for the children to learn how to take care of and they had decided to keep the hamster. (He had taken all the critters home until he could find homes for them.) But he couldn't keep the turtles and couldn't find a home for them. In steps my DH. We have a water trough buried in our back pasture as a water source for the wildlife as part of our wildlife management we do on our small ranch. We told him we would take them home and release them in this water source and hopefully they would survive. We didn't know what kind of turtles they are and neither did he. But at least they might have a chance. So he put them in containers for us, we toted them home, cleared out some of the moss and grass that always overgrows this trough, put some rocks in so they would have a place to climb up without hopefully climbing out and then released them. They seemed happy enough with their new home. Although one of them was "not" happy with being handled, once they were put down at the edge of the water, they immediately took off into it's darkest depths. I go out every day or two and sprinkle a little food for them and look around. So far we haven't seem them, but we haven't seen anything floating, and there seems to be enough room around and under the rocks where they could hide/live. So unless they have climbed out and crawled off, we're hoping they will survive. At the very least they had a chance they wouldn't have had when their previous owners decided to just irresponsibly leave them behind for our friend to bring home and try to care for. Here's a couple of pics of my DH putting the rocks in for them and them being released.
This is one reason so many of my glass items have to do with gardening, birdfeeding or birdbaths and such. I love nature, animals and wildlife and like to provide for them and usually end up spending any money I make from my glass to either make more to sell or to provide food and homes for them. I'm a sucker for animals and I think they know it. :) Enjoy the pics and if you're looking for something to help the animals and wildlife check out my glass in my Etsy shop, KayzKreationz or my Artfire shop, also KayzKreationz.

Mini Pyramid Stained Glass Sandscape and a Sale!

Yay! My Mini Pyramid Glass Beach Sandscape sold tonight. There's been threads on the forums several times that it seems like when you quit watching your shop, you get sales. And today that seemed to be the case. I had paperwork, taxes and a ton of other things I needed to get done or get started on today and didn't have time to check my shop. Finally after I started my homemade pizza cooking for dinner I sat down and decided to check my e-mail and my hearts. I checked into Craftcult and couldn't believe it when it said I had one less item for sale than I knew I had. Excitedly I started reading my e-mails, and sure enough my Beach Sandscape had sold from my shop. I was doing the happy dance then. :) So I've contacted the buyer, am getting it ready to ship and then will check to see if I have another one to list and get pictures done. I love doing these, because I can't resist picking up shells and pieces of glass whenever we go to the beach and these make such a unique way to keep them as a keepsake. I've even personalized one as a graduation gift for a young girl who loves the beach, with her name and grad date. This was a good day. Hope everyone else is having a good evening. Thanks all.

And if you're in the mood for some fantastic Sterling Silver jewelry, check out this shop. She has some great items.